Oh - well, I didn't mean to imply that you haven't been doing well before this, or that you only started now. I just hadn't mentioned it before, so it felt like I should.
[a tiny bit amused, but he tries to hide it enough to not make her more uncomfortable.]
Were people not kind to you back home? I know you mentioned you had a position of authority... I guess it would make sense if people were more formal, in that case.
[her expression, oddly enough, softens quite a bit.]
Hmm. No. The people of the Ninth House love me very dearly. But it is a little different. They have known me from birth as their Reverend Daughter, and have entrusted their hopes for the future in me.
They do not necessarily know me on a level that is divorced from my role.
[...she takes a moment and swallows, sips her drink, because it's hard for her to hear that sort of sympathy without either getting upset or lashing out.]
Yes, it was lonely. And yet, my House is still so dear to me.
[he misses the mark on that a little and takes the pause to mean she's thinking of something painful rather than trying not to lash out, so he shifts course slightly regardless.]
Well, at least it sounds like that changed when you got to the space station, right? I mean, there's Mollymauk, and that girl you told me about who...
[he pauses, because the first two things he remembers that she said about yuel were her being stupid and odd, and neither of those really feel like awesome descriptors.]
Uh, the one who had - animal ears, I think? And probably more than just the two of them.
[listen sometimes you just don't know how to react when someone nails on the head one of your core sources of sadness when you're trying to be a cool bone witch.
she laughs a little at the animal ears]
These descriptions make it sound like a rather sorry lot. Mollymauk and the animal ears girl. Yuel, is her name. [she doesn't have to be mean about them.] No, there were a fair few on the station who I grew to feel close to.
...A friend for a friend. [she tries to say this a little officially-sounding even though really she's just so awkward at getting to know you talk.]
The people I became closest to were the ones I went on one of those - everyone vanishes on Thursday and comes back with new traumas excursions. Sheila was there, but Takeru and Vira as well. I don't think I realized I would get along with any of them. Sheila seemed like...someone whose experiences have been so different from my own, and I didn't imagine we'd have anything in common. Takeru was so intelligent but I felt it likely he and I would be at odds. Vira was someone I liked from the outset, but I didn't imagine we would become as close as we became.
I think we all saw one another a little more clearly after that.
[a little bit amused, but he tries to make it neutral enough that he won't put her off.]
They all sound like pretty great people. I mean, of course Sheila's great, but the other two as well. It makes sense that going through something like that would make you closer... [and then, with a bit of a frown:] I'm still sorry that you had to, though, whatever happened there.
I wonder if that's a skill you immediately inherit when you have kids...
[he nods, though.]
Let's see... For starters, I had a pretty good friend there name Otome! She was a really diligent, responsible person, but that didn't ever mean she was cold or closed off. She was really warm to everyone, and tried to take care of them no matter what happened. She's a doctor, too, and I think that suits her a lot.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[she's just bad at accepting compliments.]
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[he doesn't follow quite yet, tilting his head instead.]
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[chin in her hand, looking a bit embarrassed.]
Forgive me. I do poorly, when someone tries to be...nice to me.
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[a tiny bit amused, but he tries to hide it enough to not make her more uncomfortable.]
Were people not kind to you back home? I know you mentioned you had a position of authority... I guess it would make sense if people were more formal, in that case.
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Hmm. No. The people of the Ninth House love me very dearly. But it is a little different. They have known me from birth as their Reverend Daughter, and have entrusted their hopes for the future in me.
They do not necessarily know me on a level that is divorced from my role.
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That kind of pressure can be really tough, I'd bet... And it's hard to make friends with people who see you more as a leader. Right?
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I wouldn't describe my relationship with them as friendship, no.
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...It must have been lonely. I'm sorry to hear that.
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Yes, it was lonely. And yet, my House is still so dear to me.
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Well, at least it sounds like that changed when you got to the space station, right? I mean, there's Mollymauk, and that girl you told me about who...
[he pauses, because the first two things he remembers that she said about yuel were her being stupid and odd, and neither of those really feel like awesome descriptors.]
Uh, the one who had - animal ears, I think? And probably more than just the two of them.
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she laughs a little at the animal ears]
These descriptions make it sound like a rather sorry lot. Mollymauk and the animal ears girl. Yuel, is her name. [she doesn't have to be mean about them.] No, there were a fair few on the station who I grew to feel close to.
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[he is, unfortunately, nosy]
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Sure! I don't mind telling you whatever you want to know.
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The people I became closest to were the ones I went on one of those - everyone vanishes on Thursday and comes back with new traumas excursions. Sheila was there, but Takeru and Vira as well. I don't think I realized I would get along with any of them. Sheila seemed like...someone whose experiences have been so different from my own, and I didn't imagine we'd have anything in common. Takeru was so intelligent but I felt it likely he and I would be at odds. Vira was someone I liked from the outset, but I didn't imagine we would become as close as we became.
I think we all saw one another a little more clearly after that.
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[a little bit amused, but he tries to make it neutral enough that he won't put her off.]
They all sound like pretty great people. I mean, of course Sheila's great, but the other two as well. It makes sense that going through something like that would make you closer... [and then, with a bit of a frown:] I'm still sorry that you had to, though, whatever happened there.
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[a sigh.]
We are all somewhat difficult personalities, other than Sheila. Who forces us not to argue.
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[a pause, and then a laugh. he sounds a little bit amused as he continues.]
I mean, as long as nobody does something that makes her angry. Her temper is kind of impressive sometimes! But not in a bad way.
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[anyway, she nods.]
Alright. Tell me of someone at the school.
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[he nods, though.]
Let's see... For starters, I had a pretty good friend there name Otome! She was a really diligent, responsible person, but that didn't ever mean she was cold or closed off. She was really warm to everyone, and tried to take care of them no matter what happened. She's a doctor, too, and I think that suits her a lot.
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[Sheila is definitely very momcore.]
She sounds very lovely. Our doctor was awful, thank the Lord that we had the medbay.
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Why, what was wrong with them?
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He was also rude.
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Yeah, I feel like one of those problems is significantly worse than the other!
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