♠ | 022 | Video

[lastrat]

[This is not the face of a man well content with life. This is the face of a man pissed off at having slept for God knows how long.]

First he puts me to sleep for weeks, then he asks me to look after a child. I'm beginning to wonder if he actually expects redemption.

Weren't we just in port? [Fuck this ride, fuck the Admiral, grump grump grump.]

[Private to Ellie]

Meet me in the gym.

[Private to the Admiral]

I would comment on the fact that I'm a grown man and haven't written a letter to Father Christmas in decades, but I've the feeling it will fall on deaf ears.

Take your letters and sod off.

[And because he literally cannot resist, a check list.]

Vesper	.....	something for the cat to take a spin in.
Cassel	.....	a tailored suit. a bottle of fleur de champagne. condoms. [There was nose wrinkling.]
Peter	.....	a new camera. extra film/memory cards.
Chris	.....	a pomeranian.
Ellie	.....	something for the bloody sheep.
Selina	.....	the most expensive piece of art in the world. a french-english dictionary.
Elena	.....	twilight. [because he could do a thoughtful gift but why when he can bring sparling vampires into her life.]
Daneca	.....	copious alcohol. a martini glass. no - six martini glasses. she has to catch up.
Stark	.....	a toy sword. with plastic flames. lights up. etc.
Lark	.....	a stuffed dog.
Bush	.....	ship in bottle. hms nonsuch along its side.
Babs	.....	a little first aid kit. with a sign that reads 'FOR WOUNDED PRIDE' on top.
Natasha	.....	some russian cold war gadget. something ridiculous.
Abigail	.....	something with crocodile skin. boots, purse, i don't care.
Archer	.....	an invisible gun. maybe he'll shoot himself.
Esther	.....	a dead rat. [Because he will always be the last rat standing >(]

Comments

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[inhell]

War's not something that just touches adults.

[ She wipes her tears away. ]

We were all in the war. All of Australia.

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[lastrat]

Would you do any of it differently? [He watches the sheep, rather than look at her, affording her some small amount of privacy with her tears.]

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[inhell]

Little things. Tell Corrie not to go out, not that time - I would never have left Chris alone.

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[lastrat]

[He does look at her, now.]

But you'd still fight?

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[inhell]

Yeah.

I mean - what else is there?

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[lastrat]

You could have stayed in New Zealand. You didn't have to fight at all. No one would have held it against a group of teenagers, if you'd decided to surrender instead.

[His tone is carefully neutral, but he's watching her for a potential blow up.]

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[inhell]

[ She actually hadn't thought of that, in terms of making different choices. It hits her like a bucket of ice water when he says it. No explosion, no blow-up - she just starts shivering, shaking like the ice water was real. ]

I didn't want to go at first. I screamed a bit.

But I knew we'd go. We had to go.

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[lastrat]

[He notices, and shifts slightly, unlacing his hands between his legs after a moment and settling his hand on her shoulder.]

Why didn't you surrender? Avoid everything.

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[inhell]

[ She can't even respond to that. She just looks at him aghast. Surrender! Absolutely not. ]

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[lastrat]

[He can't help the small smile at the look on her face. He squeezes her shoulder and with draws his arm.]

I see. Have you ever given up on anything?

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[inhell]

Of course I have.

But not on my country.

Not when giving up means going into one of those camps, and laboring for people who stole our land and our houses. Or getting killed, maybe, and no one caring.

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[lastrat]

[He has difficulty, parsing parts of her file, because there is a grim smile on his face as he nods.]

I'd have done the same. At your age, I might have done worse. [That won't make this easy. Helping her find redemption for something he has difficulty holding against her will be tough.]

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[inhell]

And now, what, you're too old? Hips not what they used to be?

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[lastrat]

Your comedic value is greater when you're not trying as hard. [Damn right he gives her a Look for that. It's dryly, almost ironically amused, though, with no real bite: he spent the better part of a month at home being told he was too old.]

Now I know when violence is necessary, and when stealth is.

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[inhell]

We used stealth too.

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[lastrat]

Easy to cock up, isn't it?