Bedra dug through her pocket for the small access card required to unlock her apartment, on her shoulder sat Degu who was leisurely straddling her shoulder whole facing her neck.

“So, can I?” Degu asked once more, he had that certain soft and approachable voice he only took up when he was trying to butter Bedra up for something he wanted.

“I never said no, if you want to learn Dee, I’d be glad to teach you.” Bedra said, pulling her card out through a tangle of mess in her pocket. “Just never thought you’d ever have any interest in reading.” Bedra caught herself and bit her tongue, she smiled and peeked down on Degu. “Not that I don’t think you can’t…I bet you’ll be a fast learner…just was saying I didn’t think you cared much for that…kind of stuff.” Bedra sighed, she picked up the sneaking suspicion that her fumbled attempts to pull her foot from out her mouth had only lodged it up all the more.

“I want to, will you teach me?” Degu seemed to either ignore Bedra’s awkward and unintentionally condescension, or outright not understand it.

“Of course Dee, I’d be glad to.” Bedra smiled and carefully reached out to pluck Degu from his perch.

“Hey remember what you said!” Degu protested as Bedra’s fingers wrapped themselves around his fit bare chested frame.

“Sorry.” Bedra grimaced and set Degu back in his place. “Degu, would you mind stepping onto my hand?” Bedra asked apologetically.

“Ok!” Degu responded in a thoughtful voice. Once Bedra offered up her palm Degu hopped right on.

“Thanks.” Bedra nodded and brought Degu before her face. “I have an early years reading program Eyrn used when she was just getting started. You know, when she comes back maybe you two can study together?” Bedra sighed softly, that of course was ‘if’ she came back at all.

“I bet I’d be a better reader than her.” Degu challenged, then looked up square into Bedra’s eyes. He had the most pleased and sinister grin on his face. “Oh, I almost forgot! You have to do it!” Degu narrowed his eyes.

Bedra groaned and in a whiny voice protested adamantly. “I didn’t though! I caught myself this time!” The dark skinned redhead argued.

“Nope! I caught you! You have to! You promised!” Degu’s tone grew annoyed.

Bedra nodded and with a solemn face surrendered. “You’re right…but…can we go inside first because I kind of don’t wanna do this out in the hall?” Bedra asked with a desperate tone.

“You said if you forget then you have to do it on the spot where ever we are…you said!” Degu was less annoyed now and more amused.

“Why you gonna play me like that Dee!?” Bedra laughed and gave her head a shake. “Alright, a deal is a deal!” Bedra crouched down and set her hand on the ground for Degu to step off.

Degu hopped off Bedra’s hand gingerly and took a few steps back, watching Bedra as he did.

Bedra lowered herself onto one knee, and balling her left hand into a fist pounded it over her heart and kept it there. She then bowed her head and kept it down, remaining motionless.

“I forgive you!” Degu said at last, with all hint of amusement stripped from his face.

“Thank you.” Bedra whispered and looked up, smiling somewhat bashfully.

“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” Eryn stood arms crossed leaning against the open door frame. She had a bewildered but amused smile on her face.

“Eyrn!” Degu and Bedra said in tandem.

“You look silly! Get off your knee’s, seriously your in the middle of the hallway. People will see you doing this you know!” Tapp grumbled from Eyrn’s shoulder, drawing a chuckle from both Eyrn and Bedra.

“No, you’re not interrupting anything.” Bedra stood, but not before setting her hand down on the ground and asking in a cordial voice. “Care for a ride in Degu?” Which of course Degu gladly accepted.

“Just, kneeling down in the hall…for no good reason then?” Eyrn asked, still confused.

“She was apologizing.” Degu spoke from Bedra’s shoulder.

“Is that how titan’s say sorry?” Eyrn quirked a brow.

“Sort of, not really…kind of.” Bedra rubbed the back of her neck, she still hadn’t made a move inside. “It’s not used very often, but it’s sort of an old style formal gesture of apology. Years ago, and I’m talking generations and generations back, it was traditional to bend your knee and lower your head with your left hand over your heart as a gesture of resource when you did something that was…er…”

“Really bad and stupid!” Degu rang in quickly.

“Insensitive or culturally offensive.” Bedra corrected with a smirk.

“I see.” Eyrn shifted her weight and shook her head. Eyrn looked back at the apartment behind her and then to Bedra and Degu in front of her. Before she could comment however Tapp spoke up sharply.

“Are we just going to stand here like yuppies or are we going to go inside?” Tapp crossed her arms in a huff.

“Right, care to come in?” Eyrn moved out of the way to allow Bedra access to her own apartment.

“That’s a good idea.” Bedra set Degu onto her shoulder and entered the apartment after Eyrn, the door sliding shut behind them.

“So what stupid thing did you do?” Eyrn asked, her voice seemed calm enough, almost too calm for Bedra’s liking.

“She grabbed me with out asking.” Degu spoke before Bedra could so much as open her mouth.

Eyrn raised a brow in curiosity and smirked somewhat. “Is that so?”

“I….” Bedra began, but was cut off once more.

“She said she’d always ask from now on, it’s part of our deal!” Degu said eagerly.

“Deal?” Eyrn asked, with interest.

“Well….” Bedra began.

“It’s stupid, both of them are being stupid.” Tapp grumbled. “Its just silly.”

“Its not stupid!” Degu protested.

“Is too…its a waste of time she should just….”

Bedra sighed audibly, which silenced both bickering humans.

“I’m a little confused, one at a time…Degu, what deal?” Eyrn asked, trying to keep her self from laughing. it was hard to deny that she missed this lot, even Bedra.

“Well, she felt really bad for what happened and was really sad for a few days….” Degu was cut off.

“She was sulking and moping!” Tapp shot in.

“Tapp, let him finish please?” Eyrn asked with a chuckle.

“Fine.”Tapp huffed.

“She felt bad, so we talked a lot and the three of us made up some rules to make things better.” Degu nodded.

“Make things…better?” Eyrn asked suspiciously.

“Its not what you think.” Bedra spoke up quickly. “There…just…” Bedra sighed. “Its like this….”

“She won’t treat us like pets anymore as long as we try not to do anything to put ourselves in danger.” Tapp said impatiently. “Gorram you two take forever to get to the point!”

Eyrn chuckled. “And you think that is a waste of time?” She asked looking to Tapp.

“No! I didn’t say that.” Tapp defended.

“Eyrn…” Bedra sighed and looked to Eyrn softly. “Can we maybe….”

Eyrn looked back and nodded and set her hand next to Tapp. “Tapp, can me and Bedra talk alone for a bit?”

“Why? Got secrets to tell?” Tapp asked suspiciously.

“Never, we just need a minute ok?” Eyrn smiled weakly.

“Fine, too much mushy stuff happening here anyhow.” Tapp shrugged and stepped slowly into Eyrn’s hand.

Once Tapp and Degu were returned to their dwelling, Bedra and Eyrn retreated into the kitchen to talk.

“Where are you going?” Degu asked Tapp, who made her way down the ramp that lead to the ground.

“Where do you think? After them!” Tapp scoffed and gave chase.

Eyrn turned once in the kitchen and leaned up against the center island. No sooner had they entered the kitchen Bedra spoke up, her tone fact and clumsy.

“Eyrn look, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, I don’t expect you to believe me or forgive me but I’m sorry. I really messed up, and a lot of people suffered because of me.” Bedra paused, her voice quivered and she choked back the sudden rush of emotion.

Eyrn was silent as she fingered the half eaten wrap she had ordered, between her and Tapp they had only eaten half of the bread wrapped meat sandwich.

“Why did you do it?” Eyrn asked calmly.

Bedra’s chest fluttered and her pulse began to race. “I wasn’t thinking. I saw Aisell in the ring and I lost track of my senses.” Bedra looked down and away from Eyrn.

“Heh.” Eyrn stiffed a laugh as she pulled a piece of white meat out of the wrap, then dropped it into the foil tray. “I can believe it.” Eyrn said simply, her tone doing little to betray her true feelings.

“I….”

“I wanted to hit you, so badly.” Eyrn said frankly. “Still kind of do.” Eyrn eyed Bedra, who judging by her facial expression had likely heard from her sister Derna of Eyrn’s exploits aboard the Gyfjon.

“Eyrn I can’t express enough how sorry I am. I shouldn’t of left them there, I should never have let them out of my sight. But I did, and the worst happened.”

“Bedra….”

“When I learned what happened…to Darren and Tapp…Eyrn I just wanted to die. I wished it had been me. But do you know what the worst part was? Eyrn I had to beg them to pull Tapp out of that monsters stomach. She was alive and they were just going to let her die.” Bedra surrendered to her tears, and wiped her eyes roughly. “They were just going to let her die Eyrn.” Bedra whimpered, looking back to Eyrn at last.

Eyrn was silent, the look in Bedra’s eyes was unquestionably sincere, if not a bit tortured. Eyrn was sure Bedra hadn’t let herself forget what she was responsible for, not even for a minute.

“Darren deserves to be commended, not punished.” Bedra spoke, her voice shaking.

“He’s out of the frying pan…but he still has a hard road ahead.” Eyrn said softly.

“I’m so glad they didn’t kill him. Will he be coming home soon?” Bedra asked eagerly.

Eyrn just shook her head.

“Oh.” Bedra looked away.

“I was forced to surrender him to the HoS…and I was banned from ‘owning’ class 2 sentients.” Eyrn spoke, the spite and ire in her voice coming out for a moment.

“That’s terrible, why would they go to such extreme measures?” Bedra frowned.

“Well…I kind of didn’t help the cause.” Eyrn grimaced. “Kinda…lost my temper on the judge.”

Bedra winced. “I don’t think anyone can blame you. This whole thing is just ludicrous.” Bedra frowned and wrung her hands together.

“That’s putting it lightly.” Eyrn sighed.

“I…really am sorry.” Bedra said in earnest.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.” Eyrn stated simply.

“No, you are. I already apologized to both Degu and Tapp…and when I see Darren again I will to him as well. But I let you down too.”

“I might have thought so before, but Tapp and a few others made me realize a few things. We didn’t let them down, the whole system let them down. The whole titan empire let them down Bedra and it didn’t just happen in Rutger in that night club either. We’ve been letting them down for generations. Since the first time a titan set foot on earth and changed the course of their history. Since we enslaved them, beat them down and degraded them. You made a mistake, Tapp made a poor decision, but none of that would have happened if the whole system wasn’t fucked up to start with.” Eyrn spoke with a calm ferocity.

Bedra simply nodded.

“Tapp should have been able to go for a walk, on earth…where she should have been born on. She should never have been bought, dolled up like a french poodle and forced to sing and dance and impress anyone. She should have gone to school, met someone and started a family…or traveled the world, or what ever! She should never have even been here…and even still Bedra, she should have been able to go for a walk in that night club with out taking her own life into her hands.” Eyrn looked to the door, where she had seen Tapp standing for some time.

Bedra looked over too, and clasped her hand over her mouth. She had not been aware Tapp was eavesdropping as Eyrn was. “Tapp….”

Tapp looked at the two titan’s, her face expressed confusion but was soft and thoughtful.

Eyrn looked back to Bedra and closed the gap between them. “Don’t apologize, I don’t need that, they don’t need that.” Eyrn looked Bedra square in the face and narrowed her eyes in thought.

“W…what can I do then?” Bedra asked softly.

“Help us.” Tapp spoke, she had been closing the gap between her and the titan’s since they spotted her.

It was an intimidating and monumental sight, watching both titan’s looking down as she closed the gap. From such a low angle they looked positively terrifying. Bedra and Eyrn stretched up into the sky impossibly huge and endlessly vast.

Both remained silent, still and listened.

“Don’t make it into a game, don’t patronize us and don’t feel sorry for us. Just help us.” Tapp kept walking until she was in-between Bedra and Eyrn, standing beside their feet looking up.

“Of…of course. Tapp you know I will…anything you need.” Bedra stammered.

“Not titan help…help help.” Tapp rolled her eyes.

“I don’t understand….”

“They don’t need a master, they need a friend.” Eyrn half smiled.

Bedra looked to Eyrn, then down to Tapp, and very slowly lowered herself to her knees, setting her hands atop her thighs.

“Tapp, can I be honest with you?” Bedra asked softly.

Tapp nodded.

Bedra looked up, catching movement out of the corner of her eye. Scurrying out from behind the garbage receptacle was Degu, trying to hide.

“Dee, you can come out too…this involves you.” Bedra spoke, mildly amused.

Tapp rolled her eyes and subtly slapped Degu aside the head once he approached.

“I told you it was stupid to hide!” Tapp grumbled.

Degu rubbed his head and shoot a disgruntled look back at Tapp.

Bedra shook her head adoring and sighed waiting for both humans to settle before continuing.

“I’m not going to lie, this isn’t going to be easy for me guys.” Bedra began.

Tapp and Degu now gave Bedra their complete and undivided attention.

“This place…this world I mean, it’s a terrifying place. I just want to protect you from it all, even if that isn’t what you really need me to do. But, I don’t want to be your master. I saw what masters…owners do…how they treat their ‘pets’. I don’t want that…ever. I never want you to look at me like that. I want to be your friend…I want to help you…I don’t know where this will lead, and I won’t be perfect…”

Degu frowned and spoke up. “You’re not gonna make us go are you?”

Bedra shook her head. “Never, I’d never do that. You can stay here with me as long as you want.” Bedra smiled.

“But…we CAN go….if we choose?” Tapp asked with a raised brow.

Bedra nodded.

“Where would we go? What would we do? I don’t wanna go.” Degu said firmly.

“She isn’t saying we have to, she is saying we can dumb-dumb.” Tapp rolled her eyes.

“I’m just saying there isn’t anywhere we can go if we wanted to!” Degu argued.

“Well duh, but if there was she’s saying we can!” Tapp raised her voice.

“I know that! But there isn’t, and she’s nice so why would we want to go!?” Degu shouted back.

“Maybe to get away from you!” Tapp glared and stomped her feet.

“Oh don’t let me stop you!” Degu stuck his tongue out.

Tapp swiftly nabbed Degu’s tongue with her fingers and pulled at it. “Don’t stick that thing out at me unless you want to lose it!” Tapp spoke with a grin.

“Leggo!” Degu mumbled.

Tapp let go and then wiped her hand on Degu’s pants. “You slobbered on me!”

“Your own fault!” Degu teased.

Bedra chuckled and looked up to Eyrn, who set her hand on Bedra’s shoulder.

“I don’t know if I’m gonna be good at this Eyrn.” Bedra winced.

“You’ll do fine, I’ll help.” Eyrn smiled.

“Thanks.” Bedra smiled, she felt Eyrn squeeze her shoulder gently. “So…are we good?” Bedra asked nervously.

“Getting there…mostly though.” Eyrn winked, then looked down at the bickering humans.

“No! No eww no! Stop it! Bedra make him stop! He’s trying to lick me!” Tapp slapped the air and backed away from Degu, who was sticking his tongue out and approaching her menacingly.

“She started it!” Degu grinned.

Bedra stood and shrugged.

“Not gonna help her?” Eyrn asked with a laugh.

“Independence is a rough road Eyrn…a rough road.” Bedra grinned. Nothing said she couldn’t at least have some fun while she was at it.