102914milokosami

[11:02] TT: while Sami is busy doing [insert action here], Miloko makes her way up quietly behind her, waiting several minutes before releasing an almost inaudible "umm?"

 [11:03] AA: Sami turns and gives a little nod of recognition when she sees Miloko. "Oh, hey there. You're Miloko, right?" Her grin turns wicked. "Darmok's girlfriend?"

 [11:05] TT: upon being noticed Miloko goes stock still

 [11:06] AA: "Hey, are you okay?"

 [11:10] TT: the only motion she gives is a small nod

 [11:12] AA: Sami looks at her for a moment before nodding her head. "I get it....you're shy, and I'm coming on super strong, right? I'm sorry, let me try again."

 [11:13] AA: She clears her throat and offers out her hand in a really businesslike manner. "I'm Sami."

 [11:15] TT: Miloko reaches out with a trembling hand "umm, hi?"

 [11:16] AA: "Hi." She shakes Miloko's hand warmly, but gently. "Did you want to talk to me about something?"

 [11:18] TT: "erm, y-yeah? how w-well do you k-know my m-mother?"

 [11:19] AA: "You mean Maenam? Or the Troll Empress from this universe?"

 [11:19] TT: "or w-well my a-alternate u-universe b-birth m-mother? to be m-more s-specific?"

 [11:20] AA: "Oh. Yeah, I know Maenam....reasonably well. We've only known each other five years, but it's been the sort of five years that tends to bring people together."

 [11:21] AA: "We've never actually been on a team together though. At least until we fought Jack." Her face darkens a bit at the memory, but she moves past it with barely a mention.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:23] TT: "I was w-wondering is you c-could m-maybe g-give me s-some i-information a-about her? j-just so I h-have s-some i-idea of w-what to e-expect?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:23] AA: "What do you mean? What sort of information? And what do you mean by 'what to expect?'"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:25] TT: "it's j-just t-that in t-this u-universe, s-she's not so, b-bubbly I g-guess? I was k-kind of c-caught off g-guard?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:26] AA: "Oh....is she not like that here?" Sami sighs. "Everyone seems different in this universe. Lily tells me that the Sami in this universe went into the military, and is a total badass." She laughs at the idea.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:28] AA: "But yeah, Maenam's a total sweetheart. I'm not certain but....I think maybe she didn't really want to be a princess. And decided to live her life her own way instead of the way troll society wanted her to."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:28] TT: "I g-guess t-that's one t-thing we h-have in c-common?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:29] AA: "Heh. You didn't want to be a princess?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:30] TT: "g-given the s-stares p-people g-gave me and the f-fact I k-knew t-they w-were j-judging me for b-being a t-troll? not at all?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:32] AA: "Oh, did they? That sucks." Sami's brows knit in disappointment with her species.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:32] AA: "It's kind of weird that there even *is* a royal family here. Earth didn't have a King or Queen where I came from."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:33] AA: "I mean, not ONE King or Queen. There were like two hundred countries. Some of them had kings and queens, some of them had presidents, some had dictators, all sorts of stuff."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:33] TT: "t-that s-sounds, i-ineffiecent?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:34] AA: "Beau wasn't a queen or a princess in my world. She was rich and I think her parents ran some sort of big company, but she was just a normal girl."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:34] AA: "And of course Trolls and Humans had never met, so Tlaloc wasn't on Earth at all."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:36] TT: "I g-guess t-that'd e-explain the l-lack of m-mixed r-race a-adults?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:37] AA: "Yeah. I'm actually surprised that's even possible, really! I mean, not with the ectoslime dealie or whatever, but I mean....I wouldn't have thought humans and trolls could breed naturally at all. Were you guys the only hybrids in your world? Or were there others?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:38] AA: "Because I was told AT LENGTH, several times, no matter how many times I asked not to be told, how trolls reproduced, and it was....not at all the same thing."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:39] AA: "Something about giant grubs and slurry and the whole matesprite/kismesis thing." She chuckles. "And you thought having multiple COUNTRIES was inefficient!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:40] TT: "y-yeah, t-that was a fun c-chat to h-have? b-both of t-them, a-actually?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:41] AA: "Ughh, I'll bet. When my dad had 'the talk' with me, he just threw a pamphlet at me and ran away, then we avoided eye contact for a couple of weeks."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:42] AA: She actually blushes a little remembering it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:46] TT: "at l-least you c-could get a-away? I had m-mine r-right b-before a d-dinner p-party?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:50] AA: "Hahaha oh god. That must have been terrible. You poor thing."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:51] TT: "it was a-awkward? but no m-more a-awkward t-than u-usual for me?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [11:58] AA: "So was there anything else you wanted to know about Maenam?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:04] TT: "the o-only t-thing I can t-think to ask a-about is why she c-came h-here?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:09] AA: "What, to this session? Same reason we all did. We were attempting to escape this asshole named Jack and leave him to die in our own session."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:10] AA: "Of course, Jack found out about our plan and we had to kill him ourselves. Lost some....really important friends in the fight." She sighs. "But the Scratch was already in progress by the time we beat him."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:10] AA: "So we had no option but to continue fleeing our dying session."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:11] TT: "I'm s-sorry?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:12] TT: "I m-meant h-here as on t-this t-team, i-instead of one of the o-others t-though?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:13] AA: "Oh. Libby sent us to our teams in a hurry because we heard you guys were in trouble. We didn't have time to choose who would go where, really."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:15] TT: "so it was j-just c-chance, t-then?" she gets a sad look on her face, as though that was not the answer she wanted to hear

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:15] AA: "What's wrong?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:17] TT: "it's n-nothing? n-nothing new a-anyways?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:19] AA: "No, c'mon. Tell me what's bothering you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:19] AA: "You're dating my son. We're practically family!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:23] TT: her face becomes a deep shade of brown and her tone becomes flustered "it's not n-nice to t-talk a-about p-people b-behind t-their b-backs?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:27] AA: Sami's brows go up in concern again. "Are you having problems with someone?" She looks back toward the room that Maenam is in. "Are you....not happy about Maenam?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:29] TT: "no, not s-someone?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:34] AA: "Look, I'm not going to push you, Miloko. I've ruined friendships by being too pushy in the past. But I think you'll probably feel better if you talk to someone about whatever's bugging you. And I want you to feel like you can come to me with stuff like that, if you need to."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:36] TT: "f-fine, but p-promise you w-won't t-tell a-anyone? e-especially my s-sister?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:36] AA: "Okay."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:43] TT: "I g-grew up in a h-house w-where my s-sister was the f-favorite of e-everyone? I was n-never a-anyone's f-first c-choice?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:46] AA: "Aww, Miloko." Sami pats her hand.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:50] TT: "t-that's a-actually why D-Darmok and I are, you k-know? he was the f-first p-person who a-actually c-cared a-about me, and not who I k-knew or w-what my p-position s-stood for?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:52] AA: Sami smiles. "He sounds like a real sweetheart. I'm proud of him."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:53] TT: "has he s-still b-been a-avoiding you?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:54] AA: "No....we talked." Sami's mood turns a little dark.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:54] AA: "I'm worried about him. And I think he's worried too."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:56] TT: "oh no? is s-something bad g-gonna h-happen?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:56] AA: "I don't know. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it doesn't." She sighs. "But I guess this game has turned me into a pessimist."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:57] TT: "I w-wish I c-could h-help, but I'm not my s-sister?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:57] AA: "But listen, regardless of whether he and I are overreacting and nothing bad is really coming....we're never guaranteed a tomorrow in this game."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:58] AA: "I know it's probably not a normal thing for a mom to tell her son's girlfriend but....don't waste any time assuming things can wait until the future."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [12:59] TT: "I d-don't t-think n-normal a-applies to a-anything a-anymore?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:00] AA: "Heh. Maybe not."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:01] AA: "You remember that fight with Jack I told you about? The one we got into right before the Scratch? My girlfriend died in that fight."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:01] AA: "I still regret so many of the things that we didn't ever get to do together. Even if nothing bad ever happens to Darmok....don't put things off."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:02] AA: "Hold on to whatever happiness you can have together while you can."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:03] TT: "I u-understand, a-although m-maybe l-loss of h-happiness is w-what I n-need?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:05] AA: "It sounds like you've had a tough road already, sweetie." She pats Miloko's hand again.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:06] TT: "it's not g-gonna get e-easier, is it?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:07] AA: Sami sighs. "No, not really. But you get better at dealing with it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:08] AA: "I'm still struggling with that a bit. But I am getting better. Ever so slowly."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:09] TT: "it c-could be w-worse, you c-could be p-powerless? l-like me?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:10] AA: "You're not as powerless as you think, and I'm not as powerful as you think I am either. And you're only going to get more powerful as time goes on. Not sure if the same can be said of me."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:18] TT: "I'm s-sure by now in y-your g-game, you w-were a-already m-much s-stronger t-than I am?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:19] AA: "You mean like a stronger fighter, or a stronger person?" She shrugs. "I don't think I even figured out I *had* breath-y powers until we had almost beaten our first world."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:20] AA: "As for a stronger person....at this point in my session, I was still convinced everything would turn out fine as long as everyone was friends, and that we could overcome any problem."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:21] AA: "So, y'know....maybe I was emotionally robust? But it was all based on lying to myself."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:23] TT: "a-actually, I'm k-kind of i-interested to h-hear how you f-figured out how y-your e-even had p-powers and how you s-started c-controlling t-them?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:24] AA: "Oh. It's not really that amazing a story. We were in a forest fire and I started to choke on the smoke, and then I just sort of....instinctively cleared my lungs."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:27] TT: "so y-you're s-saying t-that I m-might get mad one day and t-then s-something w-will h-happen?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:27] AA: "Are you a Rage player?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:28] TT: Miloko nods

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:28] AA: "I don't know Rage that well, but these aspects don't ever seem to be purely literal. A lot of learning how to do my Breath stuff was learning symbolism to figure out what it meant BESIDES wind."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:30] TT: "you t-think s-someone w-would h-have m-made a b-book a-about it?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:31] AA: "Probably. I know Libby would know, and might have books about it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:31] AA: "You could also talk to your sprite....but they tend to be a bit cagey about their answers, and wrap them in bullshit and riddles."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:31] AA: "I wouldn't be surprised if Rage is about any sort of high emotion or passion though."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:32] TT: "I w-wanna a-avoid my s-sprite as m-much as p-possible, in all h-honesty?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:33] AA: "Did you prototype something silly?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:33] TT: "do c-clowns c-count as s-silly?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:33] AA: "Um....depends on the type of clown, I guess."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:34] AA: "Beau prototyped a Fool, and it was silly....and also a pain in the ass."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:34] TT: "the h-highblood k-kind?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:34] AA: "Oh god. Seriously?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:34] TT: "y-yeah?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:34] AA: "One like Balish? Or one like....well, I guess, the Balish on this side?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:35] TT: "p-pretty m-much e-exactly the f-first one?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:35] AA: "Well that's not so bad then. The Balish on my side was pretty cool. He had his problems, but he was a good guy."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:36] TT: "d-doesn't m-mean he w-wasn't m-mean?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:36] AA: "Oh, he was grumpy. But he wasn't as mean as he tried to pretend to be. He just wanted people to think he was because he didn't want people getting too close to him."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:38] TT: "he d-does a g-good job of it?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:38] AA: "You sound strangely knowledgeable about pre-scratch Balish, Miloko." Sami looks a little confused.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:43] TT: "w-when I s-said it was p-pretty m-much e-exactly l-like y-your B-Balish? I m-meant t-that it was y-your B-Balish?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:43] AA: Sami turns this over in her head a little while.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:43] AA: "What? Seriously?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:44] AA: "How?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:45] TT: "I d-dunno, I t-threw in a v-vial of p-purple s-stuff, and t-then I was b-being i-insulted?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:46] AA: "Shit. Wow."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:49] AA: "Well look. If it really *is* the Balish from our world....shit, wow, that's kind of amazing, but anyway...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:50] AA: "...okay, look. Balish was working to keep everyone alive. I think that he'll do the same for you--in fact, I'm almost certain sprites HAVE to work for their owners. But I think Balish will help you as much as he can."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:50] AA: "He's probably going to be a big pain in the ass about it, but if you can put up with it, I think he'll steer you right."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:51] TT: "t-that's s-slightly m-more r-reassuring?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:53] AA: "There's also Meouet. She's a Rage player. The Seer of Rage. So I would think she would understand it about as well as anyone, other than Libby and maybe your Sprite."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:54] AA: "But....you have to be careful in how you approach her. She's an ally, but she doesn't suffer fools gladly and she takes it badly if she thinks you see her more as a resource than a teammate. I made that mistake once, and she still hasn't forgiven me." Sami sounds sad about this.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:55] TT: "t-then I p-probably w-wouldn't w-want to b-bother her to ask a b-bunch of d-dumb q-questions?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:56] AA: "Maybe not, yeah. Sorry."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:57] AA: "I feel like all of us should be trying to help out you newbies, so I know if someone came to me with questions I'd be fine with it, but I guess I don't get Meouet's mindset well enough to know how she would take it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:57] AA: "She might even get mad at me for suggesting you come to her for advice, for all I know." Sami shrugs.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:58] AA: "I guess I could contact her myself and ask her if she would mind if you contacted her about it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:58] AA: "Worst case scenario she likes me even less when we're done. But I think that ship has sailed."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:59] TT: "I d-don't w-want to f-force you to do a-anything?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [01:59] AA: "You're not. Don't worry about it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:00] AA: "Meouet wants us to survive this game as much as anyone. And maybe you two could bond over your Aspect. That girl could use some friends, if you decide you want to be friends with her."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:00] AA: "But don't let me force you to be friends with her if you don't want, either. I've gotten past the idea that everyone's going to be friends in this game."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:01] TT: "y-yeah, s-some p-people are j-just u-unsufferable?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:02] AA: "I prefer to think of it as....some people's personalities just aren't compatible."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:03] TT: "and s-some of t-them a-aren't c-compatible w-with a-anyone?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:04] AA: "I don't know. I still like to believe anyone can find friends."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:06] TT: "not w-when t-there are o-only a c-couple d-dozen p-people l-left? you d-don't r-really h-have m-many o-options t-these d-days?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:08] AA: "I dunno." Sami looks off as if she's considering this and looking bummed.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:08] AA: "Shit. Now I feel like I should try to reconnect with everyone."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:09] AA: She sighs. "But most of the people I drifted apart from didn't like my way of trying to be friends in the first place."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:10] TT: "you c-can't be f-faulted for t-trying?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:11] AA: "I guess. And worst case scenario the people who don't want to be my friend right now still don't want to be my friend when I'm done, right?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:12] TT: "s-sounds r-right to me?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:13] AA: "I think you're right. But see what I mean about you being stronger than you think you are? Being a powerful fighter isn't the only way to be strong."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:15] TT: "I d-don't u-understand?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:15] AA: "Well look how you helped me out. I'm the veteran, and you're the one helping me through problems."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:16] AA: "Don't think for a second that's not a kind of strength."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:16] AA: "Now I'm going to go try to talk to the others. And I'll see if Meouet will talk to you about your Aspect. And if she doesn't....well, if you like, I can be there when you talk to Balish. The trick to dealing with him is to laugh off all of his bullshit."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:17] TT: "t-thank you, m-miss H-Heston?" Miloko bows

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:19] AA: "Sami's fine, Miloko." Sami smiles, gets up, and ruffles Miloko's hair. "Okay, I'm off. Talk to you later."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:20] TT: "bye?"