>>5313416>>5313088"Matvei........... Who were you before The World Ended? What happened to your parents?"
M <span class="mu-i">"I was a poor orphan, spent time off and on borderline homeless."</span> Matvei's face began to smile and he chuckled twice, before his face locked up, and the color seemed to drain from him. There was this long, stare... At nothing. <span class="mu-i">"I don't call it The World Ending..... I call it......"</span> His mouth was open, but no words came out.
E <span class="mu-i">"When we got down into the tunnels..... All the people who bothered us were locked outside on the other end........ There was enough food for about a year or more... I think all that powder they used to put in their arms or breathe in.... That got trapped on the top too..."</span>
M <span class="mu-i">"Yeah..... And all those sticks they would set on fire and suck in.....That smelled so bad, most of them are trapped on top too......"</span>
"Those people who create problems.....I think a few of them managed to get down here, I think I saw a few in my station."
Matvei lifted his head and looked over at his friend, concerned <span class="mu-i">"No shit? Where? What happened to them?"</span>
"I think I shot them....." Gustav looked up at them both and he sighed out, shaking his head. He leaned back in his chair, settling his head back and closing his eyes. "All of these things I've been hearing about the past..... Are just so bad....."
M <span class="mu-i">"Yeah, but I don't understand why you are stressing..... There might be a war but.... There was wars before things changed.... And you still have a double station of soldiers...."</span>
Gustav raised his head just enough to strain his eyes and try to look at both of them. His delayed look at Elizaveta.
E <span class="mu-i">"Its a girl thing..."</span>
M <span class="mu-i">"Oh shit, Kira....Right.... There was something going on between you two.... What is that all about?"</span>
Gustav closed his eyes and rested his head, breathing in and then breathing out. "I don't even know.... There is something about her that I can't explain.... It just takes a hold of me..... But I am so scared of it....."
E <span class="mu-i">"Oh..... That...... That put us together and almost tore us apart."</span>
There was this kind of silence, his hearing was not good enough to hear their breathing over his own.
M <span class="mu-i">"Yeah....."</span>
There was the sound coming from her direction of movement in her chair, but it didn't sound like she was standing up.
E <span class="mu-i">"When we were kids, Matvei said he would always look out for me....... And he wasn't a dickhead..."</span>
M <span class="mu-i">"...........But I think I..."</span>
E <span class="mu-i">"I did too........But um..... You apologized."</span>
M <span class="mu-i">"I did?"</span>
E <span class="mu-i">"You apologized every single day for nine years......"</span>
M <span class="mu-i">"When did you apologize?"</span>
E <span class="mu-i">"I started about ten years ago, I do a string of apologizes every three years."</span>
Gustav just froze.... "What about last year?"
M <span class="mu-i">"I think we decided she's good for now....."</span>
...
"Are we talking about your ch"
E <span class="mu-i">"Yes.... It's all I can give."</span>