thisavrou | video; after the savrii invite the moirans to their home

[it's been a while since rey has shown her face on the network. this will be the first time she's used the TAB to do so, and she's unceremoniously stuck it to bb-9's... face. the droid beeps softly, letting rey know that the video is recording. the scavenger is sitting cross-legged with her back to a wall, her staff laid across her knees and her pack beside her. she does not look pleased. in fact, she is frowning very deeply. she isn't very comfortable actually talking to people, but this is important, so she's making the effort.]

Wasn't there a point to all this?

[she pauses, knowing she should probably be more specific.]

The planets, the months of travel, everything— [her voice has been getting louder, so she stops for a breath. she has to calm herself down, pushing flyaway hairs from her face.]

We were supposed to be able to go home. We wasted a fracking year on that moon—if we'd gotten here a year sooner, would this all have been the same? We all saw the corpses on the way here. They died for this—some of us died for this. Coming to this hub, finding this working Ingress... that was supposed to be the end. But now we're just going to go to another planet, another unknown, and what? Live there? Or will there be another promise made, another contract to sign? Another delay to our return?

That's shit. We all know it's shit.

[rey sighs, closing her eyes and not speaking for a few more moments. she's tired, and just wants to go back to jakku. she just wants to go back to her old life, since what was supposed to be her new life seems nigh impossible now. she reaches forward to shut off the TAB, mumbling one more sentence under her breath:]

Why wasn't it the end?

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... You really think it's scrap?

[He'd listened. He really had -- but he'd honestly thought -- he'd thought this was just a little step. Just a little snag.]

[Then she'd said They died for this—some of us died for this and that little shred of hope just starts to unravel. His shoulders sink.]

You don't -- I mean. They could still send us home. Right?

[It's possibly the youngest he's sounded to her face in a while.]

[crap. she'd forgotten that she's very good at shattering people's dreams when she puts her mind to it--or just speaks without really thinking about who's listening. rey sighs and crosses her arms, gripping her forearms tightly. she never wanted to say this to sideswipe.]

I don't know.

But they... they promised! They said once we got here, we'd just get to go home... and...

... and maybe take... people with us.

[They're almost in the same position, though he's a lot more hunched in. First they lose so many friends, and now...]

Rey, they promised...

[gods, she can't handle this. she's never had much experience with kids, and it was easy to forget that sideswipe was essentially a kid still. she feels a ball of regret forming in her stomach, and there's no way to stop it.]

I know they--I just--

I'm sorry.

Hey... hey it's. It's not your fault. R-right?

[It's a total 180 from how he'd sounded a moment ago. But it's for her sake. For his friend's sake.]

[All bluster.]

It isn't any of our faults.

[maybe the captain's, but not his and not her's and not anyone else who was here without consent.]

So... so there's nothing for you to apologize for. Yeah?

[He wants to be upset. He wants to just... be angry and yell and be upset. But it feels wrong with her feeling it too.]

[Just act like everything's normal, Ratchet had said. It's the best thing you can do.]

[she isn't apologizing because she thinks it's her fault; she's apologizing because this is a terrible situation and it's something to say. but she can't exactly say that to him. so instead she nods.]

Yeah.

I'm... really bad at this, Rey.

[He's still smiling at her, but it's a fragile thing. Like a stiff wind could shatter it.]

I -- I wanna say we're gonna be okay... but...

I dunno. But I dunno what else to say and it's... it's all tangled.

Me too. And I know what you mean. Let's just... we'll be okay.

[she'll say it, because for some reason she feels like it's her job.]

... we'll be okay.

[It's good she did. He doesn't really have it in him right now. As much as he's trying.]

Rey, I... stick around, okay? It sucks, but -- stick around?

I don't plan on going anywhere right now.

Thanks...

Hey. Uhm. When we go through... can I stay with you?

[oh wow boy was she not expecting this]

Oh, well. I don't really know--where I'll live. [a long pause. even when they were on the ship, she mostly lived by herself, whether camping in the gardens or curling up in the ingress room.]

We can talk about it when we get there.

[That's also not the answer he'd been expecting. Yeah, so humans would be harder to live with than bots, but...]

[There's not a whole lot of options left.]

... yeah. Yeah, okay.

[Isn't "we'll talk later" code for "no"?]

Stay safe.

[not necessarily. she just needs time. this is all so new and disheartening.]

Yeah.

Yeah, okay.