23 - And what is the use of a book without pictures or conversation?

[notdreaming]

[ Spam ]

[ For all the time Kara spends in her room, she spends at least an equal amount of time in the Enclosure, soaking up the sun and enjoying the sights. She's very content these days, satisfied with the friends she's made on the barge and the progress Kyle has made toward graduation. Some day soon she will be able to return home, she can feel it.

Those who frequent the pub know where to find their bouncer and amateur drink mixer. She is merciless with troublemakers and any who aren't supposed to be drinking. She can still be found in the library as well, continuing her studies of Terran medicine as well as that of other species. She's always been passionate about learning: it's as natural to her as breathing.

If she's been having bad dreams, it doesn't seem to have dented her mood yet. ]

[ Dreams are in comments! ]

Comments

[notdreaming]

What did you come here for, anyway? Just to practice being almost invisible?

[mercurialize]

Hey, if it was night you'd never be able to find me.

[notdreaming]

I would be able to find you.

[ She grins up at him, so he knows she's teasing. ]

[mercurialize]

[Pffft.]

Yeah, yeah.


Anyways, I just came here to see something other than the barge for a little while. That's all.

[notdreaming]

It's nice to have a change every now and then.

[ She glows in the sunlight, not in any supernatural way, but in the way that relaxation and satisfaction make a person glow. ]

Especially a sunny one.

[mercurialize]

[He gives a half smile.]

Yeah.

[notdreaming]

[ She's quiet for a thoughtful moment. ]

What do you think he expects us to do with all this? With someone else's memories?

[mercurialize]

Torture. Definitely torture.

[He smiles, a silent laugh and shrugs.]

I don't know. Maybe it's an accident.

[notdreaming]

It's a pretty big accident, if that's it.

[mercurialize]

There've been worse.

Why? What do you think this is about?

[notdreaming]

I don't know. This sort of thing...

[ She falls silent for a long time, just staring up at the sky. ]

I think it's important for people to understand each other. But this... I don't think this really does that. It's just taking the worst moments of someone's life out of context and handing it to someone who has no idea what to do with it.

[mercurialize]

[He takes it into consideration, watching her for a moment as he does so.]

Maybe in this case. Maybe it's easy for other people.

[notdreaming]

What about for you?

[mercurialize]

What do you mean?

[notdreaming]

I mean, is it easy for you? Maybe not the fear, but the rest of it?

[mercurialize]

If it wasn't for the fear? I guess so. Death's the same for everyone in the end.

[notdreaming]

I guess you're probably right.

[mercurialize]

[Well, when you put it like that...]

You think it's not?

[notdreaming]

You'd know better than I would. I've only died once.

[mercurialize]

I didn't ask what you know, I asked what you think.

[notdreaming]

I think that...

[ She curls into a sitting position so that her chin is on her knees. ]

Death is frightening. Absolutes are frightening. Never, forever, all, nothing. I think that fear, and pain, are personal. That you have to want to share it, to give it meaning and context I think a lot of people are going to have trouble sleeping and I don't think most of them will have really learned anything new.

[mercurialize]

[He's not sure he agrees with all of it, but there is some truth in what she's saying.]

Do you know whose dreams you've seen?

[notdreaming]

Some of them. I remember Jean. And a lot of just... war.

[mercurialize]

Well, there is a lot of death in war.

Guess that might teach you something, if you've never seen it.

[notdreaming]

We're taught about it in school. Krypton's dark past.