Mindy was fine sitting down with her. She could see that Ruffnut was still having difficulties actually talking about how they felt: hell, Mindy knew what that was like. Everything came harder to someone who had never really interacted with an actual social setting, but somehow she managed to muddle through, even here.

"Nah, me neither," she said, gently stroking Ruffnut's hair. "I mean, everyone I get close to sorta dies on me, and its like every day, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop: we all get killed, or Lash and the Overlord gets podded. But the one thing I can't think about, won't, is something happening to you. It's the first time I can ever remember feeling that way. Everyone else who dies, I expect it: I even did when dad died, or I would have been worse off when it happens. Everyone dies. I just don't want to think about life on the ship without you in it."