>>5796713“Well,” Pepper begins as she rests her cheek on her hand, “I’m just… I kinda <span class="mu-i">envy</span> Viv, y’know?”
Hey, you counter, Pepper’s got it where it counts too… she shouldn’t sell herself short!
“Pfft, I didn’t mean <span class="mu-i">that</span>, you goof!” She giggles! “... Well, maybe a <span class="mu-i">little</span>... no clue how she isn’t in constant back spasms with those things, though..”
Yea, you nod as you glance in the server’s direction, they’re… <span class="mu-i">ample</span>...
“Alright, alright, sorry I brought ‘em up…” Pepper groans as she subtly glances at her own chest with a sigh, “What I <span class="mu-i">MEANT</span> was that, well, she survived the night on the island… managed to avoid getting murdered by some shitty corpo security and a pack of mutants whipped up by a psychotic scientist.. and she’s just… <span class="mu-i">content</span>, y’know? She’s got a job, friends, family…”
What’s her point, exactly?
“Look… I’ve really enjoyed tonight so far,” your date begins as she stares at you with slightly weary eyes, “But I haven’t been able to sleep well in weeks… it used to be the drowning dreams, but now it’s, like, a <span class="mu-i">mixture</span>, y’know?”
Yea, you nod, you’ve been waking up in cold sweats too… you still remember tangling with those bug things–and when she got caught behind that gate…
“And y’know what the worst part is?” Ask the redhead with a forced smile, “That there’s no flippin’ way Hauser was the only shithead getting into trouble like this…”
Let me guess, you sigh, she wants to stop it from happening again, right?
“Scooped me again…” She mutters with a bitter chuckle. “But just when I’ve been vindicated… just when I’ve found my calling… I found a few other things I lost a long time ago too…”
You have an idea of what she’s talking about, but you don’t interrupt.
“Mom and Jake have… well, they’re <span class="mu-i">better</span> than they used to be.” Explains Pepper as she wipes her sleeve across her face. “I haven’t talked to them this much in ages… and the <span class="mu-i">smiling</span>...”
Sniffing a bit, the girl turns her gaze over to you again. “And it’s all thanks to you, Diesel… if you had just hopped back on that ferry, well…” Stopping herself mid-sentence with a shake of her head, the redhead sends a renewed smile your way! “A-anyways, I found my family again… and I found… I found <span class="mu-i">you</span>...”
>CONTD. 