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Does not incldue side stories.", "count": "65", "submission_left_submission_id": "1496854", "submission_left_file_name": "2119237_TerraMGP_by_necessity_priorities_part_1.doc", "submission_right_submission_id": "1448634", "submission_right_file_name": "2046169_TerraMGP_scars.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/2046/2046169_TerraMGP_scars.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/2046/2046169_TerraMGP_scars.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2046/2046169_TerraMGP_scars.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "I had quite a bit to say, but that would be spoiling. \n\nI'm going to rest my hand now. Hopefully can keep this streak going later.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "I had quite a bit to say, but that would be spoiling.

I'm going to rest my hand now. Hopefully can keep this streak going later.", "writing": "Time\n\nBy TerraMGP\n\n\t``Hey, uh, excuse me. Hey.''\n\n\tBrinna blinked as she glanced away from her show and looked up at the source of the voice.\n\n\t``Hey you know where the Muller building is?''\n\n\tBrinna pointed to the building directly behind her and sighed. The man who'd asked her, an eager young coyote, nodded as he darted off into it with little more than a barely audible `thanks'.\n\n\tShe nodded and glanced back down at her hands, taking a moment to gaze over her shoulder for just an instant. Watching him run up to the door and dart in to the building utterly unaware that every one of Mr. Muller's students was out here on break, and the man himself locked up in his office for at least another hour.\n\n\tAs much as she hated herself for it, Brinna couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at how scrawny he was. Not that it was her business, and not that toned wasn't her type anyways.\n\n\tThe past four months had not been what she expected. She was out a month, bottoming out all of her stored sick days. The only reason she got in at all was because her parents `found' the money to get her to a therapist. She knew where it came from. She'd tried to get them to use it to help with the bills, too. When it was clear the creds were blown on sessions already Brinna had no choice but to participate. Though at least Dr. Naomi was pretty nice. \n\n\tBeing behind was a setback, but considering the workload was standardized and Class III schools almost universally got borderline joke curriculums it only took her about a week of pushing to get caught up. That part was actually pretty nice, since it meant she technically stayed top honors student. Fortunately without the speech.\n\n\tExcept that didn't seem to matter, Right as she got on stage to have her diploma cylinder handed to her The holo systems for the ceremony made some big blaring announcement along with her graduation about her getting accepted into an apprenticeship With Jean Luc Muller. An apprenticeship she had not applied for, nor did she have the normal credentials to qualify for.\n\n\tWhich could only mean one thing. Gene.\n\n\tNo, not Gene. She had to stop thinking of him that way. She was trying to stop. It was starting to get annoying how half a year of online flirting and going though dates had her this hooked on a guy who wasn't even who he said he was. Admittedly he didn't have the worst reason to lie. No, that was just backsliding, and Brinna had gone over everything about backsliding with Dr. Naomi at least once a session. That's why she was here. No matter what he tried doing to `win' her back, she wasn't a prize. She could not be bought. At least not the way he was trying. Not without her consent.\n\n\tIt was an odd thought for someone in her sanding. It filled her with strength and resolve. A real determination to take agency over her life. Gods that thought made her feel so uncomfortable. It was a chance to live her dream though, and more to the point it was a chance to help drag her parents in to something better. That was if she could cut it.\n\n\t``Oh hey there.'' She looked up quickly. A familiar baritone hit her ears and within moments she was turned towards it and looking up. Unfortunately this just got her a quick fateful of sunlight and a few spots in her eyes. She glanced back again aquatinting to see if her ears had lied to her. That shameful eagerness evaporating as She saw a young koala in dreadlocks and a button-covered jean vest strolling out of the sunlight. \n\n\t``Hey, Sorry if I'm bugging you lil lady but I was just wondering if you'd like to head over to ZX for some coffee, maybe a sense dive or some hookah or something?''\n\n\t``Well no I'' She reached up to grip the little crystal. Instead all she felt was the wrought iron Brigids charm now hanging from a simple chain around her neck. ``I have a... boyfriend. Sorry.'' She sighed. It was a lie. Honestly it was a few lies, since it took her a moment to fully shake off that what she was gripping was the little bit of scrap iron.\n\n\t``Gosh darn it.'' Brinna groaned ``I need to try getting in to Dr. Naomi sooner.''\n\n--------------------\n\n\t``Sir Sean, Sir Sean! A voice called from the edge of the lift. A lanky golden-furred bunny rushing out of it and darting up behind the bear. ``Might I have a word with you, please?''\n\n\tSean sighed. He took a nice deep breath and turned to face the approaching man in the overpriced five grand suit. ``Ok First, it's not `Sir Sean. You're not my slave, I'm not an Avalon mech knight. Just `Sean'. Or Mr. O'Brian. Ok? Uh.''\n\n\t``Roy, Sir. I mean Sean, I mean Mr. O'Brian'' he muttered quickly\n\n\t``Ok. Roy. Calm down. Just tell me what you need. Ok? I'm not really in the best of moods today.'' \n\n\tThe rabbit nodded hard enough to almost knock his glasses off. That damn smile never leaving his lips. ``Oh naturally, Mr. O'Brian. I understand. Well it's just I have the representatives from the military's exploratory division here. They wanted to know if you'd had a chance to look at their new concept request. \n\n\t\n\n\t``New concept.'' Sean sighed. ``You mean the `hypno-grenade'?''\n\n\t``Yeah! That's the one, Sir. I mean Mr. O'Brian. I told em I was sure you'd looked at it. I mean it's a great idea, right Sir?''\n\n\tThe bear took another calming breath and shoved his glasses up his nose. He very slowly and very carefully put his hands on either side of the mans shoulders and just looked at him for a long moment over the dregs of those rims. Oddly, Roy seemed unphased.\n\n\t``I'm going to spell it out for you, Roy.'' Sean said wearily ``Because this has been a really bad year for me. I just missed my G-, Missed a really important graduation a couple weeks ago and I am in a bad mood. So forgive me. I may get a bit blunt when I tell you why this is the stupidest idea ever.''\n\n\tRoy went to move, and Sean stopped him. A rather troubling smile starting to cross his muzzle. ``No no, Roy. See I told you I'm going to tell you why this is the stupidest idea possible. And when I'm done telling you that, in detail. You're going to go to those Generals and bean counters and everyone else all sitting in that nice meeting room. And you're going to tell `them' why this is the stupidest idea ever. Ya follow me, Roy?''\n\n\tRoy just nodded and started to fidget with the small holo projection emitter implanted into the back of his left hand.\n\n\t``Good. Now then. The first thing to note. Nanomachines need power in order to work. Do you understand that, Roy? Do you understand Engineering here in our little Engineering team? It's one thing to use claytronic components because you can give them a shared power source or charge. Or you can have them move short distances in a safe, stable, sterile environment. Well, I'm sorry to say, guess what you won't find outside on a frontier world without any sort of lab conditions?''\n\n\t``I, think I understand, Sir. I think I can go tell them-''\n\n\t``Oh nononononononooooo Roy. See that's just the first issue. Because in theory you could, with enough of these things, end up keeping a charge. But then you have to remember that these machines are fragile. Again that's why we have the delivery systems we do. Like when we want to integrate your jack, or your little projector, or you want to integrate some new cloned tissue into that lil package of yours for the Mrs. At home. It is Mrs., right Roy?''\n\n\t``Um, yes sir.'' he said swallowing hard\n\n\t``Right. Now see they work fine in a hypo. Or heck you can even slather em all over the target area in some cases. Those little buggers are hard workers. But you know what you can't do Roy? You can't shoot them. You can't fire them out of a gun, Roy. You can't throw them like a rugby ball or spray them out of a hose. Can't dust em out of a crop drone either, Roy. But most of all'' Sean said. His psychotic grin souring. ``You can't fucking pepper them into an explosion! If you sneeze too hard on a puddle of these things it'll obliterate half of them. Any kinetic force needed to spray them up into the air and `infect' the targets is either going to damage the little nanos to the point where they don't work. Or end up cutting them off from power too long so they die. Or you have the edge on a coin flip scenario. A few of them survive and swarm in. And I do mean a few. Maybe like twenty. If you're lucky that many machines might give someone a very mild case of disphoria for about a week. Not a week from when the weapon is used, mind you. Just. Within the next few months they might need some meds or counseling. \n\n\tAll this time as Sean spoke he slowly backed Roy towards one of the windows. Eyes locked on his subordinate. That odd and condescendingly chipper tone never wavering. ``So really what you've done is spend ten times the amount of a shock or stunball grenade on a cloud of dead machines that might, might make a few of the targets who got away sad for a few days in the coming months. Because, you know, their families being taken or killed didn't do that same thing.''\n\n\t``Mr. O'Brian, s-sir? I... I think I get it. Can I please get up now?'' He whined.\n\n\t``Oh no, Roy. Not yet. Because you see there is one more factor here. And it's the most important one of all. Now I want you to pay really close attention. Because this is the big one.'' he spun Roy around and all but pushed him against the window. The poor man able to see the sheer drop dozens of stories down. ``Look out there, Roy. You see it? The gravity ring? That big spinny ring that keeps going around and helps ensure station gravity works and we all live? You familiar, Roy?'' \n\n\t``Yessir'' Roy yelped\n\n\t``Good. You know, there are people out there, Roy. Lots of people. Living in old construction and maintenance towns. Half of them out of work and half the remainder in gangs. Fighting, killing, horrible stuff there Roy.'' he sighed ``That whole ring? That's a third of the stations destitute population. A third. Keep in mind it's a ring big enough to meet a huge bulk of our gravity needs all on its own there, Roy. And we aren't a small station are we? No.'' They both shook their heads, though Roy seemed to do so more out of terror, worried about any sort of reprisal he may meet.\n\n\t``Now keep in mind, Roy, that I said destitute population. People. That's not even counting the slaves around here. Or the breeding programs that churn out more. Now granted I'd say the bulk of what we produce gets shipped elsewhere, Roy. But on the other hand maybe the Exploratory fleet can calm it the fuck down a bit. Maybe they don't really need a way to knock out a whole village in one shot. Maybe, just maybe, they might do better dialing it back on raiding the dwindling number of pre-split colonies out there they can find and instead focusing on our actual defense? Get me?'' Sean asked as he looked the man in the eye, staring him down, jaw gritted so hard it seemed it may crack.\n\n\t``Do I understand now, Sir?'' Roy asked meekly as he shrank back as best as he could.\n\n\tSean sighed and nodded, pulling back and letting the man up. ``Yeah, I think so. Now go make them understand.'' he muttered ``I need to take a long lunch.'' He watched the man run off before slumping against the window and rolling his head back. Gods was he lucky he didn't have a boss. \n\n--------------------\n\n\tAn apprenticeship paid money. It wasn't much money, but it was still something. Most of that ended going right back out to supplies and equipment. Most of the other Apprentices seemed to have no problem with this. After all they were mostly Class II and I. It'd be a twisted parent that didn't pay for their kid to get room and board on a meal ticket like this if money wasn't an issue.\n\n\tThen again that could really just be her poor person perspective on the whole thing.\n\n\tThe assignment of the week was to `improve'. Find five items, copy them, but make them better. Unfortunately at one point in class Mr. Muller decided to point out Brinnas cheap piercing and the necklace she wore Calling them out as `too easy'.\n\n\tNaturally tough, strong, independent new Brinna couldn't exactly let this slight against her personal dignity stand. Not when she was already the underdog. When they'd already singled her out because she was poor and inexperienced and had no real justification for being anywhere near half of the equipment in that shop. It was seriously a miracle the gem wheel hadn't taken off her fingers yet. Or shot her practice stones into someone's head at high speeds. Strong Brinna couldn't let that stand. Independent Brinna couldn't just lay down and take the easy way out to get somewhere. The New Brinna marched headlong into the mall with her HUD on. Pointing her towards the shop her teacher had set as her `challenge'. She walked confidently along with swarms of other people. Better dressed people. People who seemed to stair and point as she walked down to the far end of the cylinder and stopped in front of a `Wyld Nites'.\n\n\tOld Brinna friggen hated New Brinna.\n\n\tThe good news was that the shop remained largely empty. Unfortunately there was a reason for that. Everything from the open door back was nothing but tightly packed prefab racks full of low quality printed junk. Not just any junk though, it was junk with a theme. That theme was the cheapest piercing and kink gear anywhere that had a real storefront.\n\n\tEven poor as she was, Brinna would never set foot in a place like this willingly. Her own peircings were cheap steel polished up by her mom and sterilized in some medical alcohol in the bathroom. Still worlds better than what she saw in here.\n\n\tRight off the bat were the racks of rings and studs. Long lines hung up on cheap cardboard backings and sealed in plastic that started to disintegrate if it got too hot or too cold. They were all bright flashy colors and some of them lit up or changed with mood. There were two markets for this kind of thing, kids and burnouts. Neither really had any money and even the few who did never came near Wyld Nites.\n\n\tShe stepped in further. Slowly and carefully. As if the very air of this place might contaminate her or corrode her lip ring. Things didn't look much better inside. Off the rack leathers that couldn't possibly fit anyone. `crops' that were really just a little bit of stiff cloth on a cheap plastic stick. `stim buttons' about as cheap as a flashlight which had removed all of the little metal wires and components that were meant to boost the sense receptors. Instead? Just a battery hooked to a metal grating plate with a plastic button that didn't push down right from your palm where it was meant to rest.\n\n\tTo be fair, a year ago she might have actually been suckered in by at least some of this. A fairly sheltered girl with a profound lack of taste or awareness might fall for the dirt cheap goods once. Maybe twice with the right pitch. It was actually her first real assignment from her Sir that changed her outlook. She was just a little dweeb, after all. Why not make her study? A nice long report on sex toys. Proofed and graded.\n\n\tShe got an A.\n\n\tIt made her blush.\n\n\t``Gahhhh no. New Brinna, new Brinna'' She muttered to herself as she thumped her forehead into the gap between items. She pulled herself up and looked over the items once more. There were a pair of cheap piercing on a chain, that she could do something with. And a plug, because why not. She looked at the collars. Probably the biggest disappointment in the place. A few colors, but all just basic hard fabric pet collars. Not even slaves. Like for walks around the park. It was almost sad how much better her co-\n\n\tThe poor rodent just sighed and grabbed one of them. ``Three.'' She muttered to herself.\n\n\t``Oh my gawd Zach.''\n\n\tThe sudden voice sent Brinna ducking down behind the crowded aisles. She huddled down mostly out of instinct, not really wishing to heap her social anxiety on top her other building neurosies.\n\n\t``What is it now, Bri'' another voice sighed. A pair of bodies walking by in the next aisle over. Brinna could feel it. That little tingle of unsettling electricity she always felt when someone else as near. Some psychosomatic quiver of her fight or flight perhaps. Not that it mattered. All she knew was she didn't like it.\n\n\t``So did you hear about Club trash? My god they're closing it down.''\n\n\t``Oh they always say that. They just keep threatening to do it so they can charge us more for the drinks..''\n\n\t``Nuh uh. Not this time. The word is someone bought it! Like for way more than It's worth.''\n\n\t``Phhh You kidding me? That place is on the border. Why would anyone buy it? A few gangers and guns to clear it out and someone would just set up a dive den or Start turning tricks.''\n\n\t``Yah, like you'd know about that. Isn't that how you got the new shirt?''\n\n\t``A gentleman never tells. So what. New owner think he's getting new condos or something? Maybe a high class slumlord for the better meatdrones? \n\n\t``That's the weird part. Guys turning it into some kinda science school. I guess he's been doing it all over the place. One of the big shots from the spires.''\n\n\t``Oh, I get it. Tax write off. Shove a bunch of kiddies in an old building with some of the lab stuff our high schools are throwing out and bam, gets to skip a whole bracket.''\n\n\t``Oh there you go again. Like you know anything about taxes.''\n\n\t``Bitch I pay my taxes. I mean when I make some scratch. Ohhh wait. Think this blonde would look good on my girlfriend?\n\n\t``Girlfriend? The Fuck did you get a girlfriend?''\n\n\tBrinna braced herself and just kept her eyes on the exit, listening to the two boys snip at each other. In one fell swoop affirming every shred of hatred she had for this whole chain. She gathered her things in her arms and dashed out of the door, waving her cred chit in front of the quick pay on the way out as the tow boys looked up, along with a half dozen patrons seeing her sprint though the slowly filling mall corridors.\n\n\tShe ducked back into the ladies room and yanked her backpack off of her back. That whole scene she'd made was stupid. All these overwhelming feelings of fear when she got around people were stupid. Brinna started to stuff the dirt cheap sex toys in her backpack and set her HUD for her next destination.\n\n\t``Therapy takes time. It just takes time. That's all.'' Brinna muttered ``I can be independent. I can totally get past all this. I mean what are people going to do, bite me?'' She sighed and slumped down onto the floor as the memories returned. Of that night. The Corpsec. It was just a momentary little jolt. But it was more than enough.\n\n\t``Oh yeah, that.'' She muttered as she pulled her headphones up over her ears and leaned back against the wall of the girls room. She wasn't going anywhere for a while. At least to another two hours to let the evening rush clear.\n\n\tThe dormouse let her eyes slip shut a moment. She tired her best to enjoy the relative quiet and dark she could get away from the crash of fur and flesh just at the other side of the cheap tile wall. When it didn't help she opened up one of her tabs and started up with some Sorrowcore. Her ears started to flood with nice biter echoes and walls of haunting refrains blending and twisting around each other. Sweet and melancholic, not to mention loud enough to drown out the background murmurs and footfalls.\n\n\tAfter a while Brinna resigned herself to being stuck on this relatively placid yet unpleasant smelling island of tranquility. She opened up a news feed and started a search around for local club purchases. If nothing else it sounded like an interesting read. She found the article buried under the small sea of intercorp propaganda and pop culture fluff.\n\n\tIt was a dry read. The opening was nothing but statistics and demographic studies about Class III kids and their access to technical skills or education. I outlined a few of the new technologies that were being developed and even the push by some less popular factions in the company to increase asteroid mining and how important skilled labor was to those endeavors. Spot on to be sure, just dull. \n\n\tThat was until she got past the intro. She looked at the image a long moment. Examined it, studied it. Not that she had to. The mans face was seared into her brain. Sure he was in a suit and his hair more kempt, but it was still the same man. Still Gene, Sean. `Her' Sean. Opening up a huge slew of these new centers in the next two years. The first one scheduled to be opened in her sector.\n\n\tBrinna bopped her head against the wall and gazed up at the ceiling with a sigh. ``Frig my life.''\n\n\t\n\n--------------------\n\n\t``So this is where you're hiding.''\n\n\tSean looked up from the observation window and across the disused old bar room towards the elevator. He'd shed his business attire once more. The stuffy suit and collar swapped for his more comfortable Tee and flannel vest, this time with a pair of jeans. Well worn and covered in all manner machine grease and food stains. ``I wasn't aware I was hiding.'' He laughed as he glanced to his sister.\n\n\t``I wanted you, you weren't around. Therefore you were hiding. Obviously.'' Ilka huffed playfully. ``Now that I found you that means you gotta do what I say, right?''\n\n\t``That's a Leprechaun, sis.'' Sean sighed ``Big brothers, you find them and they give you snacks you aren't supposed to have. That or put you in a headlock. Either or.'' He smirked teasingly and shifted himself away from the window. ``So let me guess, You're here to call in your favor from before? I gotta say I appreciate you taking so long with it. I don't think I've been myself lately.''\n\n\t``How much `not yourself' big brother?'' Ilka quizzed as she leaned back with an arm cast casually behind her. She managed to stop herself just short of slipping and falling on her rump. Not that it didn't make her huff in annoyance.\n\n\t``Nope, sorry. None of those lil nano beauties up here. Not much of anything up here anymore is there?''\n\n\t``Nah.'' Ilka giggled ``It's still empty as ever. Kinda makes me wonder if Mother ever sued it for anything.''\n\n\t``Oh she did.'' Sean nodded ``Way back when. I think I was like, five or so when she stopped. It wasn't quite at the point where she shut herself up all day. I donno maybe it had to do with dad.'' He shrugged a bit and walked over to the broken remnants of a once mighty mahogany bar counter. Rather than walking around Sean hafted himself up belly-first on the counter and flailed his arm around until he managed to snag a bottle of something not-empty. Pulling it up and looking the contents over. ``Gin.'' he sighed ``Because of course it's gin.''\n\n\t``Sean, are you sure you're ok?'' Ilka grumbled ``You never used to drink this much.''\n\n\t``No I did not'' he said casually as he unscrewed he lid, giving the bottle a sniff and shaking his head. Then taking a small belt.\n\n\t``Which is kind of the point. You should really stop. Like now. If you don't it's going to get out of control.''\n\n\tThe bear didn't stop. In fact he drank about half of what the bottle still contained before pulling it from his lips and scraping his tongue against one of his sharper canines. ``Gahh, that's nasty. Why do people make this stuff?'' He screwed the lid back on a half turn and set the bottle on the counter. ``OH no, kid. I'm fine right now. You wanna hear out of control you should have seen me two weeks ago. Flipped out on some poor guy because he wanted me to give input on the stupid weapons the sycophant squad running our military seem to think they need. Grenades with little nanites that temporarily incapacitate anyone who becomes exposed.''\n\n\t``Well yeah that's stupid. All of their ideas are stupid. That's why we hire them. I mean they ask a stupid question you tell them it's a stupid question and give them an answer. Seems simple enough to me.''\n\n\tGene shook his head and walked around the bar this time. ``No way, sis. Not the way I laid into him. Poor guy hit up HR for a transfer out of my team the next day. Got a ticket off station. I didn't even bother looking at where he went just in case he found out and I forced him to haul himself somewhere new again.''\n\n\tIlka giggled loudly at that. ``Ok, no that was great. You should totally do more of that!'' The wolf giggled to herself as she started to pace around slowly. All of the furniture had been removed from the room years ago. Probably before she was born. It left her without a seat. An infuriating prospect to say the least.\n\n\tSean sighed as he pulled out a modestly blue glass bottle with no label and a few fine etchings along he rim. ``Maas.'' He muttered as he popped the bottle open and sniffed curiously ``Really old Maas. Gah. That's a no.''\n\n\t``Big brother.'' Ilka pouted ``I told you to stop drinking right now.'' \n\n\t``You realize you are way too old to be getting away with that, right?'' Sean laughed ``Ahh. Now here we go. Scotch. Lots of scotch. Maybe even good scotch'' he pulled the bottle free and blew the dust off. About half a pint still remaining sloshing slowly in the bottom.\n\n\t``Well at the very least I want to know why you're acting so weird lately.'' Ilka snapped I think I deserve that much after helping you out.''\n\n\t``What, so that's your quid pro quo?'' Gene laughed ``Not even going to save it up? Just use it to demand some answers?''\n\n\t``No, Not just that. I want... I want one of those too!'' she pointed at his shirt pocket.\n\n\t``An Avante bar?'' Gene blinked as he pulled one of the thick plastic wrappers from his pocket. ``Ilka this stuffs like, nothing but artificial cocoa nibs and raspberry flavored anti anxiety meds.''\n\n\t``I know!'' Ilka said with a smirk ``It'd be my favorite snack if the stupid things didn't have a maximum dosage limit.''\n\n\tSean eyed his kid sister just a moment more to make sure she wasn't pulling his leg and then tossed the bar over to her. As she tore happily though the wrapper with her teeth Sean grabbed her around the middle by the fake schoolgirl vest. Hoisting her up and setting the sixteen year old down on the bar. ``There.'' he nodded ``And now you've got a place to sit. \n\n\t``I do indeed.'' She nodded ``So then out with it. What's got you so down? You've always been mister laid back before.''\n\n\t``Seriously?'' Gene snorted ``I hate to break it to you Ilka but nobody in our family knows the meaning of laid back. We are some of the most type A, wired, wound up people on this whole damn station.''\n\n\t``Well we have to be. I mean what about the groundlings?'' Ilka said with complete sincerity as she bit off a nice big hunk of the `candy' and gnawed it happily. Sean really had to wonder how many of the damn things she'd eaten before acquiring a taste.\n\n\t``yeah, well the older you get the more fucked up you realize our whole family tree is. All the trees actually'' he shrugged ``Truth is I thought I found something, someone, who made that all better. Then I go and face plant tight out of the gate.''\n\n\t``Wait you mean that slums girl?'' Ilka asked with a mouth full of candy bar.\n\n\t``Don't, just don't ok? It's hard enough. Don't talk bad about her.'' \n\n\tHe narrowed his eyes and gazed at Ilka a long moment. She looked back a moment and then slumped in defeat. ''Ok, fine. So you have this girl you like, and you don't have her, so you're unhappy. Simple fix then. Go get her.''\n\n\t``it's not that simple Ilka.'' Gene muttered\n\n\t``Sure it is'' She giggled ``I found the cops who hurt her, I can find her if she's hiding. You give me a few more of these bars and I'll be happy to dig her out and let you drag her back home.''\n\n\t``She doesn't want me.'' He growled\n\n\t``And?'' Ilka asked, confused\n\n\t``And this is different. `She' is different.'' Gene sighed ``She's not just some random little trinket I'm picking up to suit my fancy. Not just something cute for me to care for and teach. She's, I don't know, something else'' he growled\n\n\t``Ok so this is another quick fix. Just drag her home and program up a hypo full of-''\n\n\tSean slammed his palm on the counter and looked into Ilkas eyes ``Sis please, try to take this seriously'' he sighed ``I want her as she is, and I want her to want me. Which she doesn't. Because I had to hide who I was just so she'd treat me as a relatively normal person. I have to play King Henry just to make her comfortable enough to try and love me, and then when something goes down and she figures out I'm lying the poor girl is so scared of me that I can't even. I can't even fucking hold her when she needs me'' The tears didn't come. They hadn't. Not for weeks now. Sean choked on his sobs an smashed his palm down o on the counter as he tried to regain his breath. \n\n\t``She got hurt, because I was lax, and I wanted to play normal. Then she gets scared because I lied, and she's not stupid enough to pretend there isn't something going on. Then the kicker. The real icing on the cake. I start to realize that her whole life has been fucked up because of me. Because of us. Her parents couldn't even hold a proper suicide vigil after what happened and keep an eye on her because all we let them do is work and sleep. And I let it happen. I live well because it happens.''\n\n\t``You live well because you're superior'' Ilka corrected ``The machine is what it is. It serves us as it's supposed to. We can't just go ripping out the gears because we feel bad about the wear and tear.''\n\n\tSean almost opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head and sighed. He instead started walking up to the window and put a paw on the glass. His other hand opening the top off of the scotch as he took a hard belt. ``I donno about that sis. Something, something's got to change.'' Gene sighed ``this isn't sustainable. It doesn't work anymore. Hell I don't know if it ever did. The whole station is just set to move in one direction and we have no way to change it if we hit a dead end. I sure as hell don't know what, but something has to pull us out of this mess before it's too late.''\n\n\tIlka watched her brother take another hard sip and nodded a bit. She didn't say anything. Instead just hopping up from her seat and walking over to the window beside him.'' I think It'll be fine, Big brother. You'll see. All sorts of good things are coming our way. You just wait and see.''\n\n\t\n\n--------------------\n\n\tIt was probably a bit unhealthy. Especially with how hard she was tiring to forget Sean in the firs place. The park. It made her feel guilty. It should make her feel guilty. At first she came for the sake of defiance. Hoping he would show up so she could show him just how far she'd gone and how strong she could be. When he didn't show up she kept coming for the nature. It was beautiful in spite of everything else. \n\n\tNow? Well who knew. Habit maybe. A chance to be away from home while she worked? Probably a bit of both mixed in with the nature itself. It was still something of a rare commodity on the station after all.\n\n\tAs she sat down Brinna took a moment to shut her eyes and let the still, silent mix of evening air and birdsong calm her down. She was spiraling. She knew it. The way her doctor described it fit painfully well. Brinna knew she had to be strong. She'd spent so much time since the breakup trying to get herself situated emotionally. Admittedly not helped knowing it was Sean who got her the chance.\n\n\tIt fit the description of making the break less clean. The fact that he kept her hooked with some job she had to take to help her parents. Then there was all the charity work. All of those new science centers going up were going to be just the start. At least that was what the news feeds said. Who could really trust those?\n\n\tIt was rather annoying that every time she looked in to her feed his name popped up again. Or how every time she bowed for him it seemed the newer articles were something charitable he was doing for the lower classes.\n\n\tWell admittedly it was all the same thing, and she did keep checking for new instances of it. But that was just a bit of reaffirmation. It was new Brinna showing new Brinna that she didn't need him. That the relationship was barely out of the nest, and based on toxic layers of emotional blackmail and codependence. \n\n\tBrinna didn't need that in her life. Brinna didn't need anyone.\n\n\tWith that thought still ringing in her ears, the dormouse snagged one of the items out of her bag and began to study it. The chain with the nipple rings. Simple, cheap as hell. Easily room for improvement in almost every way. She took a long moment to look it over. Study it, get a feel for what she wanted torching. Trying to channel the `new form' as Jean Luc would put it. It was, if nothing else, a nice little diversion. So nice in fact that she didn't even notice the figure out of the corner of her eye. Not until the gothy, white furred little bat popped right up before her without warning. A pierced up girl with a thick mop of black and purple hair. \n\n\t``Hey'' the girl nodded as she sat down on the park bench.\n\n\t``Hi.'' Brinna muttered as she scooted to the side. It was hard to not be rude about it. After all it wasn't like she owned the bench. Though it did seem the other girl had a few issues with personal space. Plopping down with at least ten centimeters space from the arm rest. Brinna did her best to make it look like she had an excuse. Shifting herself up a bit more and propping her elbow on the rest as she used her other hand to draw a wire spool out of her pocket. She started to pull out lengths of the fine silvery thread. Getting about five of them and snipping it with the spools built-in crimp before setting it down in her lap.\n\n\t``Ohh, shiny. Whatcha doing there.'' The bat girl, she had to be about fifteen from how scrawny she was, seemed to perk up a bit and tilted her head at the bundle of wire.\n\n\t``Apprenticeship project.'' Brinna shrugged\n\n\t``Jeweler, huh? I kinda thought you guys worked indoors.'' the girl giggled a bit as she stuck the straw of her drink to her lips and took a nice, hard pull. The grating twisting slurp of cheap convenience store frozen drink shattering the soft calm of birds and scurrying creatures. \n\n\tBrinna tucked her head in a bit more and started to look around, If only her Sir would hurry up and... \n\n\t``Oh. Right.'' She muttered softly.\n\n\t``You say something miss Jeweler?'' The bat asked as she leaned up a bit more. Really getting in to Brinnas personal space a slight bit more than she'd like. The dormouse began to wonder if this is what it felt like right before one clocked another person in the face.\n\n\t``No, just thinking out loud I guess. It's quiet out here. It feels, I donno it feels nice. It's just hard to see what I'm doing some times.''\n\n\tThe girl nodded a bit. Mercifully she seemed to take the hint, or maybe just got a bit uncomfortable. Scooting a bit away from Brinna and crossing her leg as she looked out a the park. She did seem to glance back now and then. Apparently fascinated with something. Most likely the silvery strings.\n\n\tBrinna carefully gripped one end of the fine wires in one hand as she started to twist it with the other. Slowly, carefully. She felt the stress starting to melt from her shoulders as she watched each wind moving in over the last. Watching to get the frail and fairylike wire twisted nice and tight into an even little string.\n\n\t``Oh that's neat!'' the bat giggled\n\n\tThe wire went flying out of her hands and on to the ground. Brinna letting out a frustrated sigh and reaching out to nab it. The stuff was really too tarnished and dirty to bother with until she could get her hands on real tools. Instead she drew out the spool again and moved the slider to a thicker gauge. Slowly pulling out a few strands. She held them together a moment and reached into her other pocket, yanking out a few bits of Rainbow topaz she'd already shaped and put on some loops.\n\n\t``Hey what gives?'' The obnoxious girl asked as she slurped her drink again and fiddled with her black and purple plaid skirt. ``Why are you carrying around a bunch of Reactor slag?''\n\n\tBrinna bit her lip a moment and clutched the gems tightly in her hand. Her chest heaved in a few furious breaths and let them go slowly. The placid sensation of `real air' thankfully pulling back the worst of her nerves. ``The assignment is to show off something simple for its beauty. No gold, no major stones, no holo. I as planning on doing a simple necklace with some cut rainbow topaz and a bit of silver chain.'' she noted.\n\n\t``Oh, ok.'' the girl nodded softly. She watched as Brinna pinched the ends of the wire into place and started to slowly braid them. The process was slow and meticulous. One wire moved over top of the others lay flat, then the wires twisted and moved again. It was the kind of strong old pattern people had been using to make rope since time immemorial. Twisting and folding. Twisting and folding. The length of braid growing oh so painfully slowly. Letting her mind fall blank, letting the screaming storms of thought start to abate as she focused on her project. She just had to keep her pace up and stay focused. Let her mind drive out all the nagging little distractions.\n\n\t``Oh wow are you sure you're doing that right?'' The bat asked as she leaned in and very heavily invaded Brinnas personal space. The younger girl snagged the working end of the braid and started to look it over while the dormouse shoved herself back against the park bench and kicking her legs a tiny bit at the sudden sensation of another person being so close. An uncontrollable little squeal echoing from her throat.\n\n\t``Say, um. You ok?'' The bat asked.\n\n\t``Y-yes'' Brinna yelped the word in a tone that showed how very not ok she really was. Those flecked brown eyes wide as saucers and her tail thrashing about behind them like a snake.\n\n\tThe bat twisted and turned the wire around a few moments. Bending and flexing it before dropping the now ruined silver back into Brinnas lap. ``Oh. Uh, sorry, I guess'' the girl muttered as she scooted back a bit more and shook her head. ``You know it may not be my place to say or anything. But don't you guys usually do this stuff at a work bench? You know with tools and clamps and being inside?''\n\n\tBrinna sighed and scooped up the next bit of wasted silver. Shoving it in her pocket. She was going to get the lecture about the reclamation kiln again. Probably have to hand-draw the wire too. ``Yeah. We do work inside.'' Brinna nodded ``I just wanted my bench.'' the less flamboyant rodent muttered.\n\n\t``Your bench?'' The girl tilted her head\n\n\t``My bench.'' Brinna nodded. She said it more to herself. It was stupid. She was stupid. Letting this whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. She was being ridiculous, and she couldn't stop herself.\n\n\t``Look. Sorry I screwed up your junk necklace thingy.'' The bat took another sip of her drink and offered a semi-genuine smile ``But you know what they say. No matter how broken something gets, you can always fix it.''\n\n\t``Who says that?'' Brinna quirked her brow a bit\n\n\t``You know. People. Like, people. Like when Japanese people dump gold in tea kettles or some crap. I unno. People'' \n\n\t``Yeah? Well you can't kintsugi everything.'' Brinna sighed ``Sometimes things are just broken. Sometimes there aren't enough pieces to pick up. Because no matter how many times you think about what could have been, no matter how many times you fall asleep dreaming of what could be or should be, no matter how many times you try to fit the pieces together in your mind, you know that nothing will change. Because he lied to you. Because he thinks he can buy you like everything else. Because he thinks if he gives you a chance to do something you like and he keeps doing stuff to help the poor and throws money all over the place he can buy you back. Which he said he didn't want. So if what he wants is so special then why does he think a job and showing off how much he's changed are going to make a gosh darned bit of difference? How does that make you anything more than just another trophy some spoiled rich brat is upset he can't have? Even if you want him to have it. Even if you go to bed every night wishing you could just give in but that you'd hate yourself if you fell into that kind of trap.'' Brinna gasped and panted. Lungs quaking for air. She Shut her eyes tight as she gripped the hem of her shirt and felt the small droplets of moisture falling from her eyes and onto the shirt itself.\n\n\t``He didn't get you that apprenticeship.''\n\n\tBrinna looked up and tilted her head as she gazed at the bat, now standing. Her posture having shifted considerably. ``What did you say?''\n\n\t``He didn't get you the job. He doesn't know.'' The bat repeated rather insistently\n\n\t``He doesn't... then who did?'' Brinna whined ``Why the heck would anyone Ms. Havisham me? How would you know? Who are you anyways?''\n\n\t``You want him back?'' The only reply the gothy bat gave as she slipped the straw between her lips and gave a slow, judgmental slurp.\n\n\t``No. Yes. I don't know. I don't know him. The real him. How am I supposed to know that he didn't send you?''\n\n\t``Oh my gawds I don't care'' The bat finally groaned ``Look trash necklace. It's not a hard question. You want him? Wanna be his? Then get in there and figure this shit out. Or don't. Not my job to tell you what to do. But seriously just cut it with all the self destructive moralizing bullshit. Is he some kind of horrible unlovable monster?''\n\n\t``No!'' Brinna yelped with far more anger than she had expected\n\n\t``Are you really going to blame the bastard son of the CEO because the company is running the same way it's been running since his great great, like, tons of greats grandpa decided to take a big ass mech and stomp down the oppressors and break off from terra?''\n\n\t``N-no.'' She sighed\n\n\t``Did he send people to your house? Threaten your parents or have you dragged off to be dumped into a training booth? Forcibly implant every shred of love and adoration you have for him until literally all you can think about is making him happy and doing as he commands without a shred of your own emotion remaining? Scooping you up off the street and making you into a hollow puppet using the literal contents of his junk drawer to steal your mind and soul?''\n\n\t``Wait what?'' Brinna blinked\n\n\t``Ok girly now let's just cut right to the chase. Do you love him?''\n\n\t``What? I uh.'' Brinna yelped\n\n\t``Not a hard question, jewelry girl. Do you love him.''\n\n\t``Y-yes!''\n\n\t``Do you blame him for how the company works?''\n\n\t``No?''\n\n\t``Do you really want to be strong?''\n\n\t``Well n-no.''\n\n\t``Independent?''\n\n\t``No.''\n\n\t``Free?''\n\n\t``Heck no!'' Brinna squeaked loudly She quickly slapped a hand over her muzzle\n\n\t``Fucking finally. So then tell me what you want.''\n\n\t``I don't know!'' Brinna announced loudly.\n\n\t``Exactly! Wait dial that back again?'' the strange girl said, her mouth going a bit agape\n\n\t``I mean I want it. I want him. The codependence and the helplessness an the complete and utter obliteration of my stupid independence into him. I want to throw out all of the class struggle and moralizing and guilt and just throw my scrawny, ugly, worthless little body at his feet and hope he takes pity on the offering. I want to be punished and shamed and made to suffer because I am lower than him and I know deep down he could do better. I just want him to take me and pin me down, to look me in the eye, to force that collar around my neck and... and... Golly'' she winced and blushed beet red. Glancing at her feet and pushing her thighs together as hard as she could.''\n\n\t``See, now you're talking sense. So what's the problem?''\n\n\t``Because he still hurt me. He still lied. Because no matter what his reasons I just don't know if I can forgive him for that and try again. I don't know if I'll just end up stuck in resentment trying to force what I want though that impenetrable wall. I can't do that to him. I can't do that to me.'' Brinna bit back a sob as she wiped the messy black bangs from her eyes. Looking up at the strange bat girl as the raw hot emotions of Brinnas heart spilled themselves out with no way to stop them.\n\n\t``Jesus Christ.'' The bat groaned as she gripped the bridge of her muzzle and groaned ``Look, you can either go home and keep doing your little job and keep feeling the way you clearly do until the day you die. Or you can put yourself back under his boot where you know you belong and start the fuck over. But for Gods sake trash necklace just pick one already. Watching you sulk for half a year is just so fucking depressing.''\n\n\tBrinna let out a loud squeak as she nodded, and then blinked again. Her thoughts racing around far faster than she could keep track. She shook her head and watched the bat girl who had already turned heel and started off down the walkway \n\n\t``Hey, wait a second! What the heck do you mean half a year?'' Brinna whimpered and started to stand as the bat girl just walked away, tossing the empty drink over her shoulder as she did. The cup bounced off the rim and landed squarely on the grass, causing the departing goth girl to wince in mild frustration.\n\n\tBrinna bent down to pick it up, stopping as her HUD flashed a message. ``Just remember, don't break his heart. Or else.''\n\n\tShe looked up to see where the goth had gone Yet in spite of the lack of tree cover and the open fields, the girl had utterly vanished. It was official. She needed to call Dr. Naomi.\n\n--------------------\n\n\tConsidering the size and position of the Thaneson suites, one would likely expect something more grandiose as a master bedroom. It wasn't small, certainly. About six meters square with doors leading to the master bath and the overly-big walk in. Yet there wasn't really anything flashy or interesting about it. The walls were kept bare composite unlike those resting in his main hall. The bed a simple foam rectangle adorned with cotton sheets. High quality to be sure, but a pittance compared to many with even a fraction of his income. Since he'd barred the maids from his chambers the place had gotten a bit cluttered as well. Much of it was that way to begin with. Racks and rows of bondage gear and furniture shoved in with partially finished project vehicles and tubs of assorted miscellany nobody dared go though. \n\n\tSean sat up in bed and leaned over to take a whiff of himself. It started to click that the room itself wasn't the only problem. He considered getting a bath going. Thought of forcing himself in the tub and letting the hot water and jets peel off some of the funk he'd been building up. That'd take effort. He thought about maybe getting one or two of his pets to bathe him. Unsurprisingly the idea left him just borderline ambivalent.\n\n\tThe door slid open. It took the groggy bear a good deal of time to fully react. He watched one of his maids walking in. Sita, one of his co-head maids. In reality one of the only two maids with genuine training.\n\n\t``Good morning, Master Sean'' Sita said with a small hint of annoyance in her voice. She carried a tray over to him. Orange Juice, Coffee, Bacon and eggs, A liege waffle with mixed berries and hazelnut whipped cream. All of them piping fresh and expertly made.\n\n\tSean proceeded to pick up the large mug from the ray and all but tossed the scalding liquid down his throat. His eyes went wide as saucers and he slammed the mug back down, waving his hand in front of his mouth ``Ahh ahh, hot Thath hot!'' he growled\n\n\t``It is coffee, sir.'' the brown scaled viper sighed as she fought very hard not to roll her eyes.\n\n\tSean grabbed his juice and started to chug it. Taking down most of the glass in one breath and slumping back into the satin pillow covers with a sigh. ``Gods that was way too hot. The hell was I thinking?'' \n\n\t``My guess is that you weren't, Master.'' The snake said rather flatly.\n\n\t``Yeah, well. Wait. I thought I remember telling you all to stay out until I said otherwise.''\n\n\t``Apologies, Master. But your mother sent us to check on you. She caught word that you hadn't been out of your room for the past week.''\n\n\tSean rolled his eyes and sighed ``yeah, wonder how she got word of that.'' he grumbled. ``Where's Chepi? I mean if one of you is going to barge in here unannounced and line yourselves up for punishment, might as well get it all out of the way now, right?'' he muttered as he grabbed a strip of bacon, snapping it off and chewing it roughly.\n\n\t``You'll forgive me if I'm not intimidated, Master.'' The snake said flatly. She walked over to the small trash bin by his work desk and picked it up. The thing was crammed over-full with wrappers and half eaten chip bags. She tipped the nearly overflowing thing over and dumped it out on the floor. The trash clanging and clattering as it spread out enough to jut barely cover her ankles in the six inch heels.\n\n\t``Oh come on. Do you want Ants, Sita? Because that's how you get ants.''\n\n\t``Master, I'm trying to make a point.'' She sighed ``I think you know what it is. I'll await your punishment whenever you see fit.'' She waded though the small puddle of refuse and out the door without another word. The door sliding shut behind her.\n\n\t``Friggin disrespectful snakie.'' Sean muttered ``Shoulda sent Chepi in. Girl actually knows how hard I can spank when I want to.'' He growled a bit at the scene and then sighed. The false bravado just serving to further his exhaustion. \n\n\t``Kenna.'' Sean called out ``how many messages do I have waiting?''\n\n\t``Twenty one, Lord Sean'' The voice said in her semi-flat sing song.\n\n\t``And how many of those are from people waiting for me to select the next project I accept?\n\n\t``Nineteen, Lord Sean'' the computer chimed again.\n\n\t``Ok, yeah. Put all of those on hold until after I eat. Set the remaining messages to personal priority and play in order.'' He glanced at the nice big fluffy pile of scramble for a moment before shaking his head and taking his knife to the partition of his waffle. The nice crisp crack as metal hit crust promising something he'd enjoy for probably the whole two minutes before it was all wolfed down. He got a good dollop of the cream and a few berries on top of his fork and glanced up at the projector.\n\n\tHis mouth refused to close. The bite of waffle tumbled out of his muzzle and rolled off his belly onto the bed as those cool blue eyes forced themselves open though the bruises and bags.\n\n\tIt was a familiar scene. Brinna. Sweet, cute, gawky Brinna. She worked to get everything adjusted a bit. Balancing the cheap cam to whatever fixture she'd managed to find to attach it. She pulled back a bit. Blushing, shivering. She had her shorts moved down around her ankles, the panties still in place for the moment. The poor terrified creature looking down at the thick stack of nice looking faux paper she had to one side. \n\n\tShe got herself situated. Overly long shirt lifting long enough as she readjusted to see her unflattering striped panties. She had on the same knee socks as the first pic she'd ever sent, and a sleeveless shirt from the latest overly thought out and bizarrely morally complex Rati series. \n\n\tBrinna sat on her knees for a long moment as she looked at the document. Seeming to fidget and adjust herself, rocking back and forth on that lumpy bed to get it all just right. Her cheeks went a bit dark as she started to slowly peel the panties down. Less a flattering gesture than some simple step in whatever she was doing.\n\n\tSean didn't care. The fork had already fallen from his fingers. The small shot of her shirt moving enough to get a bare shot between her legs at first, even for a moment, and the bear felt the first real stirring he'd had in at least two weeks.\n\nThe rodent in the display shivered and struggled to control the growing anxiety in her breath. She reached one arm behind her back and down between her legs. Her body tensing a moment as she started to push back a small little tremor though her body. At first she tugged the shirt up. Muzzle opening as if she was seeking to put the hem into it as she had before. The idea was quickly abandoned, Brinna instead Shuffling and twisting herself around a bit. Trying to hook the bulk of the shirt under her free arm as the other ran straight down her back. As she settled, Sean noticed her fingers just barely grazing her already damp folds. He almost didn't want to look up. This could be a dream, after all. Yet another case of his mind torturing him in his sleep.\n\n\tBut fuck it. If it tried that again he'd just make it pay with some more of that vodka. For now he was not going to pass this up.\n\n\t``L-ord Bran stood by the abbey wall with his troops.''\n\n\tSean looked up gazed at those gorgeous eyes as best he could. She was using her free hand to hold the documents. Stories. His jaw dropped in amazement as he gazed in awe at the bashful face trembling and quivering with elation and shame.\n\n\t``He had yet to eschew his armor, or even give role to the troops. His priority lay at the small line in the back. The holy men and women that had not yet been taken to the carts for transport. The line up was small. Unremarkable by city standards. Philomena, who had come from Aberdeen, wondered why such a toothless... toothless? T-that... that's supposed to be ruthless... darn it'' she whimpered softly and bit her lip in frustration. An unexpected little moan hitting her even from the screwup as she just barely mouthed a wonderfully little reflexive 'sorry Sir'. \n\n\t``She trembled at the old badgers touch. His hands tracing her full, curvy, luscious, firm, strong, soft body. She, she tried to.'' Brinna mmphed and winced as her awkward rhythm sped up just a bit more. Hips starting to rock and sway a bit on their own. ``She tried to look away as he grabbed her moist cunt and slowly ran a finger along her lower lips. ``'You can seek to run if you wish.' The badger growled `But we both know you will be mine. You and perhaps this delicious crumpet here, for my own personal harem'. Philomena looked at the buxom body that stood beside her. Liliania, her younger sister. Both in the eyes of the church, and by blood. She felt her heart run cold as she began to realize... realize... Oh d-darn I skipped like, t-two paragraphs didn't I?''\n\n\tIn spite of the small screwup she didn't seem to be letting her left hand slow its erotic fumbligns. Sean could feel his toes curl. His tongue practically lulling out as he let his eyes wander back down from her face to her most precious offering.\n\n\tThen he stopped, his hand freezing mid move holding the covers awkwardly half-on/half off of his lower body. He looked at her pelvis. At the soft downy fur there. Gazing blankly at the lovingly scribbled words resting there.\n\nTo: Sir\n\n\tHe was paralyzed. Sean just looking in awe. If there were any Gods he prayed now harder than ever that this wasn't a dream.\n\n\tBrinna continued. The gawky little rolls of her fingers and forceful stroking drew out small moans that were soon punctuated by growing sobs. Tears thudded audibly on her script as her thin voice choked itself. The bear would trade everything, everything he had, everything hew was, just to hold her right now.\n\n\tSean reached his hand out to the whispy phantoms of light. A thousand thoughts bubbled up in his chest as he tired to reach them. His eyes blurring from the tears. For just a second, he could feel her in his arms again, and he prayed for it to never stop.\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Time

By TerraMGP

\t``Hey, uh, excuse me. Hey.''

\tBrinna blinked as she glanced away from her show and looked up at the source of the voice.

\t``Hey you know where the Muller building is?''

\tBrinna pointed to the building directly behind her and sighed. The man who'd asked her, an eager young coyote, nodded as he darted off into it with little more than a barely audible `thanks'.

\tShe nodded and glanced back down at her hands, taking a moment to gaze over her shoulder for just an instant. Watching him run up to the door and dart in to the building utterly unaware that every one of Mr. Muller's students was out here on break, and the man himself locked up in his office for at least another hour.

\tAs much as she hated herself for it, Brinna couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at how scrawny he was. Not that it was her business, and not that toned wasn't her type anyways.

\tThe past four months had not been what she expected. She was out a month, bottoming out all of her stored sick days. The only reason she got in at all was because her parents `found' the money to get her to a therapist. She knew where it came from. She'd tried to get them to use it to help with the bills, too. When it was clear the creds were blown on sessions already Brinna had no choice but to participate. Though at least Dr. Naomi was pretty nice.

\tBeing behind was a setback, but considering the workload was standardized and Class III schools almost universally got borderline joke curriculums it only took her about a week of pushing to get caught up. That part was actually pretty nice, since it meant she technically stayed top honors student. Fortunately without the speech.

\tExcept that didn't seem to matter, Right as she got on stage to have her diploma cylinder handed to her The holo systems for the ceremony made some big blaring announcement along with her graduation about her getting accepted into an apprenticeship With Jean Luc Muller. An apprenticeship she had not applied for, nor did she have the normal credentials to qualify for.

\tWhich could only mean one thing. Gene.

\tNo, not Gene. She had to stop thinking of him that way. She was trying to stop. It was starting to get annoying how half a year of online flirting and going though dates had her this hooked on a guy who wasn't even who he said he was. Admittedly he didn't have the worst reason to lie. No, that was just backsliding, and Brinna had gone over everything about backsliding with Dr. Naomi at least once a session. That's why she was here. No matter what he tried doing to `win' her back, she wasn't a prize. She could not be bought. At least not the way he was trying. Not without her consent.

\tIt was an odd thought for someone in her sanding. It filled her with strength and resolve. A real determination to take agency over her life. Gods that thought made her feel so uncomfortable. It was a chance to live her dream though, and more to the point it was a chance to help drag her parents in to something better. That was if she could cut it.

\t``Oh hey there.'' She looked up quickly. A familiar baritone hit her ears and within moments she was turned towards it and looking up. Unfortunately this just got her a quick fateful of sunlight and a few spots in her eyes. She glanced back again aquatinting to see if her ears had lied to her. That shameful eagerness evaporating as She saw a young koala in dreadlocks and a button-covered jean vest strolling out of the sunlight.

\t``Hey, Sorry if I'm bugging you lil lady but I was just wondering if you'd like to head over to ZX for some coffee, maybe a sense dive or some hookah or something?''

\t``Well no I'' She reached up to grip the little crystal. Instead all she felt was the wrought iron Brigids charm now hanging from a simple chain around her neck. ``I have a... boyfriend. Sorry.'' She sighed. It was a lie. Honestly it was a few lies, since it took her a moment to fully shake off that what she was gripping was the little bit of scrap iron.

\t``Gosh darn it.'' Brinna groaned ``I need to try getting in to Dr. Naomi sooner.''

--------------------

\t``Sir Sean, Sir Sean! A voice called from the edge of the lift. A lanky golden-furred bunny rushing out of it and darting up behind the bear. ``Might I have a word with you, please?''

\tSean sighed. He took a nice deep breath and turned to face the approaching man in the overpriced five grand suit. ``Ok First, it's not `Sir Sean. You're not my slave, I'm not an Avalon mech knight. Just `Sean'. Or Mr. O'Brian. Ok? Uh.''

\t``Roy, Sir. I mean Sean, I mean Mr. O'Brian'' he muttered quickly

\t``Ok. Roy. Calm down. Just tell me what you need. Ok? I'm not really in the best of moods today.''

\tThe rabbit nodded hard enough to almost knock his glasses off. That damn smile never leaving his lips. ``Oh naturally, Mr. O'Brian. I understand. Well it's just I have the representatives from the military's exploratory division here. They wanted to know if you'd had a chance to look at their new concept request.

\t

\t``New concept.'' Sean sighed. ``You mean the `hypno-grenade'?''

\t``Yeah! That's the one, Sir. I mean Mr. O'Brian. I told em I was sure you'd looked at it. I mean it's a great idea, right Sir?''

\tThe bear took another calming breath and shoved his glasses up his nose. He very slowly and very carefully put his hands on either side of the mans shoulders and just looked at him for a long moment over the dregs of those rims. Oddly, Roy seemed unphased.

\t``I'm going to spell it out for you, Roy.'' Sean said wearily ``Because this has been a really bad year for me. I just missed my G-, Missed a really important graduation a couple weeks ago and I am in a bad mood. So forgive me. I may get a bit blunt when I tell you why this is the stupidest idea ever.''

\tRoy went to move, and Sean stopped him. A rather troubling smile starting to cross his muzzle. ``No no, Roy. See I told you I'm going to tell you why this is the stupidest idea possible. And when I'm done telling you that, in detail. You're going to go to those Generals and bean counters and everyone else all sitting in that nice meeting room. And you're going to tell `them' why this is the stupidest idea ever. Ya follow me, Roy?''

\tRoy just nodded and started to fidget with the small holo projection emitter implanted into the back of his left hand.

\t``Good. Now then. The first thing to note. Nanomachines need power in order to work. Do you understand that, Roy? Do you understand Engineering here in our little Engineering team? It's one thing to use claytronic components because you can give them a shared power source or charge. Or you can have them move short distances in a safe, stable, sterile environment. Well, I'm sorry to say, guess what you won't find outside on a frontier world without any sort of lab conditions?''

\t``I, think I understand, Sir. I think I can go tell them-''

\t``Oh nononononononooooo Roy. See that's just the first issue. Because in theory you could, with enough of these things, end up keeping a charge. But then you have to remember that these machines are fragile. Again that's why we have the delivery systems we do. Like when we want to integrate your jack, or your little projector, or you want to integrate some new cloned tissue into that lil package of yours for the Mrs. At home. It is Mrs., right Roy?''

\t``Um, yes sir.'' he said swallowing hard

\t``Right. Now see they work fine in a hypo. Or heck you can even slather em all over the target area in some cases. Those little buggers are hard workers. But you know what you can't do Roy? You can't shoot them. You can't fire them out of a gun, Roy. You can't throw them like a rugby ball or spray them out of a hose. Can't dust em out of a crop drone either, Roy. But most of all'' Sean said. His psychotic grin souring. ``You can't fucking pepper them into an explosion! If you sneeze too hard on a puddle of these things it'll obliterate half of them. Any kinetic force needed to spray them up into the air and `infect' the targets is either going to damage the little nanos to the point where they don't work. Or end up cutting them off from power too long so they die. Or you have the edge on a coin flip scenario. A few of them survive and swarm in. And I do mean a few. Maybe like twenty. If you're lucky that many machines might give someone a very mild case of disphoria for about a week. Not a week from when the weapon is used, mind you. Just. Within the next few months they might need some meds or counseling.

\tAll this time as Sean spoke he slowly backed Roy towards one of the windows. Eyes locked on his subordinate. That odd and condescendingly chipper tone never wavering. ``So really what you've done is spend ten times the amount of a shock or stunball grenade on a cloud of dead machines that might, might make a few of the targets who got away sad for a few days in the coming months. Because, you know, their families being taken or killed didn't do that same thing.''

\t``Mr. O'Brian, s-sir? I... I think I get it.  Can I please get up now?'' He whined.

\t``Oh no, Roy. Not yet. Because you see there is one more factor here. And it's the most important one of all. Now I want you to pay really close attention. Because this is the big one.'' he spun Roy around and all but pushed him against the window. The poor man able to see the sheer drop dozens of stories down. ``Look out there, Roy. You see it? The gravity ring? That big spinny ring that keeps going around and helps ensure station gravity works and we all live? You familiar, Roy?''

\t``Yessir'' Roy yelped

\t``Good. You know, there are people out there, Roy. Lots of people. Living in old construction and maintenance towns. Half of them out of work and half the remainder in gangs. Fighting, killing, horrible stuff there Roy.'' he sighed ``That whole ring? That's a third of the stations destitute population. A third. Keep in mind it's a ring big enough to meet a huge bulk of our gravity needs all on its own there, Roy. And we aren't a small station are we? No.'' They both shook their heads, though Roy seemed to do so more out of terror, worried about any sort of reprisal he may meet.

\t``Now keep in mind, Roy, that I said destitute population. People. That's not even counting the slaves around here. Or the breeding programs that churn out more. Now granted I'd say the bulk of what we produce gets shipped elsewhere, Roy. But on the other hand maybe the Exploratory fleet can calm it the fuck down a bit. Maybe they don't really need a way to knock out a whole village in one shot. Maybe, just maybe, they might do better dialing it back on raiding the dwindling number of pre-split colonies out there they can find and instead focusing on our actual defense? Get me?'' Sean asked as he looked the man in the eye, staring him down, jaw gritted so hard it seemed it may crack.

\t``Do I understand now, Sir?'' Roy asked meekly as he shrank back as best as he could.

\tSean sighed and nodded, pulling back and letting the man up. ``Yeah, I think so. Now go make them understand.'' he muttered ``I need to take a long lunch.'' He watched the man run off before slumping against the window and rolling his head back. Gods was he lucky he didn't have a boss.

--------------------

\tAn apprenticeship paid money. It wasn't much money, but it was still something. Most of that ended going right back out to supplies and equipment. Most of the other Apprentices seemed to have no problem with this. After all they were mostly Class II and I. It'd be a twisted parent that didn't pay for their kid to get room and board on a meal ticket like this if money wasn't an issue.

\tThen again that could really just be her poor person perspective on the whole thing.

\tThe assignment of the week was to `improve'. Find five items, copy them, but make them better. Unfortunately at one point in class Mr. Muller decided to point out Brinnas cheap piercing and the necklace she wore Calling them out as `too easy'.

\tNaturally tough, strong, independent new Brinna couldn't exactly let this slight against her personal dignity stand. Not when she was already the underdog. When they'd already singled her out because she was poor and inexperienced and had no real justification for being anywhere near half of the equipment in that shop. It was seriously a miracle the gem wheel hadn't taken off her fingers yet. Or shot her practice stones into someone's head at high speeds. Strong Brinna couldn't let that stand. Independent Brinna couldn't just lay down and take the easy way out to get somewhere. The New Brinna marched headlong into the mall with her HUD on. Pointing her towards the shop her teacher had set as her `challenge'. She walked confidently along with swarms of other people. Better dressed people. People who seemed to stair and point as she walked down to the far end of the cylinder and stopped in front of a `Wyld Nites'.

\tOld Brinna friggen hated New Brinna.

\tThe good news was that the shop remained largely empty. Unfortunately there was a reason for that. Everything from the open door back was nothing but tightly packed prefab racks full of low quality printed junk. Not just any junk though, it was junk with a theme. That theme was the cheapest piercing and kink gear anywhere that had a real storefront.

\tEven poor as she was, Brinna would never set foot in a place like this willingly. Her own peircings were cheap steel polished up by her mom and sterilized in some medical alcohol in the bathroom. Still worlds better than what she saw in here.

\tRight off the bat were the racks of rings and studs. Long lines hung up on cheap cardboard backings and sealed in plastic that started to disintegrate if it got too hot or too cold. They were all bright flashy colors and some of them lit up or changed with mood. There were two markets for this kind of thing, kids and burnouts. Neither really had any money and  even the few who did never came near Wyld Nites.

\tShe stepped in further. Slowly and carefully. As if the very air of this place might contaminate her or corrode her lip ring. Things didn't look much better inside. Off the rack leathers that couldn't possibly fit anyone. `crops' that were really just a little bit of stiff cloth on a cheap plastic stick. `stim buttons' about as cheap as a flashlight which had removed all of the little metal wires and components that were meant to boost the sense receptors. Instead? Just a battery hooked to a metal grating plate with a plastic button that didn't push down right from your palm where it was meant to rest.

\tTo be fair, a year ago she might have actually been suckered in by at least some of this. A fairly sheltered girl with a profound lack of taste or awareness might fall for the dirt cheap goods once. Maybe twice with the right pitch. It was actually her first real assignment from her Sir that changed her outlook. She was just a little dweeb, after all. Why not make her study? A nice long report on sex toys. Proofed and graded.

\tShe got an A.

\tIt made her blush.

\t``Gahhhh no. New Brinna, new Brinna'' She muttered to herself as she thumped her forehead into the gap between items. She pulled herself up and looked over the items once more. There were a pair of cheap piercing on a chain, that she could do something with. And a plug, because why not. She looked at the collars. Probably the biggest disappointment in the place. A few colors, but all just basic hard fabric pet collars. Not even slaves. Like for walks around the park. It was almost sad how much better her co-

\tThe poor rodent just sighed and grabbed one of them. ``Three.'' She muttered to herself.

\t``Oh my gawd Zach.''

\tThe sudden voice sent Brinna ducking down behind the crowded aisles. She huddled down mostly out of instinct, not really wishing to heap her social anxiety on top her other building neurosies.

\t``What is it now, Bri'' another voice sighed. A pair of bodies walking by in the next aisle over. Brinna could feel it. That little tingle of unsettling electricity she always felt when someone else as near. Some psychosomatic quiver of her fight or flight perhaps. Not that it mattered. All she knew was she didn't like it.

\t``So did you hear about Club trash? My god they're closing it down.''

\t``Oh they always say that. They just keep threatening to do it so they can charge us more for the drinks..''

\t``Nuh uh. Not this time. The word is someone bought it! Like for way more than It's worth.''

\t``Phhh You kidding me? That place is on the border. Why would anyone buy it? A few gangers and guns to clear it out and someone would just set up a dive den or Start turning tricks.''

\t``Yah, like you'd know about that. Isn't that how you got the new shirt?''

\t``A gentleman never tells. So what. New owner think he's getting new condos or something? Maybe a high class slumlord for the better meatdrones?

\t``That's the weird part. Guys turning it into some kinda science school. I guess he's been doing it all over the place. One of the big shots from the spires.''

\t``Oh, I get it. Tax write off. Shove a bunch of kiddies in an old building with some of the lab stuff our high schools are throwing out and bam, gets to skip a whole bracket.''

\t``Oh there you go again. Like you know anything about taxes.''

\t``Bitch I pay my taxes. I mean when I make some scratch. Ohhh wait. Think this blonde would look good on my girlfriend?

\t``Girlfriend? The Fuck did you get a girlfriend?''

\tBrinna braced herself and just kept her eyes on the exit, listening to the two boys snip at each other. In one fell swoop affirming every shred of hatred she had for this whole chain. She gathered her things in her arms and dashed out of the door, waving her cred chit in front of the quick pay on the way out as the tow boys looked up, along with a half dozen patrons seeing her sprint though the slowly filling mall corridors.

\tShe ducked back into the ladies room and yanked her backpack off of her back. That whole scene she'd made was stupid. All these overwhelming feelings of fear when she got around people were stupid. Brinna started to stuff the dirt cheap sex toys in her backpack and set her HUD for her next destination.

\t``Therapy takes time. It just takes time. That's all.'' Brinna muttered ``I can be independent. I can totally get past all this. I mean what are people going to do, bite me?'' She sighed and slumped down onto the floor as the memories returned. Of that night. The Corpsec. It was just a momentary little jolt. But it was more than enough.

\t``Oh yeah, that.'' She muttered as she pulled her headphones up over her ears and leaned back against the wall of the girls room. She wasn't going anywhere for a while. At least to another two hours to let the evening rush clear.

\tThe dormouse let her eyes slip shut a moment. She tired her best to enjoy the relative quiet and dark she could get away from the crash of fur and flesh just at the other side of the cheap tile wall. When it didn't help she opened up one of her tabs and started up with some Sorrowcore. Her ears started to flood with nice biter echoes and walls of haunting refrains blending and twisting around each other. Sweet and melancholic, not to mention loud enough to drown out the background murmurs and footfalls.

\tAfter a while Brinna resigned herself to being stuck on this relatively placid yet unpleasant smelling island of tranquility. She opened up a news feed and started a search around for local club purchases. If nothing else it sounded like an interesting read. She found the article buried under the small sea of intercorp propaganda and pop culture fluff.

\tIt was a dry read. The opening was nothing but statistics and demographic studies about Class III kids and their access to technical skills or education. I outlined a few of the new technologies that were being developed and even the push by some less popular factions in the company to increase asteroid mining and how important skilled labor was to those endeavors. Spot on to be sure, just dull.

\tThat was until she got past the intro. She looked at the image a long moment. Examined it, studied it. Not that she had to. The mans face was seared into her brain. Sure he was in a suit and his hair more kempt, but it was still the same man. Still Gene, Sean. `Her' Sean. Opening up a huge slew of these new centers in the next two years. The first one scheduled to be opened in her sector.

\tBrinna bopped her head against the wall and gazed up at the ceiling with a sigh. ``Frig my life.''

\t

--------------------

\t``So this is where you're hiding.''

\tSean looked up from the observation window and across the disused old bar room towards the elevator. He'd shed his business attire once more. The stuffy suit and collar swapped for his more comfortable Tee and flannel vest, this time with a pair of jeans. Well worn and covered in all manner machine grease and food stains. ``I wasn't aware I was hiding.'' He laughed as he glanced to his sister.

\t``I wanted you, you weren't around. Therefore you were hiding. Obviously.'' Ilka huffed playfully. ``Now that I found you that means you gotta do what I say, right?''

\t``That's a Leprechaun, sis.'' Sean sighed ``Big brothers, you find them and they give you snacks you aren't supposed to have. That or put you in a headlock. Either or.'' He smirked teasingly and shifted himself away from the window. ``So let me guess, You're here to call in your favor from before? I gotta say I appreciate you taking so long with it. I don't think I've been myself lately.''

\t``How much `not yourself' big brother?'' Ilka quizzed as she leaned back with an arm cast casually behind her. She managed to stop herself just short of slipping and falling on her rump. Not that it didn't make her huff in annoyance.

\t``Nope, sorry. None of those lil nano beauties up here. Not much of anything up here anymore is there?''

\t``Nah.'' Ilka giggled ``It's still empty as ever. Kinda makes me wonder if Mother ever sued it for anything.''

\t``Oh she did.'' Sean nodded ``Way back when. I think I was like, five or so when she stopped. It wasn't quite at the point where she shut herself up all day. I donno maybe it had to do with dad.'' He shrugged a bit and walked over to the broken remnants of a once mighty mahogany bar counter. Rather than walking around Sean hafted himself up belly-first on the counter and flailed his arm around until he managed to snag a bottle of something not-empty. Pulling it up and looking the contents over. ``Gin.'' he sighed ``Because of course it's gin.''

\t``Sean, are you sure you're ok?'' Ilka grumbled ``You never used to drink this much.''

\t``No I did not'' he said casually as he unscrewed he lid, giving the bottle a sniff and shaking his head. Then taking a small belt.

\t``Which is kind of the point. You should really stop. Like now. If you don't it's going to get out of control.''

\tThe bear didn't stop. In fact he drank about half of what the bottle still contained before pulling it from his lips and scraping his tongue against one of his sharper canines. ``Gahh, that's nasty. Why do people make this stuff?'' He screwed the lid back on a half turn and set the bottle on the counter. ``OH no, kid. I'm fine right now. You wanna hear out of control you should have seen me two weeks ago. Flipped out on some poor guy because he wanted me to give input on the stupid weapons the sycophant squad running our military seem to think they need. Grenades with little nanites that temporarily incapacitate anyone who becomes exposed.''

\t``Well yeah that's stupid. All of their ideas are stupid. That's why we hire them. I mean they ask a stupid question you tell them it's a stupid question and give them an answer. Seems simple enough to me.''

\tGene shook his head and walked around the bar this time. ``No way, sis. Not the way I laid into him. Poor guy hit up HR for a transfer out of my team the next day. Got a ticket off station. I didn't even bother looking at where he went just in case he found out and I forced him to haul himself somewhere new again.''

\tIlka giggled loudly at that. ``Ok, no that was great. You should totally do more of that!'' The wolf giggled to herself as she started to pace around slowly. All of the furniture had been removed from the room years ago. Probably before she was born. It left her without a seat. An infuriating prospect to say the least.

\tSean sighed as he pulled out a modestly blue glass bottle with no label and a few fine etchings along he rim. ``Maas.'' He muttered as he popped the bottle open and sniffed curiously ``Really old Maas. Gah. That's a no.''

\t``Big brother.'' Ilka pouted ``I told you to stop drinking right now.''

\t``You realize you are way too old to be getting away with that, right?'' Sean laughed ``Ahh. Now here we go. Scotch. Lots of scotch. Maybe even good scotch'' he pulled the bottle free and blew the dust off. About half a pint still remaining sloshing slowly in the bottom.

\t``Well at the very least I want to know why you're acting so weird lately.'' Ilka snapped  I think I deserve that much after helping you out.''

\t``What, so that's your quid pro quo?'' Gene laughed ``Not even going to save it up? Just use it to demand some answers?''

\t``No, Not just that. I want... I want one of those too!'' she pointed at his shirt pocket.

\t``An Avante bar?'' Gene blinked as he pulled one of the thick plastic wrappers from his pocket. ``Ilka this stuffs like, nothing but artificial cocoa nibs and raspberry flavored anti anxiety meds.''

\t``I know!'' Ilka said with a smirk ``It'd be my favorite snack if the stupid things didn't have a maximum dosage limit.''

\tSean eyed his kid sister just a moment more to make sure she wasn't pulling his leg and then tossed the bar over to her. As she tore happily though the wrapper with her teeth Sean grabbed her around the middle by the fake schoolgirl vest. Hoisting her up and setting the sixteen year old down on the bar. ``There.'' he nodded ``And now you've got a place to sit.

\t``I do indeed.'' She nodded ``So then out with it. What's got you so down? You've always been mister laid back before.''

\t``Seriously?'' Gene snorted ``I hate to break it to you Ilka but nobody in our family knows the meaning of laid back. We are some of the most type A, wired, wound up people on this whole damn station.''

\t``Well we have to be. I mean what about the groundlings?'' Ilka said with complete sincerity as she bit off a nice big hunk of the `candy' and gnawed it happily. Sean really had to wonder how many of the damn things she'd eaten before acquiring a taste.

\t``yeah, well the older you get the more fucked up you realize our whole family tree is. All the trees actually'' he shrugged ``Truth is I thought I found something, someone, who made that all better. Then I go and face plant tight out of the gate.''

\t``Wait you mean that slums girl?'' Ilka asked with a mouth full of candy bar.

\t``Don't, just don't ok? It's hard enough. Don't talk bad about her.''

\tHe narrowed his eyes and gazed at Ilka a long moment. She looked back a moment and then slumped in defeat. ''Ok, fine. So you have this girl you like, and you don't have her, so you're unhappy. Simple fix then. Go get her.''

\t``it's not that simple Ilka.'' Gene muttered

\t``Sure it is'' She giggled ``I found the cops who hurt her, I can find her if she's hiding. You give me a few more of these bars and I'll be happy to dig her out and let you drag her back home.''

\t``She doesn't want me.'' He growled

\t``And?'' Ilka asked, confused

\t``And this is different. `She' is different.'' Gene sighed ``She's not just some random little trinket I'm picking up to suit my fancy. Not just something cute for me to care for and teach. She's, I don't know, something else'' he growled

\t``Ok so this is another quick fix. Just drag her home and program up a hypo full of-''

\tSean slammed his palm on the counter and looked into Ilkas eyes ``Sis please, try to take this seriously'' he sighed ``I want her as she is, and I want her to want me. Which she doesn't. Because I had to hide who I was just so she'd treat me as a relatively normal person. I have to play King Henry just to make her comfortable enough to try and love me, and then when something goes down and she figures out I'm lying the poor girl is so scared of me that I can't even. I can't even fucking hold her when she needs me'' The tears didn't come. They hadn't. Not for weeks now. Sean choked on his sobs an smashed his palm down o on the counter as he tried to regain his breath.

\t``She got hurt, because I was lax, and I wanted to play normal. Then she gets scared because I lied, and she's not stupid enough to pretend there isn't something going on. Then the kicker. The real icing on the cake. I start to realize that her whole life has been fucked up because of me. Because of us. Her parents couldn't even hold a proper suicide vigil after what happened and keep an eye on her because all we let them do is work and sleep. And I let it happen. I live well because it happens.''

\t``You live well because you're superior'' Ilka corrected ``The machine is what it is. It serves us as it's supposed to. We can't just go ripping out the gears because we feel bad about the wear and tear.''

\tSean almost opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head and sighed. He instead started walking up to the window and put a paw on the glass. His other hand opening the top off of the scotch as he took a hard belt. ``I donno about that sis. Something, something's got to change.'' Gene sighed ``this isn't sustainable. It doesn't work anymore. Hell I don't know if it ever did. The whole station is just set to move in one direction and we have no way to change it if we hit a dead end. I sure as hell don't know what, but something has to pull us out of this mess before it's too late.''

\tIlka watched her brother take another hard sip and nodded a bit. She didn't say anything. Instead just hopping up from her seat and walking over to the window beside him.'' I think It'll be fine, Big brother. You'll see. All sorts of good things are coming our way. You just wait and see.''

\t

--------------------

\tIt was probably a bit unhealthy. Especially with how hard she was tiring to forget Sean in the firs place. The park. It made her feel guilty. It should make her feel guilty. At first she came for the sake of defiance. Hoping he would show up so she could show him just how far she'd gone and how strong she could be. When he didn't show up she kept coming for the nature. It was beautiful in spite of everything else.

\tNow? Well who knew. Habit maybe. A chance to be away from home while she worked? Probably a bit of both mixed in with the nature itself. It was still something of a rare commodity on the station after all.

\tAs she sat down Brinna took a moment to shut her eyes and let the still, silent mix of evening air and birdsong calm her down. She was spiraling. She knew it. The way her doctor described it fit painfully well. Brinna knew she had to be strong. She'd spent so much time since the breakup trying to get herself situated emotionally. Admittedly not helped knowing it was Sean who got her the chance.

\tIt fit the description of making the break less clean. The fact that he kept her hooked with some job she had to take to help her parents. Then there was all the charity work. All of those new science centers going up were going to be just the start. At least that was what the news feeds said. Who could really trust those?

\tIt was rather annoying that every time she looked in to her feed his name popped up again. Or how every time she bowed for him it seemed the newer articles were something charitable he was doing for the lower classes.

\tWell admittedly it was all the same thing, and she did keep checking for new instances of it. But that was just a bit of reaffirmation. It was new Brinna showing new Brinna that she didn't need him. That the relationship was barely out of the nest, and based on toxic layers of emotional blackmail and codependence.

\tBrinna didn't need that in her life. Brinna didn't need anyone.

\tWith that thought still ringing in her ears, the dormouse snagged one of the items out of her bag and began to study it. The chain with the nipple rings. Simple, cheap as hell. Easily room for improvement in almost every way. She took a long moment to look it over. Study it, get a feel for what she wanted torching. Trying to channel the `new form' as Jean Luc would put it. It was, if nothing else, a nice little diversion. So nice in fact that she didn't even notice the figure out of the corner of her eye. Not until the gothy, white furred little bat popped right up before her without warning. A pierced up girl with a thick mop of black and purple hair.

\t``Hey'' the girl nodded as she sat down on the park bench.

\t``Hi.'' Brinna muttered as she scooted to the side. It was hard to not be rude about it. After all it wasn't like she owned the bench. Though it did seem the other girl had a few issues with personal space. Plopping down with at least ten centimeters space from the arm rest. Brinna did her best to make it look like she had an excuse. Shifting herself up a bit more and propping her elbow on the rest as she used her other hand to draw a wire spool out of her pocket. She started to pull out lengths of the fine silvery thread. Getting about five of them and snipping it with the spools built-in crimp before setting it down in her lap.

\t``Ohh, shiny. Whatcha doing there.'' The bat girl, she had to be about fifteen from how scrawny she was, seemed to perk up a bit and tilted her head at the bundle of wire.

\t``Apprenticeship project.'' Brinna shrugged

\t``Jeweler, huh? I kinda thought you guys worked indoors.'' the girl giggled a bit as she stuck the straw of her drink to her lips and took a nice, hard pull. The grating twisting slurp of cheap convenience store frozen drink shattering the soft calm of birds and scurrying creatures.

\tBrinna tucked her head in a bit more and started to look around, If only her Sir would hurry up and...

\t``Oh. Right.'' She muttered softly.

\t``You say something miss Jeweler?'' The bat asked as she leaned up a bit more. Really getting in to Brinnas personal space a slight bit more than she'd like. The dormouse began to wonder if this is what it felt like right before one clocked another person in the face.

\t``No, just thinking out loud I guess. It's quiet out here. It feels, I donno it feels nice. It's just hard to see what I'm doing some times.''

\tThe girl nodded a bit. Mercifully she seemed to take the hint, or maybe just got a bit uncomfortable. Scooting a bit away from Brinna and crossing her leg as she looked out a the park. She did seem to glance back now and then. Apparently fascinated with something. Most likely the silvery strings.

\tBrinna carefully gripped one end of the fine wires in one hand as she started to twist it with the other. Slowly, carefully. She felt the stress starting to melt from her shoulders as she watched each wind moving in over the last. Watching to get the frail and fairylike wire twisted nice and tight into an even little string.

\t``Oh that's neat!'' the bat giggled

\tThe wire went flying out of her hands and on to the ground. Brinna letting out a frustrated sigh and reaching out to nab it. The stuff was really too tarnished and dirty to bother with until she could get her hands on real tools. Instead she drew out the spool again and moved the slider to a thicker gauge. Slowly pulling out a few strands. She held them together a moment and reached into her other pocket, yanking out a few bits of Rainbow topaz she'd already shaped and put on some loops.

\t``Hey what gives?'' The obnoxious girl asked as she slurped her drink again and fiddled with her black and purple plaid skirt. ``Why are you carrying around a bunch of Reactor slag?''

\tBrinna bit her lip a moment and clutched the gems tightly in her hand. Her chest heaved in a few furious breaths and let them go slowly. The placid sensation of `real air' thankfully pulling back the worst of her nerves. ``The assignment is to show off something simple for its beauty. No gold, no major stones, no holo. I as planning on doing a simple necklace with some cut rainbow topaz and a bit of silver chain.'' she noted.

\t``Oh, ok.'' the girl nodded softly. She watched as Brinna pinched the ends of the wire into place and started to slowly braid them. The process was slow and meticulous. One wire moved over top of the others lay flat, then the wires twisted and moved again. It was the kind of strong old pattern people had been using to make rope since time immemorial. Twisting and folding. Twisting and folding. The length of braid growing oh so painfully slowly. Letting her mind fall blank, letting the screaming storms of thought start to abate as she focused on her project. She just had to keep her pace up and stay focused. Let her mind drive out all the nagging little distractions.

\t``Oh wow are you sure you're doing that right?'' The bat asked as she leaned in and very heavily invaded Brinnas personal space. The younger girl snagged the working end of the braid and started to look it over while the dormouse shoved herself back against the park bench and kicking her legs a tiny bit at the sudden sensation of another person being so close. An uncontrollable little squeal echoing from her throat.

\t``Say, um. You ok?'' The bat asked.

\t``Y-yes'' Brinna yelped the word in a tone that showed how very not ok she really was. Those flecked brown eyes wide as saucers and her tail thrashing about behind them like a snake.

\tThe bat twisted and turned the wire around a few moments. Bending and flexing it before dropping the now ruined silver back into Brinnas lap. ``Oh. Uh, sorry, I guess'' the girl muttered as she scooted back a bit more and shook her head. ``You know it may not be my place to say or anything. But don't you guys usually do this stuff at a work bench? You know with tools and clamps and being inside?''

\tBrinna sighed and scooped up the next bit of wasted silver. Shoving it in her pocket. She was going to get the lecture about the reclamation kiln again. Probably have to hand-draw the wire too. ``Yeah. We do work inside.'' Brinna nodded ``I just wanted my bench.'' the less flamboyant rodent muttered.

\t``Your bench?'' The girl tilted her head

\t``My bench.'' Brinna nodded. She said it more to herself. It was stupid. She was stupid. Letting this whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. She was being ridiculous, and she couldn't stop herself.

\t``Look. Sorry I screwed up your junk necklace thingy.'' The bat took another sip of her drink and offered a semi-genuine smile ``But you know what they say. No matter how broken something gets, you can always fix it.''

\t``Who says that?'' Brinna quirked her brow a bit

\t``You know. People. Like, people. Like when Japanese people dump gold in tea kettles or some crap. I unno. People''

\t``Yeah? Well you can't kintsugi everything.'' Brinna sighed ``Sometimes things are just broken. Sometimes there aren't enough pieces to pick up. Because no matter how many times you think about what could have been, no matter how many times you fall asleep dreaming of what could be or should be, no matter how many times you try to fit the pieces together in your mind, you know that nothing will change. Because he lied to you. Because he thinks he can buy you like everything else. Because he thinks if he gives you a chance to do something you like and he keeps doing stuff to help the poor and throws money all over the place he can buy you back. Which he said he didn't want. So if what he wants is so special then why does he think a job and showing off how much he's changed are going to make a gosh darned bit of difference? How does that make you anything more than just another trophy some spoiled rich brat is upset he can't have? Even if you want him to have it. Even if you go to bed every night wishing you could just give in but that you'd hate yourself if you fell into that kind of trap.'' Brinna gasped and panted. Lungs quaking for air. She Shut her eyes tight as she gripped the hem of her shirt and felt the small droplets of moisture falling from her eyes and onto the shirt itself.

\t``He didn't get you that apprenticeship.''

\tBrinna looked up and tilted her head as she gazed at the bat, now standing. Her posture having shifted considerably. ``What did you say?''

\t``He didn't get you the job. He doesn't know.'' The bat repeated rather insistently

\t``He doesn't... then who did?'' Brinna whined ``Why the heck would anyone Ms. Havisham me? How would you know? Who are you anyways?''

\t``You want him back?'' The only reply the gothy bat gave as she slipped the straw between her lips and gave a slow, judgmental slurp.

\t``No. Yes. I don't know. I don't know him. The real him. How am I supposed to know that he didn't send you?''

\t``Oh my gawds I don't care'' The bat finally groaned ``Look trash necklace. It's not a hard question. You want him? Wanna be his? Then get in there and figure this shit out. Or don't. Not my job to tell you what to do. But seriously just cut it with all the self destructive moralizing bullshit. Is he some kind of horrible unlovable monster?''

\t``No!'' Brinna yelped with far more anger than she had expected

\t``Are you really going to blame the bastard son of the CEO because the company is running the same way it's been running since his great great, like, tons of greats grandpa decided to take a big ass mech and stomp down the oppressors and break off from terra?''

\t``N-no.'' She sighed

\t``Did he send people to your house? Threaten your parents or have you dragged off to be dumped into a training booth? Forcibly implant every shred of love and adoration you have for him until literally all you can think about is making him happy and doing as he commands without a shred of your own emotion remaining? Scooping you up off the street and making you into a hollow puppet using the literal contents of his junk drawer to steal your mind and soul?''

\t``Wait what?'' Brinna blinked

\t``Ok girly now let's just cut right to the chase. Do you love him?''

\t``What? I uh.'' Brinna yelped

\t``Not a hard question, jewelry girl. Do you love him.''

\t``Y-yes!''

\t``Do you blame him for how the company works?''

\t``No?''

\t``Do you really want to be strong?''

\t``Well n-no.''

\t``Independent?''

\t``No.''

\t``Free?''

\t``Heck no!'' Brinna squeaked loudly She quickly slapped a hand over her muzzle

\t``Fucking finally. So then tell me what you want.''

\t``I don't know!'' Brinna announced loudly.

\t``Exactly! Wait dial that back again?'' the strange girl said, her mouth going a bit agape

\t``I mean I want it. I want him. The codependence and the helplessness an the complete and utter obliteration of my stupid independence into him. I want to throw out all of the class struggle and moralizing and guilt and just throw my scrawny, ugly, worthless little body at his feet and hope he takes pity on the offering. I want to be punished and shamed and made to suffer because I am lower than him and I know deep down he could do better. I just want him to take me and pin me down, to look me in the eye, to force that collar around my neck and... and... Golly'' she winced and blushed beet red. Glancing at her feet and pushing her thighs together as hard as she could.''

\t``See, now you're talking sense. So what's the problem?''

\t``Because he still hurt me. He still lied. Because no matter what his reasons I just don't know if I can forgive him for that and try again. I don't know if I'll just end up stuck in resentment trying to force what I want though that impenetrable wall. I can't do that to him. I can't do that to me.'' Brinna bit back a sob as she wiped the messy black bangs from her eyes. Looking up at the strange bat girl as the raw hot emotions of Brinnas heart spilled themselves out with no way to stop them.

\t``Jesus Christ.'' The bat groaned as she gripped the bridge of her muzzle and groaned ``Look, you can either go home and keep doing your little job and keep feeling the way you clearly do until the day you die. Or you can put yourself back under his boot where you know you belong and start the fuck over. But for Gods sake trash necklace just pick one already. Watching you sulk for half a year is just so fucking depressing.''

\tBrinna let out a loud squeak as she nodded, and then blinked again. Her thoughts racing around far faster than she could keep track. She shook her head and watched the bat girl who had already turned heel and started off down the walkway

\t``Hey, wait a second! What the heck do you mean half a year?'' Brinna whimpered and started to stand as the bat girl just walked away, tossing the empty drink over her shoulder as she did. The cup bounced off the rim and landed squarely on the grass, causing the departing goth girl to wince in mild frustration.

\tBrinna bent down to pick it up, stopping as her HUD flashed a message. ``Just remember, don't break his heart. Or else.''

\tShe looked up to see where the goth had gone Yet in spite of the lack of tree cover and the open fields, the girl had utterly vanished. It was official. She needed to call Dr. Naomi.

--------------------

\tConsidering the size and position of the Thaneson suites, one would likely expect something more grandiose as a master bedroom. It wasn't small, certainly. About six meters square with doors leading to the master bath and the overly-big walk in. Yet there wasn't really anything flashy or interesting about it. The walls were kept bare composite unlike those resting in his main hall. The bed a simple foam rectangle adorned with cotton sheets. High quality to be sure, but a pittance compared to many with even a fraction of his income. Since he'd barred the maids from his chambers the place had gotten a bit cluttered as well. Much of it was that way to begin with. Racks and rows of bondage gear and furniture shoved in with partially finished project vehicles and tubs of assorted miscellany nobody dared go though.

\tSean sat up in bed and leaned over to take a whiff of himself. It started to click that the room itself wasn't the only problem. He considered getting a bath going. Thought of forcing himself in the tub and letting the hot water and jets peel off some of the funk he'd been building up. That'd take effort. He thought about maybe getting one or two of his pets to bathe him. Unsurprisingly the idea left him just borderline ambivalent.

\tThe door slid open. It took the groggy bear a good deal of time to fully react. He watched one of his maids walking in. Sita, one of his co-head maids. In reality one of the only two maids with genuine training.

\t``Good morning, Master Sean'' Sita said with a small hint of annoyance in her voice. She carried a tray over to him. Orange Juice, Coffee, Bacon and eggs, A liege waffle with mixed berries and hazelnut whipped cream. All of them piping fresh and expertly made.

\tSean proceeded to pick up the large mug from the ray and all but tossed the scalding liquid down his throat. His eyes went wide as saucers and he slammed the mug back down, waving his hand in front of his mouth ``Ahh ahh, hot Thath hot!'' he growled

\t``It is coffee, sir.'' the brown scaled viper sighed as she fought very hard not to roll her eyes.

\tSean grabbed his juice and started to chug it. Taking down most of the glass in one breath and slumping back into the satin pillow covers with a sigh. ``Gods that was way too hot. The hell was I thinking?''

\t``My guess is that you weren't, Master.'' The snake said rather flatly.

\t``Yeah, well. Wait. I thought I remember telling you all to stay out until I said otherwise.''

\t``Apologies, Master. But your mother sent us to check on you. She caught word that you hadn't been out of your room for the past week.''

\tSean rolled his eyes and sighed ``yeah, wonder how she got word of that.'' he grumbled. ``Where's Chepi? I mean if one of you is going to barge in here unannounced and line yourselves up for punishment, might as well get it all out of the way now, right?'' he muttered as he grabbed a strip of bacon, snapping it off and chewing it roughly.

\t``You'll forgive me if I'm not intimidated, Master.'' The snake said flatly. She walked over to the small trash bin by his work desk and picked it up. The thing was crammed over-full with wrappers and half eaten chip bags. She tipped the nearly overflowing thing over and dumped it out on the floor. The trash clanging and clattering as it spread out enough to jut barely cover her ankles in the six inch heels.

\t``Oh come on. Do you want Ants, Sita? Because that's how you get ants.''

\t``Master, I'm trying to make a point.'' She sighed ``I think you know what it is. I'll await your punishment whenever you see fit.'' She waded though the small puddle of refuse and out the door without another word. The door sliding shut behind her.

\t``Friggin disrespectful snakie.'' Sean muttered ``Shoulda sent Chepi in. Girl actually knows how hard I can spank when I want to.'' He growled a bit at the scene and then sighed. The false bravado just serving to further his exhaustion.

\t``Kenna.'' Sean called out ``how many messages do I have waiting?''

\t``Twenty one, Lord Sean'' The voice said in her semi-flat sing song.

\t``And how many of those are from people waiting for me to select the next project I accept?

\t``Nineteen, Lord Sean'' the computer chimed again.

\t``Ok, yeah. Put all of those on hold until after I eat. Set the remaining messages to personal priority and play in order.'' He glanced at the nice big fluffy pile of scramble for a moment before shaking his head and taking his knife to the partition of his waffle. The nice crisp crack as metal hit crust promising something he'd enjoy for probably the whole two minutes before it was all wolfed down. He got a good dollop of the cream and a few berries on top of his fork and glanced up at the projector.

\tHis mouth refused to close. The bite of waffle tumbled out of his muzzle and rolled off his belly onto the bed as those cool blue eyes forced themselves open though the bruises and bags.

\tIt was a familiar scene. Brinna. Sweet, cute, gawky Brinna. She worked to get everything adjusted a bit. Balancing the cheap cam to whatever fixture she'd managed to find to attach it. She pulled back a bit. Blushing, shivering. She had her shorts moved down around her ankles, the panties still in place for the moment. The poor terrified creature looking down at the thick stack of nice looking faux paper she had to one side.

\tShe got herself situated. Overly long shirt lifting long enough as she readjusted to see her unflattering striped panties. She had on the same knee socks as the first pic she'd ever sent, and a sleeveless shirt from the latest overly thought out and bizarrely morally complex Rati series.

\tBrinna sat on her knees for a long moment as she looked at the document. Seeming to fidget and adjust herself, rocking back and forth on that lumpy bed to get it all just right. Her cheeks went a bit dark as she started to slowly peel the panties down. Less a flattering gesture than some simple step in whatever she was doing.

\tSean didn't care. The fork had already fallen from his fingers. The small shot of her shirt moving enough to get a bare shot between her legs at first, even for a moment, and the bear felt the first real stirring he'd had in at least two weeks.

The rodent in the display shivered and struggled to control the growing anxiety in her breath. She reached one arm behind her back and down between her legs. Her body tensing a moment as she started to push back a small little tremor though her body. At first she tugged the shirt up. Muzzle opening as if she was seeking to put the hem into it as she had before. The idea was quickly abandoned, Brinna instead Shuffling and twisting herself around a bit. Trying to hook the bulk of the shirt under her free arm as the other ran straight down her back. As she settled, Sean noticed her fingers just barely grazing her already damp folds. He almost didn't want to look up. This could be a dream, after all. Yet another case of his mind torturing him in his sleep.

\tBut fuck it. If it tried that again he'd just make it pay with some more of that vodka. For now he was not going to pass this up.

\t``L-ord Bran stood by the abbey wall with his troops.''

\tSean looked up gazed at those gorgeous eyes as best he could. She was using her free hand to hold the documents. Stories. His jaw dropped in amazement as he gazed in awe at the bashful face trembling and quivering with elation and shame.

\t``He had yet to eschew his armor, or even give role to the troops. His priority lay at the small line in the back. The holy men and women that had not yet been taken to the carts for transport. The line up was small. Unremarkable by city standards. Philomena, who had come from Aberdeen, wondered why such a toothless... toothless? T-that... that's supposed to be ruthless... darn it'' she whimpered softly and bit her lip in frustration. An unexpected little moan hitting her even from the screwup as she just barely mouthed a wonderfully little reflexive 'sorry Sir'.

\t``She trembled at the old badgers touch. His hands tracing her full, curvy, luscious, firm, strong, soft body. She, she tried to.'' Brinna mmphed and winced as her awkward rhythm sped up just a bit more. Hips starting to rock and sway a bit on their own. ``She tried to look away as he grabbed her moist cunt and slowly ran a finger along her lower lips. ``'You can seek to run if you wish.' The badger growled `But we both know you will be mine. You and perhaps this delicious crumpet here, for my own personal harem'. Philomena looked at the buxom body that stood beside her. Liliania, her younger sister. Both in the eyes of the church, and by blood. She felt her heart run cold as she began to realize... realize... Oh d-darn I skipped like, t-two paragraphs didn't I?''

\tIn spite of the small screwup she didn't seem to be letting her left hand slow its erotic fumbligns. Sean could feel his toes curl. His tongue practically lulling out as he let his eyes wander back down from her face to her most precious offering.

\tThen he stopped, his hand freezing mid move holding the covers awkwardly half-on/half off of his lower body. He looked at her pelvis. At the soft downy fur there. Gazing blankly at the lovingly scribbled words resting there.

To: Sir

\tHe was paralyzed. Sean just looking in awe. If there were any Gods he prayed now harder than ever that this wasn't a dream.

\tBrinna continued. The gawky little rolls of her fingers and forceful stroking drew out small moans that were soon punctuated by growing sobs. Tears thudded audibly on her script as her thin voice choked itself. The bear would trade everything, everything he had, everything hew was, just to hold her right now.

\tSean reached his hand out to the whispy phantoms of light. A thousand thoughts bubbled up in his chest as he tired to reach them. His eyes blurring from the tears. For just a second, he could feel her in his arms again, and he prayed for it to never stop.

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