|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 3:08:57 GMT
"C- Can she hear us from all the way up there?" Alex asked in shock.
He soon fell into silence. Only externally though. Internally, he was abuzz, trying to conceive of what to say next.
"U- Um... Molly? I just wanted to say... o... of all the people who I could have run into... I'm glad one was you. Shit, that sounds... that sounded like I'd glad you got dropped here, w- which I'm not! I just... not many people are as optimistic as you. I got talked down to a lot back home for wanting everyone to get a happy ending. Humans and monsters. Here too. M... Mostly by Sam... so... uh... thanks. For being you, I guess."
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 3:55:21 GMT
Molly was caught flat footed, and stumbled for an answer. She hadn't expected to be thanked like that, so it was weird to try and formulate a proper response.
"It's, well... it's just how I was raised I guess. Always trying to look for the good in everything, the brightest spots there are, and whatever positives can be seen. And you're welcome, and thank you for helping me."
She then lowered her voice, more quietly than before. "Yes, Demmy's hearing is on point. Don't ask me why or how, but she can hear things I'm surprised she can, even when there's dozens of voices going."
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 4:35:54 GMT
"She's also something of a seamstress, right?" Alex asked, voice low now that he realized they could be overheard. "She fixed the pants Vee lent you after all. She has a lot of surprising talents, doesn't she?"
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 4:58:14 GMT
"She has... a lot of interesting talent, yet she can be clumsy at times." Molly admitted. " She says her skills are all in the family but, I doubt perfect Russian is one of those, or fixing pants that fast."
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 5:10:39 GMT
"Oh, she speaks Russian? Maybe she could get by up in Migma then. There's a city-state there that speaks a language... really close to it. They come down here for trade sometimes."
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 5:22:15 GMT
"That's interesting. Maybe we can find answers there if whatever here turns to be unfruitful." Molly said, but her mind was drifting elsewhere. It was strange, now that she had time to properly think. When she had met Demmy, the girl had insisted she only knew English, yet not even a month later, that entire Heather fiasco in Russian happened. Had she really learned how to fluently speak a completely different language in just a month, or had Demmy been lying to her when they first met? She didn't want to think anything ill or wrong of her friend, but her mind found itself dredging back over to Sulis's warning to her, but that couldn't make any sense either...
"I guess we can try there some time." Demmy's voice snapped Molly out of her thoughts, and nearly caused her to trip over and spill the books she had gathered. The white haired girl walked on by, and sat by the table, and laid down a few books she had found. " This is what I could find of interest through a quick search above."
"Demmy, please don't scare me like that. First eavesdropping, now sneaking around-"
"Sorry. After that red acketed military girl up there hit me over the head with a book for making noise, I just went silent, though I have to say, you two need to be more quiet yourselves. I could hear your entire conversation."
Molly's eyes snapped wide open, and her face started to turn red. "For crying out loud, Demmy. Eavesdropping is not good!"
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 5:32:14 GMT
"S- Sorry," Alex echoed, face similarly red. "Neither Vee or S... Sam minces their words very much, so... uh... I guess I learned to myself to some extent..."
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 5:57:06 GMT
Demmy smirked. "I noticed, and no offense taken. My seamstress skills ARE top notch, and Molly, I'm a fast learner. That's all there is to it."
"W-well of course." Molly stammered. "I saw you improve, after all."
"Good, then there's no reason to be concerned or questioning." Demmy's eyes focused down at the books assembled. "And what of these?"
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 6:01:56 GMT
Alex glanced down to remind himself. "O- Oh, uh... a few notebooks in Spanish, two in Pashto, and... oh, one in lebran! Which explains why Nauyaca didn't translate it. It's probably a religious scripture."
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 6:14:23 GMT
"Religious?"
That raised Demmy's interest, and she reached for the book in question and pulled it out of the stack. "When you say religious... what exactly do you mean by that?"
"Something wrong with religious stuff?" Molly asked. "You don't like it?"
Demmy took a deep breath, then shifted her gaze over to her. "Let's just say me and religion don't quite see eye to eye. It's left its scars on me, and they haven't healed, nor will they ever."
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 16:28:35 GMT
"You might see eye to eye with Nauyaca then," Alex said. "She doesn't like religion either. Well... more accurately, she dislikes it. From what I understand, borans generally don't like religion, while lebrans are widely religious. Yaca doesn't just not like it though, she... well, you saw how she acted. It's something I try not to get her started on."
He looked down nervously, studying the book instead of the one holding it. "U- Uh... hey, Dem? If you don't mind me prying... was it something in your family that soured your view on religion? My dad is Muslim and I'm... not. I think that disappoints him. He's quiet about it if it does, but... I wonder if he'd be happier if I was an imam and not an ecologist."
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 17:10:45 GMT
Demmy's eyes glared over at Alex. The right one was now twitching, and the skin around it tensing. "While me and my family don't see eye to eye, it wasn't because of them. Rather, I had a bad run in with a religious figure when I was younger. It was a traumatizing, painful experience, in more ways than one." Her voice was low, and almost all of the playful joviousness that had been there was gone, replaced with a bitter, cold tone.
"This is the first I've heard of it." Molly approached her. " I had no idea. No wonder you never went to church-"
The taller woman's eyes snapped back to Molly, and the girl could see a brewing hateful gaze in them. "Molly, I would prefer to move on from this conversation. Religion has brought nothing but pain to me, it and its dogmatic haughty figureheads and worshippers."
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 18:33:25 GMT
"S... Sorry for asking," Alex mumbled, conspicuously returning to examining the rest of the books he had gathered instead of trying to meet her glare.
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 18:46:48 GMT
The tensed skin around Demmy's eye laxed, and slowly her agitated presence shifted to only being mildly annoyed. " Sorry. It's just... a very, very sore spot I have, and I get angry just thinking about anything religious or divine."
"Demmy, you have a lot of sore spots." Molly stepped over to her. "I get it annoys you, but you can't just go cold and hateful every time someone does something that you don't like. You snapped at Alex for saying this place was a dumpster heap of trash, you snapped at him again for this, and at other people for other things! If you're going to be so cold and angry, it scares the rest of us."
Demmy began to grumble, and Alex could just barely hear a "as it should be" under her breath, but then the taller woman sighed. " Sorry, Molly. I really, really don't like angels, gods, priests, prophets, all that crap. I just really don't."
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 21:51:35 GMT
Alex kept conspicuously quiet as he flipped through a notebook, scribbling occasional notes in a pocket book of his own.
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 22:32:07 GMT
It only took a glance over at Alex's face for Molly to get a good idea at why he wasn't speaking up. "Demmy, have you tried the eastern wing yet? Or maybe the basement to see if there's any other books there?"
"No, just the upstairs. But, I guess I can't really leave any book unchecked. Maybe something wasn't filed away right, or mislabeled. I got a good feeling about the basement, though." The taller woman turned, and with her white hair flowing behind her, walked off toward the stairs leading to the basement.
Only once Molly was absolutely certain Demmy was out of earshot range, once she couldn't hear her steps any further, did she quietly whisper to Alex, "I'm so sorry. I wasn't expecting her to go off like that over a simple question."
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 24, 2018 22:45:59 GMT
"I... It wasn't your fault," Alex said after a moment. "Dealing with her... I guess that's one more thing I have to admire about you. I... I almost miss Sam now."
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 24, 2018 22:48:36 GMT
Molly's face dropped as she registered that last sentence. "Wait... What do you mean by... Did something happen between you and Sam?"
|
|
|
Post by Stage on Apr 25, 2018 3:23:19 GMT
Alex stopped what he was doing and looked up. His expression was one of surprise, then fearful guilt. He had not intended to reveal so much. He had been so shaken by Demmy's hateful change in attitude it had somehow slipped out.
It took a long while for him to reply.
"Molly?" he asked at last, voice weak and small. "D... Do you think it... that it's reasonable for someone to refuse something that I... that you're certain would make you happy, y- you and someone else both happy... just because of what might happen? Because it... might go wrong? Even if it also might help both of you get by in this... place?"
|
|
|
Post by Executus Gira on Apr 25, 2018 3:36:48 GMT
It didn't take the gears in Molly's mind too long to put the pieces together, and when it did, she was stunned silent. the area around her eyes grew moist, and she held her hands up to her mouth. She was shaking, and her mouth felt dry.
"I... I, I don't... I don't... Alex, I'm so sorry." She finally silently muttered. "I had no idea, I... I don't know how to answer that. My mind... my mind says yes but... my heart says no, and... I'm sorry."
|
|