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[hostage]

SCI » 008 » 024

_“ Hey, it's me. Wait for the thing. _”

Comments

[jurisimpudent]

I am not - [He flushes.] I am not sweet. You're new here, so you of course do not yet know, but I'm very...mean. As a person. Ask anyone.

[kicktomorrow]

Sorry, I just know the guy who stepped in to set up a stranger with two people who could help her kick a heroin habit. And I'm an a sarcastic piece of work, personally. I still have people who want me.

[jurisimpudent]

...Well, you're also clearly quite intelligent and self-confident, both of which are attractive qualities.

[kicktomorrow]

And you're not?

[jurisimpudent]

Irrelevant.

[kicktomorrow]

I object. How is that irrelevant?

[jurisimpudent]

[Hrngh.]

Can we kindly not discuss my personal characteristics?

[kicktomorrow]

But they're pertinent to the discussion. If we accept that I'm intelligent and self-confident, ergo I'm deserving of affection, then if you're intelligent and self-confident--which you obviously are--then why are you the exception? Talking about personal issues means it's relevant.

[She has half a fine arts degree from a good university, all right.]

[jurisimpudent]

Perhaps I have unpleasant characteristics which you lack.

[kicktomorrow]

Worse than a heroin addiction, neurosis, most of the clinical diagnosis of several personality disorders, and generally being unapproachable and unfriendly?

[jurisimpudent]

I...Addiction, according to our training, is to be treated as a disease rather than a defect, and I've not seen any evidence of any of the latter.

[kicktomorrow]

It still makes me not the best bet for a stable relationship. But here I am. I mean, my boyfriend is even down for dating two women at once without freaking out. We're making it work.

And trust me, you just haven't seen me angry yet.

[jurisimpudent]

Wait, he is...what?

[kicktomorrow]

Yeah. Lisbeth and I. You see what I mean by how it's more complicated than anatomy?

[jurisimpudent]

That's...And you accept that?

[kicktomorrow]

Well, yeah. Lisbeth is fantastic and I love Jesse. I was missing from Siren's Port, it wasn't like I was going to expect him to stay celibate. And I'm not screwing with the good thing they have.

[jurisimpudent]

But that's...You're...So it's simply that he's not exclusive with either of you? That he'll settle on whom he wishes to...?

[kicktomorrow]

He's settled on both of us. It's not an either or proposition. But if he wanted to fool around with someone else, no, I wouldn't care. It's a free spaceship. I don't own him.

[jurisimpudent]

I...see.

[He doesn't.]

[kicktomorrow]

The same goes for me. If you want to...I don't mean sex. But you do know that psychologically speaking human beings need touch?

[jurisimpudent]

That sounds like some sort of...pop psychology. I have never known it to be necessary.

[kicktomorrow]

It's not. Trust me. I'm not touchy-feely either. But it's important for mental health. Not to be trite, here, but I think you need a hug.

[jurisimpudent]

I do not need a hug. I've never known anyone to die from lack of hugging, and I doubt I'll be the first.

[kicktomorrow]

No, you won't die. You'd be pretty goddamn miserable, though. Aren't you even a little curious?

[jurisimpudent]

I...Hardly. Perhaps that's the sort of thing needed by those who lack self-discipline, but I have no such lack. Indeed, I've moved quite beyond such petty needs.