I appreciate it. It don't feel right tramping through people's private moments each time this happens.
[His smile back is tight; he doesn't get much comfort from knowing that poor Stacia's in a similar boat when it comes to what surfaces when the powers that be rummage through her memories. In a way, last time this phenomenon was kind to Dan and didn't show him the deaths, the mutilations, but just seeing the faces of the family he saw slaughtered was enough to mess him up inside for weeks.]
Yeah. [Dan's adept at lying, second-nature when it comes to putting on an easy, social face that nobody needs to pay any extra attention to, that no one needs to worry about, but this fails him here. He's very obviously rattled.] It's- it's fine. It's a rough reminder that the Rig ain't exactly a new start.
[You carry your ghosts with you, it seems.
In the memory, the girl blows a raspberry and drinks her lukewarm cocoa. "Can I try your vodka?"
"Ooh, think you might need a better fake ID for that," Dan in the memory says. "So tell me, bookworm, there any parallels between Orpheus and Lot? The biblical story with the pillar of salt? You know that one?"
"There are always parallels because the Bible stole everything- look! There's another one!" She swats his hand and he grins at her. "Stop distracting me, I'm missing all the stars."
The real Dan shrugs and while he isn't covering his eyes or ears anymore, he's also very much not looking at the cutesy scene playing out behind him.]
Don't worry, ah... [He winces at Stacia.] It's fine. That was years ago. That's Ellie, and she don't need me taking care of her anymore.
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[His smile back is tight; he doesn't get much comfort from knowing that poor Stacia's in a similar boat when it comes to what surfaces when the powers that be rummage through her memories. In a way, last time this phenomenon was kind to Dan and didn't show him the deaths, the mutilations, but just seeing the faces of the family he saw slaughtered was enough to mess him up inside for weeks.]
Yeah. [Dan's adept at lying, second-nature when it comes to putting on an easy, social face that nobody needs to pay any extra attention to, that no one needs to worry about, but this fails him here. He's very obviously rattled.] It's- it's fine. It's a rough reminder that the Rig ain't exactly a new start.
[You carry your ghosts with you, it seems.
In the memory, the girl blows a raspberry and drinks her lukewarm cocoa. "Can I try your vodka?"
"Ooh, think you might need a better fake ID for that," Dan in the memory says. "So tell me, bookworm, there any parallels between Orpheus and Lot? The biblical story with the pillar of salt? You know that one?"
"There are always parallels because the Bible stole everything- look! There's another one!" She swats his hand and he grins at her. "Stop distracting me, I'm missing all the stars."
The real Dan shrugs and while he isn't covering his eyes or ears anymore, he's also very much not looking at the cutesy scene playing out behind him.]
Don't worry, ah... [He winces at Stacia.] It's fine. That was years ago. That's Ellie, and she don't need me taking care of her anymore.