STATUS REPORT :: @rcvan
There was a bemused smile at Alenko’s list of questions. When he’d been led over to a secluded corner in the crew quarters, he wasn’t expecting this.
“I thought I was the one who was supposed to ask the interview questions on the ship?” he chirped, while thinking about the questions posed to him. Honestly, he was relieved the Lieutenant was the one who started this. Revan, despite making a literal living out of asking perfect strangers invasive questions, had drawn a strange sort of reluctance when it came to his fellow L2.
“Gagarin station… I don’t really recall anything tangible about the place. Just… a feeling of dread and… hunger?” He shook his head. “That’s all, I’m sorry.” He turned curious eyes to Alenko. “We were bunk mates?” He turned over that thought in his head. “Were we close?” Revan hesitated a beat then added, “I feel like I don’t want to upset you. Which is weird because I don’t really care about that sort of thing usually, prerequisite for my job and all… I suppose that’s something too.”
despite the sudden clench in his chest, kaidan immediately offered revan a thin, almost rueful smile. ❝it's okay. that's actually normal. as we continue, you might feel more of those impressions, but like i said, don’t force it. this ...❞ he hesitated. ❝this won’t be easy. jump zero was a mess. we — us, and all the other kids, we were all —❞ the lieutenant broke off, the abrupt tightening of his jaw an obvious indication of control, before the man drew in a deep breath, silent for the moment he stared down at the glowing datapad. we were all messed up kids.
damn. he’d prepared all morning for this, ran half a dozen phantom conversations in his head, each hunted for something that felt close to appeasement yet, found nothing but the scrabbling hope that revan would simply remember. remember him.
❝sorry,❞ came the hoarse apology, before kaidan cleared his throat and straightened in his seat. ❝yeah, we were bunk-mates. when they assigned us our rooms, you’d called top bunk. said you’d enjoy the daily climb.❞ gazing into the eyes of the man he’d once called brother, one corner of kaidan’s mouth tugged up as memory surfaced at FTL speed. ❝y’know, i had no complaints. at least, not after i — heh — saw all the spiderwebs hanging above.❞ although dimmed significantly by the circumstances, kaidan’s grin still featured that same boyish charm from when they were teens.
