trans_9 | There's No Place Like [Open]

Cassie had noticed Krisi standing quietly on the porch and concern prompted her to go to her, although hesitantly. She really didn't know the draconian at all, having only been introduced to her recently and having not had much time to say much more then "hello" to her, and she wasn't sure if Krisi was actually looking for someone to talk to or if she simply wanted to be alone for a few moments. In a house as crowded as hers was now- that her house was on the ship at all still surprised her- it could be hard to get a moment alone and Cassie wouldn't have blamed her if she'd just been seeking some peace and quiet.

Still, this whole situation had to be quite the shock for her as it had been for all of them and she'd been left with only strangers for comfort, so perhaps it was better to just make sure that she was okay.

"Hello, Krisi," Cassie started quietly, moving toward her slowly. "Do you mind if I join you for a few minutes?"

"Hello Cassie, it is your home, I can hardly order you to leave me alone, can I?" She smiled, quietly shifting to gaze at the human. She knew this human was not much older than herself, but she carried herself as though she was. It was very strange.

"Was there something you needed? Or were you seeking to admire the view?" Her wings tightened very slightly against her back, she still was not sure how to deal with humans by herself. Without her parents there to act as guides.

Cassie returned the smile as she settled next to Krisi. Although she appeared to be gazing off into the distance, she kept her gaze on Krisi out of the corner of her eye, debating her next move. From what little she'd seen of her, the draconian seemed quiet and proud. A direct question would be the easiest approach, but she doubted that it would give her the answers that she sought. It might be better to try to draw her out if she could.

"You can always ask me to leave you alone, Krisi. Always," she said in a quiet yet insistent voice, finally looking back at her companion. "My house or not, you live here now too and you have every right to ask for privacy if you want it. I only hope that you're finding everything to your liking. I'm not sure what you're used to back in your own world. Is there anything that I might be able to do to make it more comfortable for you?"

Cassie shook her head. "I just wanted some air. It's all been a lot to take in at once, hasn't it? I can hardly believe it. I keep thinking that maybe this is all a dream."

"Of course, Miss Cassie." She smiled, just as polite as she had been from the moment the human stepped onto the porch, shrugging faintly. "It is different from what I am accustomed to, but it is much better than it could be. I thank you for your welcome, but I think there is little to be done but await my Uncle's return."

She nodded, looking out over the city. "It is very strange, such a vast place and all held within a single ship. Pieces of countless worlds, buildings higher than I have ever seen before. But I do not think it is a dream, or else one of my brothers would have woken me by now."

Cassie couldn't help but note the sudden use of "Miss" before her name. She hadn't expected the increase in formality. Clearly, convincing Krisi to open up to her would be more difficult then she'd anticipated.

Covering up her concern with a smile, she continued. "Oh, please don't call me 'miss'. It makes me feel strange. And, if there is ever anything that I can do, please let me know." Cassie tilted her head at the mention of Krisi's uncle. "I look forward to meeting your uncle. Given how fond both you and Eva seem to be of him, he must wonderful." She chose not to mention the tension that she'd noticed from Marco every time Kang's name came up. She didn't know the cause behind the tension and bringing that up now wouldn't help the current situation. "What's he like?"

"You're right. This isn't a dream, even if it still feels kind of unreal to me. If this were a dream, then either my parents or my alarm would have woken me already. I always tended to wake up very early in the morning." She didn't mention why because it hurt to think about the animals that she'd cared for back on Earth. She hated thinking about their fate.

"How many brothers do you have? What are they like? I've been an only child all my life, but I always wanted a brother or sister."

(OOC: I'm sorry to repost. I misread your post, so I wanted to fix my own to be a more appropriate response.)

"Of course, as you like. I will make certain to tell you." She smiled, unintentionally amused. How to explain her father? "I think my uncle really defies explanation, it is better to meet him and form your own opinions than to listen to my praise."

She paused. "But he is a good teacher, and a good listener. I miss him a great deal. I hope that all goes well on this mission he is on."

She nodded, quiet and playing with one of the bangles on her arm, letting the clink of metal sooth her. "I have two brothers and two sisters. They are a very large part of my life and I care for them a great deal. Even if they are often pests, they are my pests. I would gladly die for them, and they for me, should it come to that."

Cassie smiled back at Krisi, pleased at the smile and that she seemed willing to, at least, open up some about her family. It wasn't a win, but it was a step in the right direction, as far as Cassie was concerned. "I can't wait until he returns. You'll have to introduce me when you can. I'm anxious to meet him."

One good turn... If Krisi was willing to reach out to her even that much, perhaps she should meet her halfway. "That reminds me a bit of my relationship with my friends. The ones who live with me in this house. We've been through so much together and we might not always agree, but they all mean so much to me. I know that I'd do anything for them. Maybe it's not the same, but..." Cassie's voice trailed off as grief managed to find its way into it. She hadn't intended for that to happen. But talking about the relationship that she had with her friends had reminded her of something that she'd lost when the war ended. She loved them all, but many of those precious bonds that she'd cherished had vanished or seriously weakened when the war had drawn to a close. She had been grateful for the war's end, but she hadn't been prepared for what had followed. Not even a little.

Cassie took a deep breath, trying to banish her thoughts to the back of her mind. She'd have to deal with them some day, but now was not a good time. She was here now, not there. Not there... And that road led to a whole new layer that she wasn't ready to deal with yet.

She forced herself to continue the conversation. "It is nice to have people who are so close to you. What kind of things do you like to do? Maybe we can figure out a way to include it aboard the ship. You know, make this place feel a bit more like home."

(OOC: Made a couple of minor grammar errors that were bothering me. Sorry!)

Edited 2011-07-08 12:42 (UTC)

"I will, I am equally anxious for him to return." She was very much still a child, though she might remain composed and collected at the prospect of being left alone on a giant alien spaceship, she really had little desire for anything, other than for her father to return. "I have never been alone before." The words were quiet, a tiny hint of uncertainty breaking the otherwise perfect illusion.

"Were you at war?" The words were curious, her own observation of how the humans had collected themselves together, despite them having no relation to each other, told here that they must be a group of some sort. But she could not tell exactly what, merely that she was the outsider and caused trouble by being there.

"Ah, I think it may be difficult to replicate within the environments of the ship. Mostly, we trained, or we hunted, or we simply kept ourselves busy." As often as he life had been full of direction, it had an equal amount of time where Yana and Brevo fought and she and Grosk avoided getting dragged into their latest squabble. "But thank you for the attempt, I am sure I will manage."

Cassie hadn't missed the small break in the young draconian's demeanor. In that moment, she felt surprisingly close to the girl. Krisi was a child caught up in something that was well over her head, which was a situation that Cassie was intimately familiar with sadly. She missed the days when she had still been able to consider herself a child, but what was done was done. Cassie could only hope that Krisi's own childhood would be preserved better then her own had during the upcoming conflict. At least, Krisi would have her uncle there to help her through it and, if she allowed it, then Cassie would be happy to help her as well.

Her face twisted uncertainly at Krisi's question, quickly thinking back over what she had said. The draconian was more perceptive then she'd realized and it threw her off balance momentarily. Cassie hadn't necessarily intended to give that fact away, but, on reflection, did it matter that Krisi knew? She hadn't really been keeping the fact that she had fought a secret and she wanted to let Krisi know that she trusted her so that the draconian youth might decide to do the same.

She wouldn't lie now. It would only undo all that they had already built. "Yes, I was," Cassie spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper, suddenly no longer able to meet Krisi's gaze. The war was still too fresh in her mind and the losses still hurt too much for Cassie to really be able to speak of it with the same confidence that she might use for other topics. "It's over now." The last part had become her new mantra since the war had ended. In the end though, it was little more then a comforting lie. The war might have ended, but nothing was over. Not for Cassie at least and not for her friends as far as she could tell. The pain, the sadness, and the terrible uncertainty remained. She could only hope that it would fade in time.

"Perhaps you should try visiting the Sensoriums some time? I haven't been there yet myself, but I've heard that they have impressive holographic equipment that make the images seem almost real. I've been meaning to visit, but I haven't had the opportunity yet." Cassie shrugged, offering Krisi another smile. "I don't know if it would do you any good, but it might be worth a try."

Kali had spent her entire life around warriors, to be thrust into the midst of a unit of soldiers was almost normal. Though most had been more willing to accept her, and her father had been there.

This was somewhat different.

"What were you fighting, Miss Cassie? Why did you go to war?"

She curled her hand against the rail, watching Cassie curiously. If the human would answer her, she might gain further insight to the situation. If she would not, well, there was little to be lost in the attempt.

"A holograph? An illusion of some sort?" That sounded like something a dragon would enjoy, she would do well to avoid it for as long as possible.

Cassie hesitated at Krisi's question. But, Krisi was a friend, wasn't she? Marco's mother had introduced her as a relative of a good friend of hers, so certainly there could be no danger there. Plus, the war had been won. Well, in her own time at least. What if that was changed when (She could only think about it in terms of "when". Imagining any other scenario was too difficult for her to bear.) their universe was returned to normal?

Still, she couldn't bring herself to lie. Could there really be any harm in telling Krisi a bit of what happened?

"A race of aliens called the Yeerks invaded our planet," Cassie answered finally, deciding to put her faith in her new friend. "Some of them were determined to make us into slaves, but we fought them. It... was hard. They weren't all bad, you know. Some of them acted cruelly, but many of them thought that they had no choice. That this was the only way that they could live." Cassie paused, blinking back tears as the memories hit her all at once. "But we had to fight. We couldn't let... We had to..." It was almost a plea as though she was asking someone to confirm that they had done what needed to be done. That they had made the right decisions. That she had made the right decisions.

Krisi couldn't give her that confirmation though and, mentally, Cassie knew that was true. Emotionally though, it was a different issue.

"I believe so," Cassie nodded, not realizing that she hadn't scored any points with Krisi for that suggestion. "As I said, I haven't been there yet, but I've heard that it's pretty impressive."

"Can you tell me a bit more of yourself? Of your world?" Cassie asked curiously.

Edited 2011-07-12 21:43 (UTC)

The look Kali gave her was one of quiet respect, young though she was she had spent her entire life hearing stories of battle and how hard her race had fought to establish themselves.

A warrior was a creature to be respected, a female warrior human even more so, she had spent her life surrounded by them. By allies and friends of her father's.

She reached out, resting a tiny clawed hand on Cassie's wrist. "In war, there are many opinions. By my understanding, you did what you had to do to protect your race, there is honor and courage in that. You should not be ashamed or sad, Miss Cassie. To fight against a creature wishing to enslave you is very honorable and right to do, no matter their reasons. Invaders, slave-masters, always have good reasons. Reasons that make sense to them."

She made a little disintrested noise at the place of illusions, she would not be going there. Not when such a place could easily be home to many things she had no great want to meet.

"What is there to tell? I have no context for telling you anything, I could tell you the color of our sky and you might think I was odd. I have two brothers and two sisters, my mother has recently become gravid again." A liberal mix of truth and lies. "I have been trained with the bow as well as in hand to hand fighting. I am ten."

Cassie nodded, still not convinced. No amount of reassurance from others would ever make up for what had happened and for all the things that she had done. Acceptance and forgiveness would have to come from within. She only hoped that it would come in time. For now, it was still outside of her grasp.

Still, she smiled gratefully at the young draconian. She was thankful that Krisi had tried, even if she was also a bit embarrassed that her concerns had been so easy to read. "Thank you. You're right." Except when she wondered how many of the Yeerks who had died had been like Aftran, caught up in a war for which they could see no way out. Then she was not right at all and things were not so simple.

While she listened, she noticed the increased formality again. Respect? Discomfort? Concern? Purposefully distancing herself? That last thought caused Cassie to frown. She hoped that wasn't the reason for it.

This time though she noticed the disinterest and possibly even discomfort with the mention of the Sensoriums, so she left that topic alone. It no longer served a purpose.

And Cassie would take whatever information she could get. Jumping on the new pieces of the puzzle, she looked with interest at Krisi. "You are very accomplished to be able to fight with a bow as well as hand to hand at such a young age. How long have you been training? Is that common in your culture?" Contemplating the rest of the conversation, she also cautiously asked, "You've mentioned your mother and siblings, but not your father. Would it be too invasive for me to ask about him?" She hesitated again, worried that she might have offended Krisi.

After a moment's pause, she continued with further caution, "I hope that my question did not offend you. I'm just curious. I'd... like for us to be friends, but I won't force you into any situation that makes you uncomfortable." Cassie shrugged and smiled hopefully at Krisi, her eyes filled with patience and understanding.

Edited 2011-07-17 03:18 (UTC)

Eva's been watching long enough. It's about time she ask some questions. She's been aware from a few hours ago that she's being deceived, and while she trusts it's with good intentions she's not one who likes to stay out of the know.

She sits down on the porch next to Krisi, a wine glass in one hand and a mug of soft cider for her. Whether or not Draconians start drinking younger, Eva won't be serving alcohol to minors here. "So. What's the real story?"

She doesn't ask in an accusatory way, just a casual one.

Kali shifted, unconsciously angling her body on the best line to freedom. "Of what are you speaking, Miss Eva?"

There really could only be one thing, which meant her illusion had not been as well played as it could have been. But she had seen the pictures in her father's room, this woman was a friend to him. Or at least a very convincing liar who had planned ahead, if she was not.

She might be able to tell her the truth, she had told Kaylee the truth. She levered herself up, perching on the rail of the porch and staring at the human curiously. She was a strange human. She reminded her of nothing, a unique creature. That made her more cautious. Eva was no warrior, and yet the scars spoke of something unnamed that Kali could not begin to place a finger on.

"Here." She holds the mug of cider out to Krisi, seeing that shift, that survival-focused wariness. Either Krisi has already seen hardship, or she has been taught well that danger can arise out of even the most innocuous-looking situations. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just curious."

Of course, the Draconians have probably heard that a few times before.

"Kang's very proud of his family, and yet he's never mentioned a niece Krisi. And you don't talk about him like an uncle. I'm not saying she doesn't exist, but either you were born after his point in the timeline, you became close to him after his point in the timeline, or what I think-" she takes a sip of wine, feeling a little bit like a detective in the parlor scene of an old mystery movie- "is that you're not giving me the whole story, and that Krisi is an identity."

Kali took the mug, gave it a sniff and sat it down on the rail beside her without even pretending to take a sip. Food could be drugged, and though she did not smell anything, it was better to use caution for the conversation that was sure to follow.

She eyed the woman warily, suddenly understanding her father's friendship with her. She was a clever human, something her father had always valued just as much as strength in combat. Very astute, frustratingly so, considering the situation and the danger she was very well aware of. "You are friends with the Lord-Governor, Eva? Did he tell you stories of our race?" She quieted, legs swaying. "When I was a child, he told me a story. There was a patrol of draconians and they came upon a village filled with elves. The elves were unafraid and seemed eager to assist. They gave them food and drink and welcomed them into their homes. The mage was suspicious, but could only feel an eager want to help." She glanced at the mug, then back at Eva. "They started to feel ill, and to change, but whatever had been done to them was not strong enough to complete itself and so they lingered, stuck between forms, even more twisted than we ourselves are. The elves were not elves at all, but dragons disguised to look like something they were not. They had tried to change their lost children back again, and when that failed, they killed them all. They were kind, and helpful, they offered every friendship and even as they slaughtered them they thought it was a mercy to do so."

She paused again, tilting her head to the side. "A dragon can take the appearance if anything it wills, so long as it has the skill to do so. You have all been helpful and kind, you have said you know the Lord-Governor and you have taken me into your home and offered me food and drink and a place to stay." She made eye-contact for a long, lingering moment. "If you are correct, why should I trust you with that information?"

Eva, despite having heard the story before, says nothing while Krisi recites it, except to snort at one line that bothers her. When Krisi finishes, she says "don't ever call yourself twisted, muchacha. Draconians are anything but."

She purses her lips. "I've heard that story before, and the only answer I can give you is that if I were a dragon, I'd find you repulsive whether or not you were related to Kang, or how closely. And if I hated Kang, I'd do enough damage by harming the second other person to arrive from Krynn to pay back a hundred grudges, no matter your connection to him. Your uncle is isolated, Krisi. Just about anyone from home who knows his face in a good light would be a godsend to him."

She gestures at the house. "Furthermore, this place is a cold zone. Stacy can't interfere with violence here. And I'm a very dangerous woman, as certain people on the ship can attest."

She takes a sip of wine. "Basically, Krisi, if I wanted to harm you or Kang, you'd already be dead. Believe me when I say that I know better than just about anyone the power of a secret identity, and while I'll continue to shelter you whether or not you spill, I don't want to be deceived by someone I take to be a friend. I know your kind have reasons to be secretive. I understand that. But don't take me for an idiot."

"I know what they think of us, and I still remember my hatching dream. We are less than we could have been, but it is more than enough." She did not seem at all bothered by the assessment, self awareness had never been an area she failed in.

"It is not the repulsion I worry about, it is the pity I find myself watching for."

She nodded, looking down at the mug and not reacting outwardly to the warning about this place being a cold zone. Would the ship do something if she was attacked elsewhere?

That was new information, information she had missed before.

For a moment she remained silent, studying the mug, face composed and blank. The human and her father's friendship was making more and more sense. She had not recognized it at first, as she had with the General, but there was a core of steal beneath the soft and easily broken skin.

She glanced around, automatically checking the area for anyone watching, before starting to speak, voice level and calm. "My name is Kali. My mother is Fonrar, my father is Kang. My brothers are Grosk and Brevo and my sister is Yana. And I would never dare take you for an idiot, Ma'am, I have more sense than that."

"I think there's a jump between turning out differently than planned and being 'twisted'."

At hearing that, she breaks out into a smile and opens her arms as if to hug Kali, although she doesn't make any sudden movements still. "That's wonderful to hear! Your father will be, he'll..."

She almost tears up thinking about it, all the years Kang's missed with his daughter. There's a sudden bitter-sweetness to it. She knows Kali must be older than when Kang saw her last, significantly so. The Kali she saw in the Sensoriums was hardly more than an infant.

So many years lost. Eva knows too well what that feels like and wouldn't wish it on Kang, or Kali.

"Your father will be so happy to see you," she concludes, quickly rubbing the corners of her eyes.

"You do not need to defend me from the preconceived notions of others, Ma'am. I am perfectly comfortable with who and what I am."

The almost hug puzzled her, she barely knew the woman. But the gesture was aborted even before it finished and Eva was wiping her face as though she had something to hide.

"Is something wrong? Is something in your eyes, Ma'am?" It was a strange gesture, one she was completely unable to place. Her contact with humans had been limited enough that she had never been close to one on the verge of tears.

"I am hopeful that he will, and the mission goes well so he can return quicker. This place is very strange."

She takes a deep, steadying breath. "I'm fine. Just allergies. Probably something I planted in the garden."

She considers for a moment whether to tell Kali, then decides she would be remiss postponing the inevitable. She slugs back some more wine. "Kali, you know how timelines work aboard this ship, don't you? Kang is from an earlier point in time than you are. When you see him...he still remembers you as an infant. Those are his most recent memories of you. He may not recognize you at all."

She runs her front teeth back and forth over a crack in her lower lip. "And drink some cider. It's good for you."

She glanced at the cup again, then lifted it slowly to her lips, taking a cautious sip. "Thank you."

She frowned, tapping her claws against the worn level of her belt. "Some of my father's memories have been repressed to the point that he remembers me only as an infant? That is...quite out of the ordinary. I will attempt to remind him, but it is not his fault."

It may be difficult to deal with, it may hurt a little, but it was hardly his fault and she could hardly hold it against him for forgetting something he would very much have rather remembered. She would just need to remain strong, until he could remember.

She nods. "Something like that. He won't remember them, probably, even with time and patience. I don't want you to get your hopes up that they will."

She lets out a slow breath and takes another sip of wine, casting her gaze across the front yard. "It may be awkward at first, but he's going to love you as much regardless. I'm sure you don't even need that reassurance."

"Even if he does not remember, he was still there for me. And I remember. That will be enough." She resettled her wings, tiny face serious as she studied the human woman.

"I have never had need to doubt that my father loves me, and I shall not begin now. I can share my memories with him and we will continue as we always have."

Her voice was soft, but composed and serious. There was no fear in her, at least not in regards to her father, only respect and love and a wish for him to return.

"Yes. It's something, and something's usually enough if you let it be."

She's glad to see that Kang seems to have passed his strength and understanding onto his daughter. Young as she is, she seems strong for her age. Someday she might even be wise, even if she is a bit naive now.

It always makes her heart sink a little to see children so grown up.

Marco wasn't really looking to interact with Krisi at all - he'd just been returning home, which meant he had to walk by her to get into the house. While he'd flown back in osprey morph, he'd made sure to demorph out of her sight. His morphing might be public knowledge by now, but he was pretty sure she didn't know what they could do yet. He wasn't going to just go and hand that knowledge to her.

He didn't trust Krisi. They didn't know her, and more to the point, her one point of connection on the ship was Kang. Sure, she was just a kid, and she might not even be as big a bastard as her uncle is. But the fact that she was related to Kang was enough to make Marco dislike having her live with them in Cassie's house, particularly when Jake, Cassie, and Tobias had only just arrived. He and Ax needed to be filling them in, getting them up to speed - they didn't need to have some draconian kid they couldn't trust running around underfoot.

But Marco hadn't exactly had much choice in the matter, so instead he'd mostly ignored Krisi. If they ended up in the same room together, he might eye her warily, but other than that he kept his distance.

He ignored her now, only shooting her one quick look or suspicion before walking up to open the front door.

Kali tensed the moment the human hit the porch, unable to not watch him. He didn't trust her, and his distrust inspired no trust in her. "Have I done something to you, Marco, or are you always this irritable?"

She was ten, and while she had encountered humans who had no great love of her species back home, this human appeared hostile in ways similar to those on Krynn, seemingly without cause. She did not understand it, he was not from their world. He simply acted distrustful, distant, at odds with the behavior she had observed in the rest of the crew. It was as though she were some spy that might report back to her father anything she saw.

Which was likely true, but for the moment he knew little to nothing about her. So why the reaction? Another human who distrusted her kind, and she alone with no siblings to watch her back. She touched the band on her shoulder, seeking reassurance from the physical representation of her siblings and continued to watch him.

Marco stopped, narrowing his eyes slightly. He hadn't expected her to talk to him. He'd have preferred it if she hadn't, in fact. Trying to figure out whether or not Krisi was someone trustworthy or someone who was just stuck in the middle of Kang's palm wasn't something Marco particularly cared to figure out.

And besides - Kang had seemed okay at first as well. And that turned out real well, didn't it?

"Do you expect everyone you meet to instantly like you and beg to be your friend?" Marco countered, before continuing. Krisi might not beleive it, but he was going to answer her question honestly - if while also leaving a lot out at the same time. "I don't know you. I don't know who's side your own or your agenda, and I sure as hell don't know whether you're at all trustworthy. And maybe you like living under the same roof as strangers, but I don't."

"I expect them to not dislike me for no reason. Most humans have the decency to state their objections." She made a little face, shaking her head at him.

"I." She paused, letting the word hang between them. "Am ten. My current agenda extends to living until I reach eleven. Were I feeling particularly brave with current circumstances, I might set my goal for twenty."

She rose, circling a bit to put her back to the rail and her face to him. She did not trust him, not without her being in a ready position.

"I dislike being here as much as you apparently dislike my being here. I would much rather be home with my mother and siblings. I do not know you either, nor anyone here. I am far from home and anything familiar, and you would scold me for being untrustworthy? You who have your mother and friends? A dwelling that you know and people to comfort you in your uncertainty?" Her tone was ruthlessly polite, not giving an inch, eyes focused on his face. "Yes, I can see your reasons for caution, Marco. I must be infinitely more frightening than anything you have encountered on this ship." She laughed, soft. "I did not even know there were sides to pick."

"That makes two of us," Marco said dryly. "But one of the most dangerous people I've met on this ship was a little twelve year old girl. Age isn't exactly a good indicator around here. And you're the one who wanted a reason - you got one. Don't blame me for the fact that you decided that moving in with a bunch of strangers was a good idea."

He watched her movements, noting the fact that she was getting into a better defensive position. She was smart for assuming that someone she didn't know might be a threat - but maybe not so smart for staying at Cassie's house in the first place. If Marco hadn't had Ax when he'd woken up? No way would he have stayed with anyone, no matter who they claimed to know.

"You want to leave? Go ahead. I'm not keeping you here. But as long as you are here? I'll stay out of your way, as long as you stay out of mine," he said, moving to open the front door - he wasn't exactly in the mood to stick around and chat.

"I was following the instructions left for me." She drew back, quietly taken aback by the reaction, uncertain and a tiny bit afraid. "I had no other option."

Draconian children could not cry when someone was cruel, they could not weep when they were sad or lonely or hurt. It was not an ability they had, nor something that Kali would have taken advantage of. But she still flinched, just a little, missing her home even more, wishing for her brothers and sister and her mother and father.

"How did such a kind and reasonable woman produce you? What have I or my Uncle ever done to you to deserve such behavior? You are not from Krynn, you have no reason to act this way. Nor any cause to suspect me of anything." Eva had been cautious, but Eva had been cautious in a way that led to more information. Marco was simply rejecting the unknown and anything he did not understand. A dangerous path, paranoia in certain doses was healthy, but allowing it to overrun all logic and sense made it impossible to interact with the rest of the world. She knew that.

She paused, shaking her head in a barely noticeable motion, barely moving and not taking her eyes off him for a moment. If nothing else, Marco was only confirming her preconceived notions of humanity. Some could be kind, some could choose to be good, but overall, most never bothered with the effort. And Eva had said this place was hidden, if the ship would interfere, it could not do so here. So long as she stayed, so long as she remained within the space of a warrior that wanted her gone, she was at risk.

"I will go, I will not trouble you further with the threat my presence provides. I meant you and yours no ill will, I sought only safe harbor."

Marco stopped, hand already on the door handle, and sighed. "You don't know the things your uncle has done on this ship," he said quietly. "I have plenty of reasons to not like him. I don't know why my Mom was willing to forgive and forget, but I'm not her."

He ran his fingers through his hair, looking maybe just a little bit guilty. His Mom would probably kill him right now. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't like you being here, yeah. But this isn't my house, you know? Your staying here isn't my call. And I told you, I won't get in your way. Short of you going psycho on us for some reason, I'm not going to hurt you. Okay? So...I don't know. Do whatever."

Shooting her one last look, Marco opened the front door and walked inside.

"I do not know much of anything. But you dance in shadows and hint at nightmares and reveal little at all save a constant stream of disapproval. If my uncle has done something, then revel it. Do not tell me I do not understand on the basis of hints."

She never looked away, watching him for any signs of attack. A blind spot. This was a blind spot, all his apologies were for naught when he had already revealed his true thoughts on the matter. She would need to go, and as quickly as she could once he was out of sight.

Sometime earlier, the yellow rodent known as Pikachu had split off from Ash to explore the City level. While normally the Pokemon liked to stick by Ash, he did occasionally split off from the group, and Ash was generally fine with it as long as Pikachu came back before the group was ready to move on. And since they were stuck around for the forseeable future, Pikachu was free to explore to his heart's content.

Making a mad dash across Cassie's fence, he stalled when he saw Kali.

"PiPikachu!" he said, waving.

Kali blinked, eying the yellow rabbit curiously. What was it, exactly? Some sort of alien beast?

But she did not rise, merely watching it. What a strange noise, it sounded somewhat like what the human boy had called for. What did it want? If it belonged to him, then rightly it should be with him, doing whatever it was meant to do.

Jake had been told that someone else was moving in with them. He'd been told they weren't human. And, really, his experience in the War had made him accustomed to alien creatures. So, seeing someone who looked like a dragon out of some old storybook wasn't exactly a shock. A bit of a surprise, really, but not a shock.

Still, she wasn't one of them. Still an outsider. But he wasn't going to turn her away or force her out. Jake offered Kali a (slightly awkward) nod as he passed through. "Hey. Settling in alright?"

Which was a bit of an odd question to ask, considering Jake was still settling in, but he was the Leader.

"Hello, yes. I am. Or well enough, I suspect the settling period will last a little longer." She peered back at the boy. "And yourself, Jake? Are you well?"

It did not see like too odd a query, considering the other humans seemed to treat him with some respect. He must be one of this groups leaders, or something similar. Perhaps this was a unit? Could he be the unit commander? He also showed no immediate predisposition to rejecting her, as well. That was equally interesting. Her experience with humans had left her with a better opinion of the females.

When some of your friends were walking salad shooters or blue deer centaurs with scorpion tails, you looked at dragon as relatively normal in the grand scheme of things. Funny, that. He offered a tired smile, "I'm doing alright. Just trying to get a grip on everything. Shouldn't be too bad, though."

Translation: I have no idea what to do yet.

"I know this house probably isn't like home, but it's the best we can do."

Hell, it wasn't like home for him, either. Home was an apartment now. Strange to think about that.

"I feel the same. It will be easier once my uncle returns, I think. Easier with someone I know to help me." She smiled, quietly subdued. "Thank you, Jake. I appreciate the welcome. I will try to avoid causing trouble for you and your group until a better arrangement can be found."

There's No Place Like [Open]

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In other words, you're completly right, but good luck getting her to admit it.

Re: In other words, you're completly right, but good luck getting her to admit it.

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