Aisell sat at the data terminal and bounced her leg with eager anticipation, of all the things she had endeavored to accomplish this was one thing she didn’t feel guilty for taking pleasure in. Single handed she had bested Lyroo and rescued her friend from slavery; she did it using brains not brawns and had done so in a relatively short amount of time.

As the computer connected the call and awaited a response from the recipient. Aisell could not help but wonder about Darren’s state of mind. He had seemed distant and faded, almost disconnected when she had spoken to him. It was to be expected as he had gone from torture, to condemnation right into slavery without as much as a second to catch his breath.

Eyrn had also seemed anxious, not at all exuberant and excited to see Darren again as Aisell had expected. Oh, she was happy that Darren was safe, but her anxiety over facing him was clearly guilt-fueled, Aisell at least could tell that much.

“Hello?” On the screen the face of Loona Armac greeted Aisell. She was seated at a stationary terminal, her appearance was casual but presentable, and unlike the previous calls she was alone, without her human companion Nonah, or her friends Niall or Naskia.

“Loona, hey.” Aisell shook herself from her stupor and smiled a thin contemplative smile.

“Hey Aisell, what can I do for you?” Loona asked, leaning back in her chair after making a few screen adjustments.

“Do you have a few moments?” Asked Aisell gently, the gears in her head were already working out how best to explain everything to Loona, but she didn’t really expect a hostile reaction.

“Well, I’m between a rock and a hard place at present, but I have a few moments sure.” Loona said with a cordial tone. Loona was generally 80% business 20% casual and getting hold of her at all through her packed schedule was no small task at all. Aisell had been fortunate this time not to have to wait for a call back.

“Good,” she continued, “because have I got something that is going to make your day!” Her grin spread from ear to ear, chock full of confidence – and seasoned with not too humble a portion of arrogance.

“O..kay, what’s up?” Loona asked suspiciously, leaning into the screen a bit and puckering her lips into a thoughtful, concerned expression.

“I got Darren back!” Aisell spat out bluntly. For all her strategy and planning, Aisell couldn’t hold back her excitement, and opted for blurting it out instead.

“Beg pardon?” Loona asked suddenly, her whole body tensed up and her voice tightened.

“I got him back, from Lyroo. He is no longer in her possession, we have secured him from bondage, where she is he is no longer!” Aisell said with more than a bit of sarcasm.

Loona shook her head abruptly and spoke quickly, her knuckles tightened as she grasped hold of the nearest item to her and wrung it like a wad of tissue paper.

“How? When? Is he with you now? What did you do? Oh god you didn’t break the law did you? Aisell tell me everything…and I mean everything!” Loona said, quickly and sharply.

Aisell blinked repeatedly and gave her head a sudden shake, of all the reactions she had prepared for, this was not on the list. “I…well I can’t. It’s complicated.”

Loona Armac just about fell off her chair and would have toppled the video screen over had it not been a projection holoscreen. “What do you mean complicated!?” Loona said harshly, her voice scarcely below shouting.

Aisell didn’t respond at first, but her eyes burned a hole through Loona, and her posture tensed up as she went on the defensive. “If I could explain it quickly, it wouldn’t be complicated. You’re just going to trust me, alright.” Aisell phrased this as a statement, leaving no room for argument.

Loona puffed up like a cornered alley cat and spoke with a whip in her voice. “Aisell, how you went about this is of immense importance! If you did something questionable you could have set things back to square one!” Loona’s face was red and she looked just about ready to burst.

“There was nothing questionable about it, Darren is no longer in Lyroo’s possession and we needn’t worry about her for the foreseeable future,” Aisell said through gritted teeth.

“Theft is a class one offense Aisell! Not only could you face jail time, but Darren will be thrown back into the system until the court case is seen through! Aisell, Lyroo holds ownership of Darren and as long as she does….”

“Well, see that’s the thing.” Aisell said as she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Lyroo doesn’t hold the ownership papers,” Aisell paused, just long enough for the vein on Loona’s head to threaten to burst.

“What are you talking about!?” Loona said, standing and leaning forward on her desk.

Aisell swiped her hand over her screen quickly a few times and opened a shared document they could both see on their respective screens. Aisell then sat back with her hands behind her head and a feral grin across her lips.

Loona read the document aloud, her eyes busily scanning it over as she did. “You’re shitting me!?” Loona exclaimed and brushed the document away with her hands. “Emperors teat, how did you manage to convince her to do this!?” While Loona no longer felt upset, she was still on high alert and shouting nonetheless.

“I already said, I can’t say.” Aisell said. While she had no respect for Lyroo Prenn, she was a woman of her word and had no desire to break it.

“Gorram Aisell this is serious! What did you do!?” Loona shouted.

“Sorry, you’ll just have to trust me.” Aisell responded.

“Gorram!” Loona slapped the desk and glared daggers through Aisell.

“He is safe, we don’t have to worry about Lryoo Prenn, she is out of our hair. She won’t bother us,” Aisell said simply.

For Loona this was person, Lyroo Prenn was a thorn in her side and a vicious little prissy one at that. Lyroo also controlled the largest most influential and political body that dealt with the fate of humans in the Empire. She was neither a pushover nor one to be taken lightly. “Aisell….”

“I’m sorry, I gave my word.” Aisell said calmly.

Loona took a moment to compose herself, she looked away and was silent for a long while. “I want to see him.” Loona said as she snapped her neck to face Aisell again.

“Sure, no problem,” Aisell said softly.

“In person, I need to know he is alright!” Loona said with out resource.

“Are you afraid I would do something to hurt him?” Aisell spat out with a frown and a glare.

“I just want see he is okay,” Loona avoided further discord and bulldozed right to her point.

“I’ll talk it through with Darren and get back to you when he is ready,” Aisell said plainly.

“Does Eyrn know?” Loona asked quickly.

“She is here now, they are in the living room together.” Aisell folded her arms and looked down at the desk. “Look, he is going to need some room, I think Lyroo got to him…I swear as soon as he is willing we will arrange a call, maybe we can even come to Tannhauser. I’m sure Eyrn and Darren would love to meet you and Niall,” Aisell smiled, brushing her hair aside. Aisell herself felt a great debt of gratitude to Naskia Bass as well, and would gladly take any chance to meet her face to face.

Loona sighed. “Call me back as soon as he is willing…we can arrange something.”

“Sounds good.” Aisell nodded. “Gotta go see how they’re doing. I will keep you informed,” Aisell hovered her hand over the hang up icon.

“Okay…and Aisell….”

“Hmmm?”

“Good job…”

Aisell smiled just a little and closed the call. That, was all she really wanted to hear.

The others were sitting in the living room waiting for Darren to finish with getting washed and dressed. Eyrn had taken the news with surprising calm and maturity, showing more remorse and sorrow than blind rage and outrage. Her facial expressions went from bad to worse as Aisell explained every detail she had available, Aisell has been expecting Eyrn to be a wash of emotions, however much like Darren she seemed to clam up and bite her tongue, nodding and answering everything curtly and breathlessly. Eyrn seemed just as lost and confused as Darren, which was understandable, considering how she felt about the issue. Aisell couldn’t help but notice the striking similarity between Darren and Eyrn which often showed in tense situations.

Eyrn waited with Lezah and the others while Aisell had been on her call, the two remaining Maris sisters discussed past events amongst themselves when Gae brought Yamma and Darren into the room. The tension was as thick as fog and everyone went stoic and silent as Gae Nethula set the two humans down on the center living room table.

Nobody knew quite what to say, Aehzay let out a tense deep breath and momentarily puffed her cheeks as she adjusted herself on the large armchair, Lezah uncrossed her legs quickly and sat up, as if sitting lax and easy was inappropriate given the circumstances, then fidgeted as if second-guessing her decision. Lezah settled on a rather awkward position with her hands gripping the cushion she sat on and her ankles crossed over one another. Yamanu stood behind Darren as if preventing some sort of retreat, while in reality Yamma was simply trying to stand out of the way.

Gae sat back on the couch next to Lezah, while Eyrn was seated in the small armchair across from the one where Aehzay was. Everyone was silent enough to hear a pin drop a mile away, Eyrn in particular just sort of looked onward at Darren as if she had seen a ghost.

It wasn’t that Eyrn wasn’t happy to see Darren, nor was it that she wasn’t concerned about his well-being, Eyrn just didn’t know how to approach him. Darren always greeted her with hearty hello in a robust voice, he always had time to talk when she needed somebody, always seemed pleased to see her even when she was engaged in activities she shouldn’t be. Darren was Darren, but the man before her didn’t quite seem like the person she remembered. Eyrn was unsure how to approach him, since as long as she had been sitting there he had yet to so much as look in her direction.

Darren slowly eyed everyone lazily, first he looked back at Yamanu, then he looked off to Gae, Lezah, Aehzay and finally Eyrn. When his eyes fell upon Eyrn, he lingered for a moment, then quickly looked away as if ashamed to look her in the eyes.

“The shirt fits nice, doesn’t it?” Gae spoke up, looking to Darren and then the others quickly. Anything was better than the painful awkward silence.

Aehzay offered a forced smile and looked down at her lap, Lezah slapped her knee and stood, looking to the others brightly. “Anyone thirsty? I’m going to go make some tea, does anyone want tea? I could use some tea.” Lezah began to head to the kitchen.

“Oh, that would be nice.” Gae spoke up, looking down to Yamma.

“Sure,” Yamanu nodded.

“Zhay, mind giving me a hand?” Lezah said leading.

“How hard is it to make tea?” Aehzay asked and narrowed her brow.

“I could just use some help is all.” Lezah spoke under her breath.

“Did you forget where we keep the tea leaves?” Aehzay joked.

Lezah coughed subtly and made a jerking motion with her neck towards the kitchen. “I enjoy your company, that’s all,” Lezah said, her eternal patience wearing just slightly thin.

“Fine, fine, how can I argue with that?” Aehzay relented at last and pushed herself off the chair to stand.

“Darren, Eyrn, would either of you care for tea?” Lezah said cordially.

“I’m fine.” Darren said softly.

“No, thank you,” Eyrn tore her eyes off Darren long enough to look up, smile at Lezah and shake her head.

Gae looked down to Yamanu who looked back to Gae, the two exchanged verbal cues for a moment before almost simultaneously speaking up. “Why don’t we see if they need any help?”

Gae offered Yamma her hand, which he eagerly accepted, and the two speed off into the kitchen after Aehzay and Lezah.

Darren looked at his feet while Eyrn shuffled about until she was kneeling on the floor in front of the short living room center table. Eyrn sat on her feet and rest her hands on her lap, there was a still quiet before she spoke softly. “Its…uh…good to see you again, Sarge.”

Darren nodded.

“What’s the report?” Eyrn asked, trying to show a hint of a smile.

Darren shrugged.

Eyrn wrung her hands together and looked up at the slow spinning ceiling fan, this was much harder than she had expected.

“I ought to tear that bitch a new asshole, eh?” Eyrn said with a healthy mixture of amusement, spite and sarcasm.

Darren shook his head slowly no.

“That’s what Aisell said too.” Eyrn shrugged. “Assault and battery is frowned upon here too, I suppose.” Eyrn bit her lip, but after a moment went on. “Suppose I could get off on my good looks and charm?” Eyrn smiled hopefully.

Darren shrugged.

The most painful part was the fact that he wouldn’t look at her, but somewhere inside Eyrn understood why. Still, the silence was unbearable and so she pushed forward.

“What did she do to you Sarge?” Eyrn asked at last, her voice low and timid.

Darren was quiet and motionless this time, he didn’t even so much as flinch.

“That bad huh?” Eyrn sighed and looked around the room. “Sarge, look….”

“Shouldn’t call me that.” Darren spoke at last.

Eyrn nearly jumped when she heard his voice, weak, soft and low as it was. “What do you mean?” Eyrn sat up a bit and looked to Darren carefully. “You’re Master Sergeant Darren Avery…the Sarge…you’ve cussed out men for calling you less,” Eyrn chuckled wistfully.

Darren just shook his head, he still didn’t look to Eyrn. “Not here, just Darren here.”

Eyrn frowned and shook her head fiercely. “Bull, you’re still the same man you’ve always been. One crazy prissy little bitch can’t change that.” Eyrn’s voice grew louder and more defensive.

Darren just shrugged.

“Darren…you can’t tell me you believe everything she told you? All those lies? Darren they’re horseshit, she’s just an ignorant son of a bitch who doesn’t know what she’s talking about. You know that right? Sarge? You know that…you have to.” Eyrn leaned forward, her voice went from slightly angry to desperate and confused.

Darren shook his head. “Doesn’t matter…not really.”

“No, it does matter. Sergeant, snap out of it and buck up…this isn’t you. This isn’t Master Sergeant Darren Lemuel Avery, you don’t just give up like this. I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Eyrn said, her pale face going flush from excitement.

Eyrn opened her mouth a few times, but stiffed herself and pushed off the table to stand. Eyrn began to pace back and forth between the center table and the lamp stand across the room.

“This is all Lyroo Prenn’s fault!” Eyrn spat, shaking her head and clinching her fists.

***

“I’m just saying, I don’t think we can trivialize this by putting the blame on any one person. Of course I’m not justifying what happened, nor am I letting anyone off the hook. I’m just saying this is a complicated issue and we can’t just blame whomever is most convenient,” Yamanu said as he leaned against a large white pillar of a salt shaker.

“I didn’t say that Yamma,” Gae defended as she crossed her arms over her chest,” but it’s hard to deny that none of this would have happened at all had the legislature gone through with the embargo on insectoid narcotics. They’ve opened the door to an entire drug culture built around insect maggots, all because of ‘cultural amnesty.’ It’s Terg shaka.” Gae grumbled and tossed her head to the side.

“No, that’s exactly what you’re saying, your simplifying what is clearly a complex and intricate issue. It’s extremely callow of you to try to put the blame on any one person, place or thing. It’s the system in general, not the individual that has to change,” Yamma said, speaking more with his hands and his facial expressions than by tone of voice. But what he didn’t imply with his tone, he more than suggested with his eyes.

“Yamma, you’re not listening to me.” Gae said calmly.

“I am, you’re just not making any sense.” Yamanu said dismissively and looked away with a tisk and a roll of his eyes.

Gae was silent, but stared daggers through Yamanu. Before Yamma could mend his mistake however, Gae quickly stood up and with a huff turned and stormed out of the room.

“Oh, gok’ma…I didn’t mean….” Yamma sighed.

“Don’t you gok’ma me!” Gae spat on her way down the hall.

Aehzay, who had been helping Lezah make the tea came up behind Yamanu and loomed over him with a smirk on her face. “Smooth move, Yammers,” Aehzay grinned.

“Hush and help me down off the table,” Yamanu grumbled as he walked towards Aehzay who offered her hand with a condescending grin.

“You sure you want to go after her so soon?” Aehzay asked as she set Yamma down by her feet.

“I’d be a fool not to, the only thing worse than foot-in-mouth is to let her stew on it.” Yamma took a deep breath and grimaced.

“Good luck.” Zhay winked and stood.

“Thanks.” Yamma shook his head and jogged after Gae.

Aehzay watched Yamma make his way to the wall and then run up the hallway along the floor board, where it was agreed would be the safest place for him and any other humans to travel when they were on their own. Once he was out of sight she made her way back to Lezah.

“Can you believe those two?” Zhay said with a shake of her head.

“Hmmm,” was all Lezah said in reply.

“’Hmmm’ what? I know that look! You’re thinking of something, aren’t you? Aren’t you!?” Aehzay eyed Lezah suspiciously.

“Never mind.” Lezah said, turning back to the tea.

“No, tell me. What…you don’t think either of them are right, do you?” Aehzay asked with a prying tone.

“You don’t want to hear what I think Zhay, so let it go, m’kay?” Lezah sighed as she dropped a few dollops of sticky syrup into the tea, syrup cultivated from the sap of the sweet-pine trees on the fringe of their lands.

Aehzay was silent for a few moments as she watched her sister move about, it took Zhay a few moments to piece together what Lezah was implying, but once she did Aehzay spoke up and stood in front of Lezah, blocking her path.

“What are you suggesting?” Aehzay took up a defiant but still docile tone with her elder sister.

Lezah took a long hard look at Aehzah and then in her best diplomatic tone Lezah replied. “I just think none of this would have happened had you and Bedra been watching them like we agreed upon.” Lezah turned to finish arranging the tea on the trey.

“Are you suggesting this is all my fault?” Aehzay said with an indignant air.

“If you and Bedra, had been paying attention to Darren, Tapp and Degu like you both said you would, then nobody would have been able to abduct them,” Lezah repeated as she stirred each cup of tea.

“What about Tapp who decided to wander off on her own? Or the maggot-head who took them in the first place, or the disgusting mantid who shot them all full of venom, or the gorram people who ate them?!” Aehzay shouted to Lezah.

Lezah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “None of them told me and Eyrn they would look after Darren, Tapp and Degu while we were gone Zhay.” Lezah’s voice was low and thick.

“I can’t believe you’re trying to throw all the blame on me?!” Aehzay spat.

“I told you to let it go, didn’t I?” Lezah huffed as she roughly tossed the spoon onto the counter top and turned around to face Aehzay quickly.

“What about Aisell, hmmm? If I recall she was there too when you and Eyrn went for a swim!” Aehzay defended.

“Don’t you put this on her, don’t you do it! Zhay she has enough guilt to deal with as it is!” Lezah stated sharply and rose her voice abruptly.

“Oh, does she? Because of her precious Luke? How long are you going to let her use that as an out, hmmm? Aisell was just as responsible for them as any of us were!” Aehzay narrowed her eyes and jabbed Lezah in the chest with her finger in a pointing motion. “Yourself included!”

“I asked you to look after them! Not Aisell, you! If you were going to flip it off, like you do everything else I ever ask you to do, you may have told me!” Lezah swatted Aehzay’s finger away and stepped up in her younger sister’s face.

“Oh, that’s right! Lezah does everything we do nothing! Always a martyr right? The weight of the world is on your gorram shoulder and nobody else does a thing to help you!” Aehzay stepped right back at Lezah.

“Maybe if you lifted a finger to help out, instead of letting everyone else pick up the slack, or, oh, I don’t know, take responsibility for your mistakes for a change, everyone else wouldn’t have to cover for you all the time!?” Lezah’s voice grew increasingly more emotional and weighted, as did her expression. She was not good for these kind of conversations, Lezah generally avoided such.

Aehzay was about to bring up another point, with no shortage of fury, when both her and Lezah heard the distinct sound of Aisell clearing her throat.

Both sisters looked to the doorway to meet the gaze of a very perturbed Aisell. Living up to her tribal title, Aisell’s icy blue eyes froze both Lezah and Aehzay in their tracks, her lips curled into a disapproving frown and her lips pressed thin.

“Will you two shut up?” Aisell spoke with surprising calm. She had passed Gae and Yamma’s room where they were bickering in the relative privacy of their room, but Aehzay and Lezah were right out in the open, with in earshot of Darren and Eyrn even.

“They can hear you, you know.” Aisell tore through the kitchen with long angry strides, passing both sisters without another look, she head straight into the living room where Darren and Eyrn were both sitting still and quiet, having easily overheard everything Aehzay and Lezah had been shouting.

Eyrn locked eyed with Aisell and opened her mouth to speak, she wasn’t sure what she was going to say exactly, but she felt she had to say something.

“I’m sorry about that, it’s been tense around here lately. Lez’ has a lot on her mind, and Zhay is Zhay.” Aisell said apologetically as she crossed the gap between her and Eyrn.

“No, it’s okay. I understand,” Eyrn said softly.

“Everyone wants to place the blame somewhere, it makes people feel better if they can find someone specific to blame,” Aisell smiled softly to Eyrn, then looked down to Darren who was standing on the center table still. “Darren, sorry you had to hear that.” Aisell crouched down to Darren’s level.

Darren shook his head. “Don’t matter,” he said in a low haunting voice.

“It’s all Lyroo’s fault is what it is,” Eyrn grumbled, she was still caught up on that hook, having tried and failed to get more than two words out of Darren.

“Eyrn, I know she’s a terrible person and I’m not going to defend her but….”

“No.” Darren spoke up, louder than he had since he arrived home.

Both Aisell and Eyrn turned to face Darren, a shared look of shock on their faces.

“No, it’s not her fault, it’s not Keeran’s fault, it’s not Tapp’s fault, it’s not your sisters’ fault, it’s her fault.” Darren looked to Eyrn at last, for the first time since they had been separated.

Aisell was taken aback and remained speechless. While Eyrn had to do a double take, both looked at Darren in abject confusion.

“What are you talking about?” Aisell spoke up at last.

“If I hadn’t taken that dang job, if I hadn’t been wrapped up in this mess, if you wouldn’t of taken us here…none of this woulda happened. I wouldn’t know about any of this, I wouldn’t know that everything we’ve ever fought for, accomplished, everything humanity has bled for, every bullet, every drop of blood shed…was all for nothing. if you hadn’t taken us here, none of this would have ever happened,” Darren said, with a flat, tired and exhausted tone.

Eyrn reacted as if she had taken a knife to the gut. She gasped for air, struggled to say something, but only faint breathless squeaks came out. She shook her head quickly and took a few steps backwards away from Darren.

“Darren!” Aisell scolded, showing the first signs of actual anger she had since she slapped Lyroo.

“I…I’m sorry” Eyrn whispered.

Darren shrugged and looked away from them both. “It don’t matter,” He said softly.

“Eyrn…he doesn’t mean that, he can’t. He’s not right, he’s just confused…angry…he’s just lashing out. Aren’t you Darren?” Aisell waited, but Darren said nothing. “Aren’t you, Darren!?”

Darren shrugged.

“No,” Eyrn swallowed hard and nodded her head with her eyes closed tight, “he’s right.” Eyrn opened her eyes and forced herself to look at Darren and Aisell.

“No, Eyrn he isn’t!” Aisell said quickly.

“They all are, the courts, Darren…Lyroo…I was irresponsible…the people I care for were put in danger, taken from their lives because of me. Thrown into this…because of me.” Eyrn nodded a few times as if to convince herself she was simply being honest.

Aisell looked wide eyed to Darren and then Eyrn, then back to Darren. “Darren, say something to her!” Aisell commanded.

Darren didn’t respond.

Eyrn choked back her tears and sniffled back hard. “I’m sorry Sarge, I let you down…I did this to you…I’m sorry.” Eyrn whispered as she backed up a little more.

“Don’t matter, not anymore,” Darren muttered.

“Darren!” Aisell shouted.

“I’m sorry Aisell…I shouldn’t even be here…I’m not allowed to be around him remember? I should go…I…I shouldn’t have come.” Eyrn turned away from Aisell before the wave of emotion threatened to overcome her.

“No, stay…Eyrn we can work this out…listen he doesn’t know what he’s saying…I know it hurts but none of it is true. Please, don’t go.” Aisell pleaded.

“I’m sorry, both of you…I’m sorry…” Eyrn shook her head and turned, heading right for the door.

Aisell looked to Eyrn and then Darren, approaching Darren and motioning to Eyrn. “Are you just going to let her leave? Darren wake up!”

Darren shrugged. “She…she’s better off without me.” Darren looked to Aisell and then turned to look off into the distance.

Aisell heard the sound of the door open and close, and Eyrn was gone.

“Shaka!” Aisell cursed and flopped down onto her rear, bringing her knees up to her chest.

“She’s better off without me,” Darren repeated. “She don’t need me, never did.” Darren sighed.

Aisell said nothing, she simply watched the scene play out like a shuttle crash. She wanted to stop Eyrn, she wanted to slap Darren but mostly she wanted to pull her hair out and scream. Rather than any of that, Aisell Maris shook her head and grumbled. “Darren Avery, you bonehead! Do you have any idea what you just did!” Aisell didn’t wait for a response, as soon as the words left her lips she tore out of the house after Eyrn, she had to undo what Lyroo had done, because it wasn’t Master Sergeant Darren Avery speaking, it was Lyroo Prenn, it was as simple as that.

***

“Ya ever make a mess of something so bad, that ya just didn’t have no hope too fixing it?” Darren spoke regretfully, looking up into the stars. “A mess so overwhelming and deep, it threatened to bury you?” Darren asked Pryvani, without looking to meet her gaze.

“Oh believe me my dear, I have made plenty of mistakes in my life. What’s more, I’ve inherited the mistakes of others and done my level best to make them worse. You really shouldn’t be too hard on yourself for what you said. It’s perfectly understandable that you weren’t yourself after such an ordeal. I’m sure Eyrn and the others understand that now,” Pryvani said in quite the solemn and somber tone.

“I wanted to take back every one of them words soon as they left my mouth. I wanted to tell her it was my fault, that it always had been. See, it wasn’t that I believed what I was saying, but I was so dang sulky and mopey and lost in myself, saying nothing seemed easier than fixing the mess I made. It just wasn’t in me…can ya believe it?” Darren shook his head and chuffed lightly at himself.

“Well, what’s in the past is in the past Darren. We can’t change that, only move forward and learn from our mistakes.” Pryvani responded with every bit of poise and composure as she had previous.

“The things I said to her, damn…just…damn.” Darren insisted on tormenting himself over it, despite Pryvani’s attempt to assure him he needn’t.

Pryvani simply shrugged this time and continued to snap off a few blades of grass by twirling them with her finger.

“Nothing gets under your skin eh? Nothing fazes you, ya don’t get mad often, do ya?” Darren chuckled, finding himself suddenly bombarded under a heavy rain of pulled grass.

“I like to think I’m mortal, like everyone else.” Pryvani said with a bit of a clever smile.

“Ya know how many people I’ve told that story to? Every one of them either screamed at me or slapped me silly,” Darren pointed out with amusement.

Pryvani raised a brow and looked down to Darren. “Would it make you feel better if I slapped you?” Asked Pryvani, in a tone that Darren couldn’t quite be sure was sarcastic or not.

“No thank you ma’am.” Darren said quickly.

“Alright then, so, what happened next?” Pryvani asked, as she did so she turned about onto her belly with a fluid quick motion that caused Darren to back up just a little. It didn’t matter how used to it he was, Titans were damn big.

“Right, back to the story.”