Day 4 | Afternoon | Castle Orchard | Need to Know

[Hadrian Martikova]

He laughed, "Yes ma'am, I solemnly swear not to die unless you kill me." Which she honestly might once she sees how reckless he can be.

As they walked back towards the castle he pulled her in tighter, smiling. "You know, somehow I wouldn't be surprised, and honestly that bugs me."

"You know we really should wish the others well before we head off. And I hate that Sinsei is still comatose cause I really liked her. We had similar interests in biology."

[Laila Bridger]

"I never even spoke a word to her. Only know her name because her dad kept saying it. She kept him alive, I think."

Laila's head rested on Hadrian's shoulder.

"But honestly, I barely know anybody who went on this op. It's... You. Kiran. and Bern. I know Duncan and Xard better than I know the rest of the crew."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Sinsei was, err I mean, is sweet. And incredibly knowledgeable too! Honestly if I could, I'd prefer to help her catalogue the jungle flora... and maaaybe make some wine infusions out of the local flavors. But hey?" He shrugged, "A vintner doesn't change his stripes."

His pace had picked up some. His mind was still running over contingencies and logistics but the challenges were alleviating some of the pain and stiffness still present.

"Heh, while you were away Lydia shot her at some point. Then Ambrose was apparently a bit of an ass to her. It was a whole thing." As for the infamous Duncan Idaho, "I... don't think I've ever met Duncan. I understand he's a war hero of some kind?"

[Laila Bridger]

"Wait, they shot her? Holy suffering fuck, the poor woman..."

And then, on the subject of Duncan, well...

"Idaho's a goddamn legend. Saw him in action- once on Grumman, and again in the cave, and he earns it."

She glanced at Hadrian.

Grinned.

"And then there's that hair, that smile, I swear..."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Yeah, no you'd like her I think." He continued. "I really feel for Xard, couldn't imagine what that's like."

Wait... what?

"Huh, back up, what about Idaho?"

[Laila Bridger]

"Devilishly handsome, deadliest man alive? One-man army? Renowned ladies man..."

[Hadrian Martikova]

...

"Ohh yeah, no kidding?" His eyes narrowed as he matched her grin. You sure you wanna play this game?

[Laila Bridger]

"Yeah. The kind of guy those books we both like tend to be about."

She gave a sigh and fluttered her eyelashes.

"And the way he blew snot and drooled when we were both being teargassed was just... divine."

[Hadrian Martikova]

Nope, not getting off that easy.

"Wow, no you're right," his grin widened. "I mean I get it. It's like with Sinsei. She had this adorable wounded bird thing going on, never mind her prodigious intellect. And you already know how much I like redheads."

He felt dirty. But then again, Laila started it.

[Laila Bridger]

Oho!

"You do indeed. And she even has that whole well-placed father thing going on, very astute, good taste there, Martikova... so, you go rescue sleeping beauty, and I'll go after the knight in shining armor..."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Yeaaa," He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a kiss. "Thing is you're hotter. Also way more likely to enjoy lazy days, good wine, and trashy novels." A soft peck. "Besides I've already called dibs on you. He'll have to find his own fiery redhead."

[Laila Bridger]

"Damned straight."

She smiled at him, practically aglow, while one of those foreign thoughts that had crept into her mind ever since the cave bubbled to the surface.

You know it's love when you want to give joy and damn the consequences.

"It's like I keep saying, you're stuck with me. Sorry!"

She giggled.

"And anyhow, think he's way ahead of you there... call it a hunch."

Call it a product of a shared consciousness experience.

"... but let's just say I wasn't the only redhead in that cave."

[Hadrian Martikova]

He tilted his head inquisitively.

"Wait a sec, you mean Kiran?"

He quirked an eyebrow.

"The pacifist and the warrior are an item? I didn't see that one coming."

[Laila Bridger]

"Kiran's not as pacifistic as the Southern Muadh... and there's more to Duncan than war."

She smiled gently.

"It's sweet. They flirted with him a bit when he was cutting himself out of the shigawire to distract him from the pain. It worked."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Mortal peril and narcotics, if that won't bring you together I don't know what will."

He still felt a little of the gut punch thinking about it.

"What all happened? Were they experimenting with the ailar for a reason? I don't understand what the end game was." He held her tight in turn because of how uncomfortable the thought of it still made him. "Were you guys unconscious the whole time?"

A better question, he thought, could he handle knowing?

[Laila Bridger]

"It was... that little grey fucker... so, while he had us trussed up in that wire, he gloated. Made a big show of how we were just livestock to him."

Her tone stayed level, but it was clearly the product of effort.

"Which is bullshit, you don't make a show if you really are superior. Anyway, after calling us sligs, he said he'd be testing new concentrations on us. The cartel wasn't moving pure ailar, they were doctoring it. Testing it on the Muadh, and then we happened along."

She took a ragged breath, clinging to him.

"I... being a woman in war zones, I'd had to worry about... you know. That never happened, but this did, and it's... the difference isn't something I can weigh in on,, but.. Anyhow. I tried to headbutt the little shit. I thought I was dead, so leave him something to remember me by, you know? I missed. Too trussed up to land it. But he was scared for a second. I had that to hang onto when he gave me a double dose."

Her grip had gotten a bit intense. She had her eyes clenched shut.

"We were out for most of it. We... we shared visions, although most of them I can't remember. Danger. Escape. Violence. First two times we woke up, he was there to stab us again. More goddamn ailar. Until that last time."

She stopped speaking for the moment, clearly trying to keep it together.

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Hey, hey it's okay." He whispered holding her. "He's dead now. Fucker got what he deserved. Everyone is safe."

He held her tightly, soothingly for a good minute, or however long it would take for her to feel safe again.

"You don't need to keep going. I shouldn't have asked."

[Laila Bridger]

"No, no I need to talk about it. I need to talk about it with someone who's not going to tell me it's not important or that I'm overreacting, or that it could have been worse."

She was getting back under control. But wasn't letting go.

"I know he's dead, but... sometimes I close my eyes, and when I open then, I think I'm gonna be back there. Like all this is just another vision."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. And relaxed her grip a bit.

"When Yueh was getting ready to put me under- you know, fix up the damn wire cuts, check on my lungs, all of that stuff I very much wanted done- I damn near clocked him."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Anyone tells you that I'll kick their teeth in." He whispered, holding her.

As she spoke the gut punch feeling intensified, but at least he had the power to do something about it. "Shhh, I got you baby, I'm here."

Then as she loosened up slightly he breathed.

"Moving forward I'll be there to hold your hand, okay? I should have been there this time but..."

[Laila Bridger]

"... but you'd gotten shot up helping save me."

She managed a ragged species of chuckle.

"Just skip the getting shot part if you can, all right? Going forward, anyway."