>>5330828Before you hang up with Matt, you <span class="mu-i">do</span> have questions for him, the first one coming to mind regarding a certain gemstone mutant.
“How’s Julia doing?” You wonder how she’s faring in the great outdoors.
<span class="mu-i"><span class="mu-s">“Her? She’s definitely enjoying the farm– I don’t think she knew what to do without V for the first night, but she’s been hanging around with Jenna for most of the time. She was pretty standoffish at first, but I think she likes having some real female interaction for once.”</span></span>
“And I don’t count?” You take offense to Matt’s words.
<span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“Eeehhhhh…”</span></span> He hesitates, and you know he’s just busting your chops at this point; but then his voice becomes more serious as he tells you bluntly, <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“Let’s just face it, Ellie, you and I both know that Julia’s never going to be one hundred percent fully comfortable with you. Ever.”</span></span>
“I’m aware,” You sigh, and you’d never expect her to be.
<span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“But who knows? Maybe she’ll come around. Or not.”</span></span> Matt adds, and you know he’s just trying to make you feel better with that last part.
“Oh– hey, I just remembered something!” You shout a little too loudly, eager to talk about anything <span class="mu-i">other</span> than what you did to Julia. “Who’s gonna watch the kids when you go?”
<span class="mu-i"><span class="mu-s">“Jenna,”</span></span> Matt says as if that were obvious, and who else around there would be capable of watching a schoolbus worth of mutants? <span class="mu-i"><span class="mu-s">“She lives at home most of the time, so she’s going to help plan stuff to keep them busy all day… farmwork, busywork, you name it…”</span></span>
“That sounds neat, but do you just have them in like a barn or something or what?” You don’t expect a five-star arrangement for any of the captives, but you do think they would appreciate <span class="mu-i">not</span> sleeping in a place that smells rank.
>(1/?) 