Mephisto

"So.. Wait." I blinked once, then chuckled. That was honestly probably wise, not trusting me since she couldn't figure out what my angle was. I wasn't some goody two shoes who was doing this just to be nice to someone I'd met only a few hours ago. And she was keen enough to have picked up on that with ease - but I had been a bit blunt and more open with my disdain for the idiotic masses than I normally would be. I shook my head with a bemused smirk on my lips. 

"You want to know what I get out of it, beyond amusement?" I drummed the fingers of one hand on the opposite bicep and tilted my head for a moment. "Well, aside from the fact that I do tend to get a bit focused on things and this is the first remotely interesting thing I've seen in weeks - there will come a day, Peaches, when other people realize that you're honest and sincere. That you do want to do good." I let my lips slide into a smile, one that was.. sharp. 

"And when they realize that, they're going to do mental contortions and try to structure themselves into how to align themselves still as 'good people' when they've been heaping abuse on a good person. They'll have their hypocrisy shoved in their faces. And that fascinates me, people having their nature put on display." I sighed softly and hummed slightly. I held up a hand with two fingers. 

"Second.. While I'm not the brightest, kindest person in existence, I'm not a completely uncaring, hollow a**." I chewed my lip for a moment as I tried to figure out how to put the sentiment into words. My love for my brother kept me from that, and I knew it. I sighed softly.

"My brother would have wanted to help you. Or for me to help you. He is the kind of guy who would help you just because he sees the best in people. And while I can't get home to him.. Hmm. How to put it. I suppose I think I could try doing some things he would at least be happy with. In my own way, though, since I wouldn't be the kind to get up in people's faces about how misunderstood you are while fighting anyone who bad mouthed you." I shrugged and let my eyes close. He would do that - he tried to do it for me until I sat him down and told him to chill. I think he still did behind my back. 

"So. Fish  powers?" 

I held my hands up in a placating gesture as I took a step away from Mari, watching as she strode away from me with angry steps. She had a lot of emotions bottled up inside of her and it was.. Difficult to get a gauge on how she'd react to something. Still - I hadn't known you couldn't actually render people unconscious here. Maybe just catatonic from pain? That would be something I'd have to test later, away from the woman who would probably flip [censored] if she found me systematically beating someone to find their breaking point. 

"Easy, easy." I knew when my words were not wanted. To be honest it was becoming clear that overall the redhead didn't like my presence too much and I couldn't blame her. I was a a difficult person to get along with in the best of times, and it had been a long, long while since I was in that kind of mood. I gave a shrug and ran the fingers of one hand through my hair.

I needed a new topic, one that wouldn't make her bite my head off for now. I knew family was a sore subject. Her new familiar? "So - damage type pets. Other than physically beating on your target, they get any other nifty tricks?" 

@Mari

"Yes. Yes they are. Life itself is pretty damn f*****." I hadn't heard about this apparent popularity of player killers who were boastful and self aggrandizing - but then again, until recently I had pretty well been trapped in my own cycle of anger and rage. I folded my arms over my chest and continued to watch her intently. I thought I had seen a flicker of something - emotions she didn't let out - and knew that what I was saying was getting to her. I sighed softly. 

"I won't say some trite bullshit like 'there is always another way' because sometimes there just isn't. Sometimes life gives you a losing hand and then kicks you over and over while you're down." Born to druggie parents, reviled by everyone you knew growing up, jaded as all get out.

"You want another way?" I narrowed my eyes and took a step closer, bringing one of my hands up in a clenched fist. "Then make it. You hate the killing, but the non violence doesn't work because they don't believe you. So get strong enough to make your own option - idiots like that? Knock them out." I rapped my fist against my other palm emphatically. 

"And find yourself allies, friends who don't care what others think of that because I assure you the people who are willing to befriend you when you've got that orange crystal, who will see the fact that you're good and believe in you despite it - they're the ones you want around you, not the sniveling masses that automatically assign blame." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn't like me degrading people out of hand but damn it idiots just weren't worth the air they breathed. 

I folded my arms back over my chest, tucking my hands into the sleeves of my coat. I wasn't the best for pep talks - my brother was the inspirer, the one who made you believe you could be better than you were. I was the schemer, the mongoose that waited and plotted to make things happen. 

"No, people hurt themselves. Look, Mari." I resisted the urge to rub my face with one hand. I really wanted to pinch my nose right now to massage the incipient headache I could feel forming. "You're still thinking of it like out there, but not - not for other people, only for yourself." I started to pace, my strides agitated. 

"You think of yourself as a monster, but you aren't. What you are, is a person who got thrown into a game that has forced people back into truly barbaric medieval mindsets - and it has dragged life and death to everyone's doorstep. Yes, you've killed. I won't deny that, and I won't pretty it up. No, it wouldn't have happened outside. But you know what else wouldn't have happened?" I turned and stared at her, my eyes open as I watched her intently. 

"A mob like that one that attacked you would not have happened. Stop holding people to different standards - if, out there, a mob had formed and attacked someone, no matter how justified, then THEY would be getting punished just as much as the person they attacked. What they did was wrong Mari, and you should never punish and hate yourself for others suffering their actions. You didn't antagonize them, you didn't broadcast your location, you didn't threaten them - hell you would have been perfectly fine being left alone if they had never come to you. So why the ever loving **** are you degrading yourself for what other people did?" My shoulders sagged and I ran one hand through my hair, turning away slightly as my vehemence left me... Drained. I was silent for a few seconds. 

"Sorry. I.. Sorry." I shook my head once. Now she probably would want me to actually leave, and after that tirade I wouldn't blame her. 

"Watching you die would definitely upset me." It would be such a terrible waste. I gave a rolling shrug of my shoulders. "And while I don't care what other people think, at least what most other people think, I do believe there would be others who would mourn your loss." A smirk split my lips and I chuckled. "Maybe I need to find them and start the 'Peaches Support Group'. Maybe nickname it the Orchard." Eh. I was teasing her there because that sad look on her face didn't suit her properly. An ornery one or a happy one fit her better. 

"And as for whether or not I'd want you on my side you're right, I should look at what happened back on the first floor. One person faced off against what was essentially a mob and handled it with aplomb. Hell, you didn't even actively hurt anyone. And hey now. Even if you don't want to be on my side, I'll be on yours." At least for now, unless she flat out told me to leave and wanted nothing more to do with me. Or, if she randomly attacked me. More than for the fish's training. 

@Mari

I hummed softly and shrugged my shoulders, not taking my hands from my pockets as I watched the girl and the fish pla-train. She wasn't wrong - I was hard to read. On purpose, I didn't like others seeing my motives. At least she was keen enough to tell that and not just accept things at face value. It might work for some - not with me. 

"What drives me, hmm?" That was a good point. I only had one real 'goal' and it was the same thing everyone else in here had.

Get. Out.

I couldn't be like those who figured out ways to cope and settle here - I had seen groups of people who were accepting their new life here, wanting to stay. This place might be more accepting of ruthlessness, but at the same time - well. The system couldn't be gamed. If I gave in to the surges of anger like I had before, or had to deal with something, then without fail my little crystal would change. Which would make dealing with anyone much harder. 

I realized that Mari was staring at me with what I figured was suspicion. I ended up shrugging again. "Not really, there. I figured the ice was too thin and prepared to help you. I've taken at least a bit of a liking to you so watching you freeze or drown would have irked me." It was honestly just selfish - I didn't want someone who entertained me, and could be useful, to die when I could intervene in it. 

" As for a drive - I suppose I haven't found one yet. For why I want to help you?" I tilted my head and cracked one eye open, studying her. "I want to. It pleases me." It pleases me to have someone like Peaches on my side instead of against me. My eye slid back to barely cracked open as Kohaku swirled through the air, nudging against my shoulder before swimming back to Mari. Odd little fish. 

@Mari

I shook myself once and chuckled. "Why, thank you for the compliment. I'll come with you though." This might be a relatively safe location, but that didn't mean I was stupid enough to forget that this was a floor where anything that looked at me could kill me with a blink. Mari might be tiring of my company, but until this little venture was over I wasn't going to just vanish on her. 

"And yes, we did. But my comment there was less a rehashing of what I had said before, and more that I was reinforcing my statement. Have you not heard people use it before like that?" I studied Mari from the corner of my eye as Kohaku swirled around her, glittering colors. The display was scintillating, and almost enough to make me reconsider what I wanted my partner to be - something with iridescent scales would be handy for distracting and disorienting others. 

But that was a concern for later, even if a part of my mind was now thinking about how I could maybe use that for subtle hypnosis things. But I didn't know how the system would translate that - hell, it might not even be possible at all, the system might interfere too much to accurately allow for something like hypnosis. Ah well. 

"And I could see you with a cat. Probably was a little hellion, but you adored it." I wasn't going to bother with false sympathy or pity - I'd not had a pet and couldn't form any kind of sorrow over her loss. Besides, the redhead had had years to come to terms with it. 

@Mari

I let one eyebrow drift upwards for a moment, then shrugged a shoulder. I suppose I was, unintentionally - my words had been honest. If, or knowing my issues and personality, when, I got that little orange marker above my head, I wouldn't be all too perturbed about it. I wouldn't be straining myself trying to redeem myself in others' eyes like Mari was. 

"I speak simply the truth, Peaches. 'Bad' people wouldn't really care about it. Unless they had a reason to." Because I had just thought of a reason to care - having an orange crystal would make blending in and beguiling the morons a lot harder. 

"But you? You're doing it because you want people to know that - the orange marker isn't who you are. You are more than it. And you want other people to know that while you may have had to kill, you are not a killer. Now." I drummed my fingers against my cheek as I ran recent conversation through my head. 

"I got a bit distracted, didn't I. Was it my turn to ask, or yours…. Hmhmm. Ah, right, you asked me about my hobbies and found that I am an eminently boring person." I chuckled at the self-disparagation before continuing. "So, then, Peaches. Other than Kohaku there, have you ever had any pets?"

@Mari

I straightened up when she called me a 'peacock' and squared my shoulders for a moment, then relaxed as I smirked. "I like dressing well. Not my fault if other people have differing tastes, I wear what I like." I kept the fact that this outfit had plenty of places to hide a blade if I needed to, to myself though. Instead I rubbed my chin, watching the glittering fish swim lazily through the air. It nudged at Mari's hand - if nothing else, it was enjoying the game of fetch so that was something, right? 

"Sweet Peach, you are a crass person. But just being crass or kind of an ass doesn't make you a bad person. You seem to want to help others, and truly want to change and be better. You aren't being forced to by anyone, no one is threatening your life - well, I mean more than any other orange player is normally threatened - nor is someone making you work with others to change yourself. You're trying to improve yourself, of your own volition. A bad person wouldn't care about this whole 'redemption' thing you are striving for."

I certainly knew I wouldn't most of the time. 

@Mari

A sore subject - life, death. It usually was. I wasn't going to belabor my point though - while Mari had killed, she didn't have that vicious instinct, that drive or the revelry of ending a life. But her time in this place was twisting her - twisting most everyone in some way or another. Instead of yammering on about that, which I doubted she'd appreciate, I looked down at myself for a moment before back up. 

"Hey now. I'm tall, yes, but thin. These clothes are purposefully obscuring." I snorted and let my eye drift back to its normal state as Kohaku swirled around us, carrying its prize in its mouth. It was a little bizarre to see a fish carrying a rock around if I was honest, but far from the weirdest thing to exist in this death game. 

"And few people can tolerate crass assholes for long. It usually takes another. Or an uncommonly nice and good person." I chuckled.

@Mari

I blinked once, then tilted my head to one aide, then the other, studying the redhead. She wasn't wrong - if I relaxed around other people that was probably exactly what would happen. Someone would decide that being friends with me was a worthwhile endeavor. Or - someone would decide that the poor stupid schmuck who let down his guard made easy picks and took him, me in this case, down a peg or two. I'd seen it happen often enough though the backstab schemes like that didn't suit my own personal tastes. 

"I relax around those I feel comfortable around, Mari." My voice was quiet. "You know why I feel comfortable around you? I know you aren't a killer. You've been forced into it but - like I said before. Out there, you would never have gone to those lengths. Or been put in a situation where you had to. I've seen those situations. Trust is hard to come by." I gave her a slight shrug of one shoulder.

" So I prefer to be brash, crass, rude, and conniving. Keep unnecessary connections at a minimum. I will say though…" I hummed in thought for a moment before opening one eye more fully to look at her. "If it means that much to you I might try seeing about figuring out a looser definition of a 'necessary connection'." 

@Mari

"I just got slapped by a fish. You weren't even holding the fish in the process." I stood up and rubbed my forehead, the spot where the stone had hit me stinging slightly. Being hit by Kohaku, at least this time had been more of a shock than an actual painful hit. The koi didn't quite know what it was doing, yet. Yet. I straightened my jacket and gave her a deadpan stare through slitted eyes. 

"Yes. Yes I am an odd one. Always have been. Probably a bit damaged in the head if I'm honest, but hey, most people are in some way I suppose. And this death game just makes it worse. Well. For most." I cracked my neck and hummed for a moment, watching Kohaku flit back and forth. 

"Other than music, I suppose the nearest thing to a hobby is movie watching with my brother. I absorb them more vicariously than for myself, but hey." I gave a half-shrug. "We do things we normally wouldn't for those we love."

"I don't, not really." Never had time for them if I was honest with myself. There was always something that needed to be done to keep my brother and I safe - strings to be pulled, schemes to be enacted. I had clawed my way to a good life, and a better one for my sweet innocent brother. Hobbies were for people who had better lives than I got the chance to. I gave her a slight chuckle. 

"I'm honestly not even that into games. I'm in here because my brother wanted to play it and I wanted to make sure it was safe before I let him. Glad I did." It was one of the few things that had kept me from the kind of depression I'd seen in others - as bad as this was, for me, it could have been worse. I rubbed my chin with one hand as I contemplated. 

"I suppose I like to listen to music? Mostly instrumentals, strings and woodwinds. Not a fan of percussion for the most part. So - Peaches." I spread my arms wide and gave her a smirk. "Stop trying to hit me, and hit me." I wondered if she'd catch the reference like she did last time I quoted something. 

"It's just us." My voice was quiet, not quite curt. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She probably wanted more than that. "It's been just the two of us for a long time now. My parents passed when I was a teen and he was a couple years old at most, and their families were - non-existent in our lives. And good riddance I say, both sides raised drug addicts." I spat to the side at the memory of those two failures. I sat back down on my log, drawing my legs up and balancing as I watched her. 

If she was feeling comfortable enough to ask me that, I was making progress. She was maybe not actively liking me but feeling used to me, comfortable around me to a degree. That was a good sign, now I just had to keep it up. Or test the bounds - since hearing about her grandfather had made an odd tug in my chest, I kind of craved more. 

"So you play violin? I'll have to see about finding you one - but for my question… What was your family like? A big one?" 

"Mm, that's my decision though. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all." And use and skill were strong motivators in a game where death walked side by side with everyone here. "And sorry but it won't change, you'll just have to put up with me." I folded my arms over my chest, slipping my hands into the opposite sleeves as I watched Kohaku slide by me. This time the rock hadn't even come close to me. 

"I would probably choose accuracy myself. I prefer surety in landing my strikes." And I already knew I wasn't the kind of person who could deal massive quantities of damage myself. No, my damage if I ever really focused on it, would rely on long term status effects. 

"Now then, my turn hmm?" I twitched my lips in thought. "What's a song you miss? Like, have you had any of those times where a song you haven't heard in a while just gets stuck in your head, and you need to listen to it but can't?" 

"You're the closest thing to a friend I've got to be honest." Not that I particularly cared. I had never really had or cared for friends - before my darling brother I'd not been able to even comprehend the thought. After him, well, I'd not needed anyone else. Everyone else just got in the way. And when I'd been trapped in here - well. My rage had taken a while to subside. "So I suppose if you want you can add me to the list. I know it may not seem like it but I enjoy your company and I know you aren't going to try murdering my face." I chuckled as I watched her contemplate a rock, her gaze shifting between it and Kohaku a few times. Right - this was actually a good time! 

"Ok, Peaches, spill. Why is Kohaku so blasted familiar to me? I swear I know the name but I don't know why."

"Sure, I don't mind." I pulled my eyes back up and hummed in thought. I'd already figured that Peaches had trouble with small talk, so engaging in a little back and forth would probably be easier for her to focus on, especially as distracted as she was currently with training her new companion. 

"And it's only unexpectedly that I have issues with being dealt pain. I've had my share of karma both ways." I chuckled and shook my head. "Besides, Peaches - if you're looking at a karmic balance, you've been getting 'brownie' points for a while trying to help people and do the right thing. Now, for a question, unless you want to go first? Got something on your mind?" One corner of my mouth turned upwards. 

She shook her head in response."Alright then. So, Peaches." I hummed and tilted my head to one side. "You don't need to tell me who they are or how many, but, you have those you call friend, right?" 

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "I do have at least some self preservation instincts, when something comes at me with just about no warning of course I'm going to try getting out of the way." I stood up and brushed myself off, and then folded my arms over my chest as Kohaku came drifting lazily through the air past me, heading back towards his trainer. As he went by his tail brushed against my ear and then he hurried onwards. 

"And no. Once you can get his interest in the rock again," because right now the shimmering koi fish showed no desire chasing them again, "go ahead and feel free to toss another one my way. Just not the face, alright?" I raised one eyebrow as I finished speaking. 

“Here I thought you liked unexpected stuff like that, was I wrong?” She asked with a tilt of her head to the side.

"It depends. Things that would hurt me, not so much. I tend to prefer being on the dealing side personally." I smirked for a moment before letting my arms drop back to my sides, my hands disappearing into my sleeves as the fabric came down. 

Honest concern from her, or so it seemed. That was a good step - and for more reasons than she might think. If I could demonstrate to other people that she was truly worried for someone she barely knew, and seemed to dislike, then convincing them of her change of heart was more likely to succeed. Which meant my little self-appointed project was more likely to be a triumph, which pleased me. 

"I have companionship from someone who isn't a mouth-breathing nitwit to gain, Peaches. Ah, hello." Her fish flitted by my head, scales reflecting light across my face as it circled my head for a moment before drifting back away towards Mari. I wasn't sure why her familiar seemed to be at ease around me, most of the animals I'd met kept a healthy distance even in this world. 

"Ah, so you're going to play to your strength instead of masking a weakness, I see." I rubbed my chin as I sat back, my silver eyes flicking between Mari and Kohaku. "Makes sense, kill them before they get a chance to strike at you in the first place." I chuckled softly and let my eyes drift mostly closed, watching Mari through the cracks. 

I tilted my head to one side and blinked at the redhead who was trying, and failing, to ignore my presence. It was kind of amusing - I didn't even have to say anything and she was weirded out by me. And, a little insulting, but then again I had cultivated an unnerving appearance and presence. I gave her another smile and wandered over to a fallen log, perching on top of it as I watched her heft a rock in her hand. 

"Don't worry, I won't stop you. What kind of path are you planning on taking Kohaku down?" Again there was that naggling sense of familiarity with the name of her familiar, like I knew it for some reason. I was ignoring it though, because if I tried to chase that sensation the memory would leave me entirely. 

Instead I brought one leg up, shifting to sit against the heel and rested my elbow on it, propping my chin in that hand. "And who knows maybe I can help." I chuckled softly. 

Sticking around was my plan - I wanted Peaches used to me being around her. But if she actively, vehemently tried to get me to leave… I might. Maybe. 

@Mari

"Ice broke." I bit out between clenched teeth as I held onto the girl and the tree branch. Blast - the wood was bowing, beginning to crack. "Brace yourself Peaches." Never had I been more glad that I at least tried to take care of myself, as my arms began to strain. I twisted around, hauling the shaking girl, and shoved her up, back onto stable ice just in time - the wooden branch slipped, and I dipped under the water for a moment. 

I'd been expecting it though, and kicked back up and grabbed onto the edge of the ice. I saw my health tick downwards slightly as brief flashes of not-pain flared in my palms - the jagged edges of the ice cutting into my skin. But I held on, and dragged myself up and put of the water, then finished helping Mari onto safe ice. We sat there, shivering in the cold for a moment as we fought to regain our breaths. 

“T-t-thanks.” Came her response, teeth chattering from the cold. I waved one hand at her. 

"You're welcome. You don't get to go dying on me, Peaches." I slumped back, staring upwards. "Please, tell me it worked." 

“Yeh…” Came her weary response. “N-now I j-just got-t-ta train it.” She said with a wry laugh. I watched as she crawled up closer to me as she sighed. “Quest done...if y-you need to leave y-you can.” I snorted and dragged my coat out of my inventory and off of me, and threw it over her shoulders. Her tiny hands reached out and tightly grasped the coat. Wrapping it around her, she gave me a confused look.

"No dice, Peaches. You ain't fit to be left alone right now."

"Seventh son of a forgotten daughter - " l bit off the curse as my suspicion was proven correct. The ice was far too thin where she was. As soon as Peaches had moved quickly, sitting up in her excitement, a spiderweb of cracks formed beneath her. She had time to start to turn to me and I saw the look of shocked surprise on her face as the ice beneath her shattered. 

I had a few seconds to decide what to do. Walk away and pretend I was never here, leaving Mari to whatever fate she had in store. I discarded this out of hand - if she didn't survive, I lost one of the few things that had made me feel something other than anger or apathy. If she did survive, and remembered me leaving her here - well. Just because she was trying to be good again didn't mean she wouldn't kill, and that seemed like a good way to get put on anyone's bad side. 

Which left - trying to help her. Thankfully it looks like the thin ice had all collapsed into the frigid waters below, leaving thicker stuff behind. My branch was just barely wide enough to span the gap. "Peaches you better be worth this." I muttered under my breath as I sprinted onto the ice. 

I had covered about half of the distance before one of my feet shot out from under me on the slick surface. "Fu-" My rear hit the ice and I slid the rest of the distance, plunging into the hole Mari had inadvertently made. One hand clutched onto the branch, and I reached out blindly below me, towards where I thought I had seen movement. 

I blinked once and tilted my head to one side as the redhead began to crawl across the ice. Oh, dear. I didn't see this going well at all. I suppressed a snort in one sleeve - I wasn't rude enough to actively try sabotaging her attempts at finding a familiar. 

I glanced around and spotted a large branch a short distance away. As Mari crawled along the ice, I moved over and picked the branch up, hefting it. Good, not rotted and would be sturdy enough in case my suspicion proved correct. I wasn't going to call out to her - I kind of wanted to see what happened. 

My fingers drummed along the wooden surface of the branch as I paced along the edge of the ice, keeping a short distance from her. I wasn't about to go adding my weight onto that thin ice. While Mari looked light enough that anything but sudden movements shouldn't cause any problems, tossing another hundred plus pounds didn't seem like a brilliant idea. 

She was just a murderer in here, of people who’d been written off. We all had. Me? I was a murderer out there. Not that I was gonna bring up the whole thing of that situation. I doubted she’d understand that I had to kill my own parents to keep my brother safe. I gave her a slight smile, and a bow of my head. “Names have impact, Mari. Using them carries weight, connection. I very, very rarely use anyone’s real name. Or, as real as we know things get in here.”

She leaned back, her head resting against my leg. "So I should go back to calling you an albino snake?" She said with a wry grin, head tilted up toward me.

“You can call me whatever you want, Peaches.” I reached down and tapped her forehead with two fingers. “I know how I view names is different than most people.” I chuckled as her eyes went crossed, trying to look at the spot I had just poked. 

"I'll think of something good." I gave a soft snort. 

“You aren’t wrong with that nickname, Peaches. I am pretty white, and I am a snake. Conniving, an asshole as you’ve noted vociferously, and I don’t think much of the common moronic masses. Sounds pretty snakelike to me.” 

"Snakes are cuter, you're more rugged handsome?" She said with a shrug. "They have those cute little noses you want to poke and I love how they coil around you. Honestly I was planning on getting an albino snake before I settled on this." That… was unexpected. I blinked once, then twice as I processed that comment.

“Oh, come now Peaches, how am I supposed to not call you cute if you’re calling me ruggedly handsome?” I laughed and pushed her head. Deflect, deflect. “I think a beautiful colourful Koi suits you better, anyway. You’ve got too much to you - I’m the washed out whitey here, not you miss emberhead.”

I watched the woman staring at the fish quietly. She was watching them, seemingly entranced. She didn’t say whether or not she’d found the one she wanted, so I couldn’t compliment her on that, not that I would have in the first place. I shrugged one shoulder, folding my hands together and letting them disappear into my sleeves. 

“Probably a mongoose.” Small, useful, ambitious - and merciless killers when faced with their prey.

"You know they eat snakes right?" Ah. She regained some of her composure then. I  waved one hand dismissively as I walked over to her, peering over her shoulder at the ice beneath her. 

“They do. And to do so, they have to be just as cunning and vicious as any serpent is. But they’re also loving mammals.” Family creatures when they could be. As I was. “Ah, that is a bit of a dazzling array of fish down there.”I took a chance and placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning over to 'inspect' the fish. She didn't flinch or shy away. Ah, was she that starved for human contact? Seemed I had another line to worm my way in.

“You shouldn’t choose that loneliness again, Peaches. Going around putting up a front as cold as this ice is not going to help you.”  My voice was calm, measured.

"I know." She said as she reached out to place a hand over mine. It lingered. Her hand was surprisingly warm against mine, for someone who had just been touching the ice. She gave it a squeeze before she removed my hand from her shoulder, slowly.

"But if I'm being honest. I'm just afraid of all those lines and betrayal happening again."

“That… is understandable. Trust is hard to come by. Especially for those who’ve been hurt.”