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"Of course she's your friend," she sighs, and she knows - even she knows - that isn't the point he's making, but she pulls one foot up onto the bed with her, hugs her knee to her chest with her free arm.
"We'll talk after. It's fine."
"We'll talk after. It's fine."
So he has his talk with Shaw, and then he sets his phone aside and watches Rosita. "I do think you two would be friends."
And it wouldn't be the first time either of them made friends with someone after punching them in the face or trying to kill them.
And it wouldn't be the first time either of them made friends with someone after punching them in the face or trying to kill them.
Rosita stays quiet, doesn't speak, barely breathes while they talk. It lets her calm down a bit, lets her try to sort her thoughts out - although that's not a game she's been winning any time recently.
She huffs a soft sound, eye closed against the headache she's nursing.
"I don't need any more friends," she answers, dully.
She huffs a soft sound, eye closed against the headache she's nursing.
"I don't need any more friends," she answers, dully.
"Well at the least maybe you two can reach a truce. I'd settle for 'neutral territories'." He won't push Rosita any further than she's already been pushed.
"I just want to be left alone, Jesus," she answers.
"If she can handle that, there won't be any trouble from me."
"If she can handle that, there won't be any trouble from me."
"I know you do." He does. He gets it. Sometimes even he feels that way. "But I need you to try. Like I'm trying. Remember?"
"I remember."
She sighs.
"I was going to call you. I was just slower than fucking married people."
She sighs.
"I was going to call you. I was just slower than fucking married people."
He laughs softly. "I hoped...that if it you were seriously injured I'd know before Shaw did. You'd let me know."
A soft sigh. "I was pretty scared though. When she told me, and I didn't know."
God but he doesn't want anything to happen to Rosita.
A soft sigh. "I was pretty scared though. When she told me, and I didn't know."
God but he doesn't want anything to happen to Rosita.
"Well, if I'm dead in a stairwell, I can't really call you," she points out, but it's only dark humor even if it is true.
"We were both in the hallway when the flood ended. I was still getting my bearings, and she jumped me. Taylor broke us up before I could do any real damage to her." Because Rosita was, quite plainly, winning when she intervened.
"We were both in the hallway when the flood ended. I was still getting my bearings, and she jumped me. Taylor broke us up before I could do any real damage to her." Because Rosita was, quite plainly, winning when she intervened.
"So I'll send a gift basket to Taylor. She didn't put you in Zero?" He assumes he would have heard of it by then, but Taylor might not have known to call him the way Shaw does.
"No. I didn't start it."
She just didn't want to stop once someone else had.
She just didn't want to stop once someone else had.
"That doesn't always matter." Plenty of wardens would have thrown both in Zero to investigate further.
"I don't think she'll escalate."
"I don't think she'll escalate."
"I know."
She knows life isn't fair. She wouldn't have really blamed the girl if she had thrown Rosita somewhere, the way she was acting.
It just wouldn't have mattered, which is why she changes the subject: "You were a cute kid."
She knows life isn't fair. She wouldn't have really blamed the girl if she had thrown Rosita somewhere, the way she was acting.
It just wouldn't have mattered, which is why she changes the subject: "You were a cute kid."
He laughs, but it's almost a sigh. "Do we have to talk about me as a kid? I was...I just... I was a different person then. I'm sorry if I stole from you."
"You think I wasn't?" she asks, raising her eyebrows, but she's smiling at least.
"We're trying, remember?"
"We're trying, remember?"
"We're trying," he agrees, with a soft huff of agreement, of resignation. It's hard for him. "I've just tried for years to put distance between who I was then and who I am now. But... I got a tattoo. From a boy I liked. That's who I used to be."
He rolls up his sleeve to show her a beautiful but obviously hand pecked drawing of a Tree of Life. "I like it a lot. But I did it to impress a cute boy."
He rolls up his sleeve to show her a beautiful but obviously hand pecked drawing of a Tree of Life. "I like it a lot. But I did it to impress a cute boy."
She stretches her neck to see, nods her approval.
"You still like him?"
"You still like him?"
"Yeah. He's kind and he's strong and he's smart." He smiles faintly. "And he's in love with someone else, which is a bonus."
She doesn't actually flinch, but it's close.
"That's a bonus?" she asks.
"That's a bonus?" she asks.
He looks away, down at his hands. "It means he won't get too attached. Makes it easier when we have to part ways. He won't really miss me when it's over."
She sits with that for a moment, ice shifting against ice as she moves it against her face.
"Well," she answers finally, well aware that it's pathetic. "As long as he's kind to you."
"Well," she answers finally, well aware that it's pathetic. "As long as he's kind to you."
"His name's Godric. You should get to know him." He gives her a hesitant glance. "He's a pacifist. And a vampire."
"I'll watch for him," she agrees, but then, she was going to figure it out anyway. Jesus is an adult, he's more experienced here than she is, but that doesn't mean she isn't going to pay attention to the people he's close to here.
"Vampires aren't what the movies promised, are they?"
"Vampires aren't what the movies promised, are they?"
"He's not. I'm not sure about Astarion--he's a different kind of vampire. Godric's a leader. He wants peace." Which, well, is catnip to Jesus Rovia.
And indeed: "Of course."
Which means it's a dice throw if Rosita will get along with him, but they can cross that bridge when their feet get wet.
"I talked to Astarion. He's pretty much the only person besides you that's talked to me, and not at me."
Which means it's a dice throw if Rosita will get along with him, but they can cross that bridge when their feet get wet.
"I talked to Astarion. He's pretty much the only person besides you that's talked to me, and not at me."
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