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[circumitus]

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CODE   🔋 12:01 AM

REY

REGISTERED
"Rey."

ADDRESS
House 1401

MESSAGE
"not here right now.
leave a message. will get back to you soon. probably."

TEXT

CALL

VIDEO

NOTE: As of 12/2016, Rey has adopted the alias "Fiona Stransky" when working with the Guard. Something to keep in mind, as Rey maintains a low profile with her involvement in the group. Other than what is mentioned in the Guard records, there is no trace of a "Fiona" identified on the network.

Comments

[circumitus]

[While he doesn't necessarily have to, Rey can respect the fact that Firo isn't over there trying to proclaim his innocence. He doesn't seem like the type who would, anyway.]

Then what sort of thing landed you on that island?

[She pauses, realizing that that is a bit of an invasive question.]

...Sorry. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.

[foundafamily]

Nah, it's fine. I'm the one who brought it up.

It's kind of a long story, but, uh... Well, a friend was in a bad situation a while ago and did some stuff she wouldn't normally do. So I struck a deal with the feds so that they wouldn't go after her for it.

[circumitus]

[Funny how "do stuff she wouldn't normally do" is a phrase Rey is all too familiar with.]

That's really kind of you. She must be a good friend.

[foundafamily]

N-no, not really...

[He's not a kind person, and he knows that. That was just something he had to do.

More firmly:]

She's family.

[circumitus]

[In Rey's experience, just because they're family doesn't mean you're obligated to do anything for them, or expect anything in return. So, from where she's standing, Firo is pretty damned kind.]

Ah.

[She pauses.]

That explains some things.

[foundafamily]

Exactly.

[He calms a little, because it at least sounds to him like she gets it.]

It's just what you do.

[circumitus]

[It certainly explains why Firo backed down so easily when Rey had mentioned having family in this place, too. Or people who she considers like family. So, she gets it.]

Yes, well. It isn't what everyone would do. Even if it's for family.

[foundafamily]

[Very firmly:]

Then their family deserves better. Actually, then I'd say they're not even family.

[circumitus]

[Despite the sincerity of Firo's response, Rey makes a tiny sound that's almost a laugh.]

Funny. That's something my brother would say. Or... he did say.

[All the more reason you'd like him, Firo.]

[foundafamily]

It's not--

[Firo's about to be offended, but he softens when she mentions her brother. That means she's not being dismissive, right? He finds himself smiling a little.]

Then it sounds like your brother's a pretty good guy. You guys look out for each other?

[circumitus]

Yes, he is good.

[Better than her, as far as she is concerned, and someone more worth protecting. Fortunately, that isn't a can of emotional worms that Rey is going to open right now.]

We do look out for each other, I think. He was there for me when things were... rough, for a few years. Even though he didn't have to be. Appreciate him a lot for it.

[foundafamily]

Of course he had to be, he's your brother.

But that doesn't mean he's worth any less, of course.

[Plenty of people would cut and run.]

[circumitus]

Of course.

[If it's one thing Rey would never argue on, it's her brother's worth.]

Just never really had a nice idea of "family" before. Not until these last few years. Didn't think it was even possible to have a brother.

[foundafamily]

You mean you never saw other people with brothers..?

[That seems awfully weird to him, having grown up with a set in a neighborhood where families tended to be large. He and his mom were the odd ones out.]

[circumitus]

[What- oh.]

No, that isn't... [Sigh.] What I meant was, I'd never really had a family before. Not a great idea of one, anyway.

[foundafamily]

[Firo thinks he understands this too. He'd seen happy families in movies and stuff, but he never thought one would be his no matter how much he wished for it.]

Oh, I get it. But you still wound up gettin' one anyway, huh?

[Isn't that lucky?]

[circumitus]

It would seem so. [She's quiet for a moment.] Suppose that's what we were in this other reality where Carlisle and Muscovy came from, too.

[Although she was reluctant to ever say anything about it, she feels like it's something worth addressing.]

[foundafamily]

Yeah...

Did you understand any of that?

[circumitus]

Not really.

[Pause.] Well, yes.

Suppose if any of this can happen, it isn't impossible. Muscovy seemed to know things about me that I haven't told anyone else here, so that information had to have come from somewhere.

[foundafamily]

Same here.

[Embarrassing things. That's stuff he definitely wouldn't have let get out to someone he wasn't close with.]

It makes it easier to believe, even if all the stuff about the ship is pretty far-fetched.

...Then again, I don't really know any kids who could cook up a crazy story like that.

[circumitus]

[She was wondering if it'd be the same case with Firo. At least she can confirm that much.]

It isn't too outrageous as you'd think. People were able to land on the moon at one point. Though we didn't quite get to space travel.

[When you've got a sentient quantum AI that thinks propagating to other frontiers is a disastrous outcome, that endeavor didn't end very well for anyone involved.]

[foundafamily]

The moon?

[That's just crazy, right? It's so far! But that's not the point.]

Okay, so I guess he was tellin' the truth about all that too.

You think we can ever remember what went on there?

[circumitus]

What, someone already break that news to you?

[And here Rey was hoping she had told Firo something new.]

I don't know if it's possible for us to "remember" things that happened to someone else. Or different versions of us. [Having been different people in different bodies before, that actually isn't such a farfetched concept to her.]

[foundafamily]

Nah. It sounds completely insane to me, but the rest of this stuff is more important right now.

[Any other time, he would've been amazed and skeptical. But Firo's always been pretty good at compartmentalizing when he really tries.

He sighs.]

You're probably right. I just feel kinda bad when he talks about how things 'were' for us.

...He's gotta be lonely like that.

[circumitus]

Fair enough.

[She isn't going to argue over Firo having his priorities straight, at least.]

Probably. He called me his "mother". [Which is still weird no matter how much she thinks about it. Rey's never seen herself as the maternal type, even though she does have a fierce protective streak.]