[She only looks at him at first question, bemused. Yes. Them. What he says after strikes a chord. Riley can only shrug and glance away from him.] I've outstayed my welcome. The stars just haven't caught on yet.
[Riley's brows knit together. She saw some strange things while asleep; the kind of things that make her wonder if she ever truly woke up.] You think we're still asleep in there?
Well... [ he glances around like someone might be listening in on them. mostly because he figures they must be. ] It makes it real easy to go along with this when all our loved ones are in here, "asleep," right.
[ he does the air quotes and everything. ]
What if I told you I saw something before I died that could reanimate corpses? Maybe even... bring them up to basic sentience again. [ he expects her to just think he's a crazy old man, honestly. but that's fine - he tried. ]
[Riley does consider for a long moment that he is insane. At least some of what he says rings true. They brought a pair of kids she risked her plan for. It's the same for all of them.
She had been on death's door when the storm caught up to her at her family's gravestone.] Before I woke up here, I'd ask if you forgot your meds again.
[Fair warning and all.] I was bleeding out before the Storm hit. [Which is her way of saying go on.]
[Her lips curve up into something close to a smile. That's the one thing she's heard that doesn't sound crazy.] That I could believe. I've played dead before.
[Riley nods because their part in this has always been sketchy. The reasons she keeps playing along are right here though. The only way to stop is to do the one thing she thinks Carly would never forgive her for. She's here for better or worse.] They got in the way of my plan.
[To die. There's no need to get into that now.] What else can we do? I don't see a way out.
[ he strokes a hand along his stubbled jaw and shakes his head. ]
There's always a way out... [ but suicide pact is a little grim, even for him. ] But you're right, for now we're stuck, ain't we? I guess I've been trapped worse places.
[She gives him a firm look after out. Riley doesn't want to go there. It's already enough that the memory of Carly has to hold back that urge.] We can move...
[Riley corrects herself.] I can move if I actually wanted to. That's something.
Yeah, well, go ahead. No one's stoppin' you. I'll even offer to babysit.
[ whether they knew it or not, miller was watching after everyone in this room after the mass exodus to the planet. he's not about to leave anyone behind, not again. ]
[Riley gives him a onceover. God Maria and the boy would be so screwed if this guy was their protector.] Remind me to get you something sturdy if I do.
[ he snorts plainly at the dig, not concerned about what she thinks of him. it's typical of an earther, to insult a belter's physiology, the way it's different. that they can't sustain the things an earther can just by breathing. though he may oppose the extremists of his people, miller is a belter through and through. he's never denied it. ]
There you go. Because you're your own person, right? You make your own decisions. What, do you want a medal?
[ when miller levels her with his stare, he realizes his mistake. this woman isn't criticizing him, but herself. he sees something familiar in her he didn't pick up on before. ]
I'm more substantial than I look. [ at least, for a man with hollow bones. ]
[She lets it roll off her. Riley exists in a state of comfortable numbness. She doesn't need anyone to understand what she's saying or thinking for that matter. Still it's nice when he seems to get it. She might need that babysitter one day.] I guess I shouldn't talk. I didn't always look like this. It didn't hold me back when it counted.
[Taking out a corrupt cop with a metal object and a ton of anger was a fine moment for her. Truthfully she was only a little thicker than he was at the time.]
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That's one way of lookin' at it. I'm still not convinced this is all really happening... as lame as that probably sounds.
[ he scratches at an eyebrow, suddenly sounding even more tired than he looks. ]
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[She gestures to the pods.]
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That's an interesting theory, but... Guess we won't know until we wake up again, huh?
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[ he does the air quotes and everything. ]
What if I told you I saw something before I died that could reanimate corpses? Maybe even... bring them up to basic sentience again. [ he expects her to just think he's a crazy old man, honestly. but that's fine - he tried. ]
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She had been on death's door when the storm caught up to her at her family's gravestone.] Before I woke up here, I'd ask if you forgot your meds again.
[Fair warning and all.] I was bleeding out before the Storm hit. [Which is her way of saying go on.]
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What if these Natha characters aren't as gone as everyone says they are?
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[She didn't know what she was doing then.]
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It's just awful convenient that we remember negotiating with them, right? And they're nowhere to be found.
Don't know why I would do that anyway- I liked bein' dead, personally.
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[To die. There's no need to get into that now.] What else can we do? I don't see a way out.
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[ he strokes a hand along his stubbled jaw and shakes his head. ]
There's always a way out... [ but suicide pact is a little grim, even for him. ] But you're right, for now we're stuck, ain't we? I guess I've been trapped worse places.
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[Riley corrects herself.] I can move if I actually wanted to. That's something.
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Yeah, well, go ahead. No one's stoppin' you. I'll even offer to babysit.
[ whether they knew it or not, miller was watching after everyone in this room after the mass exodus to the planet. he's not about to leave anyone behind, not again. ]
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[She tacks on:] I'm not really up for the waking.
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There you go. Because you're your own person, right? You make your own decisions. What, do you want a medal?
[ when miller levels her with his stare, he realizes his mistake. this woman isn't criticizing him, but herself. he sees something familiar in her he didn't pick up on before. ]
I'm more substantial than I look. [ at least, for a man with hollow bones. ]
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[Taking out a corrupt cop with a metal object and a ton of anger was a fine moment for her. Truthfully she was only a little thicker than he was at the time.]
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I'm pretty spry for a dead guy, so. [ he's doing just FINE thanks for asking!!!! ]