WARNING: The beginning of this chapter deals with themes of abuse and the elements of suicide from last chapter. It is only talked about, not shown explicitly.


Out of all the things he had done in his life, Mordenna considered what just happened to be pretty up there.

What was the scale, though? Absurdness? Yeah, it was pretty astounding for Eliza to just pull off a dual Stasis like that, but Mordenna understood. Under stress, psions could pull off some very interesting tricks, even if they weren't entirely aware of their Gift. So, how about regretfulness? Maybe, but then again... it had earned him the first hug he could remember in a long time. One you could've gotten at any time. Remember Eliza's offer? Yeah, but. That would imply straight up asking and Mordenna can't do that.

Tenderness. Mordenna settled on a scale of tenderness on the back of that. Which... was a scale mostly Eliza occupied. Damn. Maybe there was a bit of bias, there. It was looking like he was in for more entries, too, if this talk with Eliza was going to pan out well.

At the moment, he was just... numbly tracking along behind her. A lot better than he had been, just thirty minutes or so earlier, but he was avoiding eye contact with anyone they passed. Hopefully he didn't have any grass stains on his back. The silence of the walk was still getting at him, and when they entered a relatively desolate hallway, he decided to spring a question that had been eating at him. "... Liz? How did you know I was up there?"

"Commander's intuition," was what she first fired back with, and Mordenna could sense the cop out in it. In a few moments, though, she sighed gently and responded. "Wiki. I... had her tail you. I'd seen your expression after you said that to me and could only wonder what you were going to do, considering questions you had asked me in the past."

Of course. Leave it to the dimension-hopping spark to track a Hunter—and the Commander of XCOM to send her after him. He rubbed the back of his neck. If they hadn't picked up Wiki in the field... Mordenna tried not to think about it, and moved on. "—Can't imagine psionics on such short notice is doing favors for you."

It was then that Mordenna actually picked up on the stiffness of Eliza's neck and how she carried herself, like she was tensed. "Yeah. Dealing with a headache now. But I've had worse. The banger I had coming out of that twenty year sleep was one for a lifetime."

"The Elders were never ones for friendly user design, huh?"

"Could say that again—the amount of times I've heard Lily bring that up..."

At that, Mordenna winced. He'd nearly forgotten he'd slung that barbed remark Eliza's way with Lily right next to her. Or how he'd deceived Lily just to torment his sister. Gotta start watching what you say, Mordenna. Sensitivity 101. Hopefully Eliza might be able to help him along there.

Eventually, they made it back to her quarters. Eliza stepped in and took her usual spot at the couch. Though Mordenna knew the unspoken implication was to sit at his usual spot across from her... something in his heart guided him to walk past "his" couch and sit beside her. Eliza looked mildly surprised at the development, but a smile was quick to work its way onto her face. It didn't last long—as she looked at him, her expression dropped. "Mordenna. Do you really feel like you have to prove you're not worth it to me?"

Even despite what had happened, there was a part of Mordenna that was debating answering. Opening up about that and giving her the real reason would involve talking about Odin, and about what Odin had done outside of just lashing him. But, Mordenna reminded himself, Eliza said she signed up for everything. Plus, she saved your life—probably twice now, considering you didn't have much of a life with the Elders. Be forward with her you goddamn hooligan.

After a bit of silence, Mordenna broke eye contact. "That's... a rabbit hole, Eliza. One I'm about to get into, don't worry, I'm just warning you about what you're in for."

Eliza reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, which made him feel a bit better. "If you tell me, it helps me to help you. Even if it's a rabbit hole, I mean it when I said I signed up for everything."

Mordenna nodded. "Right..." How to start this. His fingers nervously smoothed across the material of his pants. "—All starts when I got nabbed, really. I don't even remember much of what Odin—the Elder responsible for me—did to me... just what I've got to deal with now. Sleeplessness. Occasional overstimulation. That's not even going into my various personality defects. Bastard erased my memory, too. As much as he could of my former life, anyway." Mordenna blew some air out of his nose. "Only that I was from the Reapers, a bit of how they work, and a few details about the more prominent members."

"Explains your familiarity with them," Eliza replied softly.

Mordenna squinted, focusing on nothing in particular as he moved on. "I'm sure you know this, but the Elders were never cut out to be parents. Odin treated me like I was a thing. Good for him when it was early on and I was obeying. Not so good for me when I cottoned on to the fact that my whole situation was fucked." A memory surfaced and he balled his fists. "Y'never forget your first lashing, Eliza. Or how much regret comes after. They just... kept happening. Eventually... I just came to terms with the fact that I'd always be a disappointment. That I wasn't worth shit but the processing power my brain offered and the pull of a trigger."

"To him."

Mordenna blinked, then took in a steady breath. "Yeah. To him." He got the implication that Eliza was throwing at him. He felt her squeeze his shoulder and his face softened. "But I just got so used to it, Eliza. I mean, fuck Odin. When I get to him, I've got a case of bullets with his name on them. But..." If someone like Odin, the one he'd inadvertently imprinted on during those first few years, was insisting he was nothing? When he couldn't find any other support around him for fifteen years? "... it just, made me think, Liz. What was the point. I mean, eventually 'spite' became my answer, but you've seen it's a piss-poor motivation when my thinking just dips."

The Commander nodded, and she leaned more towards him. "I'm sure you know this, Mordenna, but regularity does not constitute acceptability. Just because you became used to it doesn't mean it's what's normal."

"I know that," he tiredly replied, "I've never thought for a second I ever deserved those lashings."

"But other punishment was seen as acceptable?"

Mordenna shrugged. "There was no in-between. Either it was getting told off—something Odin did less and less as it was clear I didn't give a shit—or it was the belt."

He watched Eliza's eyes soften. "Then why seek out punishment here?"

The Hunter was quiet for a moment. He closed his eyes, his response coming gently. "Because... because I was convinced I was going to fuck up the one good thing that had happened to me, and you were going to throw me out when it happened. I thought 'why not get it done with sooner. Why not justify dying.' But I..." He squeezed his eyes further shut. "I don't want to lose this. I don't but I fuckin' resigned to the fact that it was inevitable. I knew I was going to hurt you. And that always brought out the belt before." Only when he realized how much it hurt him to watch Eliza react like that was when his thought process was shaken.

"Mordenna..." Eliza seemed to be considering her words. "—do you want a hug before I continue?"

Well. To hear her just ask like that was... amusingly simple. He got the reason for it—he knew he reacted kinda weirdly to the first sign of physical contact, and it wasn't like she could've asked about the last hug. Mordenna drummed his fingers on his thigh before nodding.

Just like that, he felt the couch shift as Eliza moved closer, felt the pressure and warmth around him as she brought in her arms, felt that pleasant burning in his chest. Before he knew it, his hands were awkwardly feeling for her, and he was returning the embrace. Eliza continued. "Like I told you on the ground—hurt happens. People will say things they don't mean because they're angry. Preferably we try to avoid it, but sometimes you'll say something you don't even know will hurt someone else. It happens—and removing yourself permanently isn't a way to help prevent future hurt. It's just going to make that person ache whenever they think about what they could have done. The best solution is to stay and work out that pain."

The best solution being to stay? Earlier he would have laughed. Why stay and help twist the knife in. Then again, if Mordenna had died and gone to hell... his circle was probably going to be agonizing over the fact that he called Eliza the Chosen Siren as his last words to her for all eternity. He could get what Eliza was saying. He was... starting to see how Eliza had rallied a resistance this long and this effectively. Probably helped twenty years before, too. He just... had to make sure it was absolutely clear. "So even if I say some nasty shit to you, because I'm frustrated or think I'm not worth it or what have you... you want me to stay. And talk it out."

"Yes. Absolutely." She took in a deep breath before she continued. "Because you deserve a second chance, Mordenna. And I've got an eye for people who are actually trying to turn themselves around, and you're one of them. Whenever your bad mood strikes you, whenever you think that there's no way you deserve a loving environment... come talk to me. I'll set you straight. I may be busy sometimes, but I'll always have the time for anyone who needs me. However long it takes, I'll sit down with you and reassure you, and work with you, and do whatever I can to help you."

Eliza was something. He relaxed and opened his eyes, looking down at Eliza. "Ok. I'm... I'm trusting you, Liz. I don't want to lose what you gave me. I'll try my best to work with you—and I mean it, this time. It's just hard to get my brain to work with me sometimes."

"I understand. Fifteen years with the Elders... couldn't have done the best for your psyche."

Something occurred to him and it took a bit of wind out of his sails. "—You've got five years up on me, Liz."

"And?" She looked up at him seriously. "The fact that either of us spent even a year with them is the tragedy. Just because I've suffered for longer doesn't invalidate the suffering you went through. Don't shove yourself to the side." She patted his back. "I'm here because I want to focus on you and help you as much as I can."

Wasn't that the truth. Mordenna leaned against Eliza, thinking a moment more. "... to answer your question straightforward-like, Eliza? Because, through a long history of physical and emotional fuckery, Odin made me think I wasn't worth shit outside of him. If I wasn't his son, who was I." He sighed, then took in a calming breath. "I know now he was just saying that shit because he wanted to keep what control over me he could. But it happened, Lizzie."

"Yes. Yes it did. And it sucks."

To hear such genuine sympathy out of Eliza like that... yeah. It was pretty cathartic. The situation he had been in was fucked up and Odin was a lying bastard. "It fucking sucked, Eliza. Get your facts straight."

The bit of humor wasn't lost on Eliza, and she offered him a smile. "Alright. It fucking sucked. But you're out of it now, and we can help you heal. You can vent, you can ask for advice, you can mess up and not have the hammer come down on you. I want you to know that. And maybe, just maybe, you can patch things up with your siblings."

Mordenna raised his eyebrows at that. "Woah, Eliza, I know you're a miracle worker but I think that might be beyond even you. Maybe Jax and Fal-Mai can bury the hatchet, but they've both got firm reasons to hate my guts."

"Firm reasons brought around by the Elders, mind you."

His mouth pressed into a line. Truth be told... what would it even be like, to have proper siblings in Fal-Mai and Jax? To have an older brother who wasn't feuding with him? To have a younger sister he could actually navigate a conversation with?

Oh, yeah. Him and Fal-Mai's little "conversation." The line of his mouth tugged into an uncertain frown. "... I should probably tell Fal-Mai I'm sorry, right? Is that a good first step?"

Eliza nodded. "A very good first step. Apologizing—whether she accepts it or not—does send a message if you mean it and want to take steps to make sure you avoid doing it again in the future. Do you feel up to doing that right now, or do you want to talk a bit more?"

He considered it as he re-adjusted his grip on Eliza. He'd gotten to why he was acting the way he did, and outside of just yelling about Odin for an hour and a half? He'd said what he wanted to say... but he didn't exactly want to stop hugging Eliza. Great. Hello, desperate feelings. Thought maybe you'd crawl off and die eventually, yet here you are. Eliza probably won't let us carry her there and probably won't ever look at us like that. Just let it go. She cares, but not like that.

Slowly, Mordenna withdrew his arms. "Yeah. Think I can stand getting punched in the face by my sister. And before you say she's in cuffs; trust me. She'll find a way."

Eliza chuckled and put a hand on his chest. "Hey, I'll be there to moderate." With that, she also disengaged from him and got up. "—And, Mordenna? Thank you. For letting me talk with you. I care about you a lot, and I want to see you live. Not just survive. I think you deserve it."

Those feelings of his twisted in circles and made him smile involuntarily. "Appreciate it, Liz. I'd like to live it up a little, myself. Speaking of which, after we talk to Fals... you, me, and an amount of alcohol Bradford would disapprove of?"

The Commander straight up laughed, shaking her head. "Rain check? I've been trying to keep away from the hard stuff ever since I made Bradford stop drinking. Best on the both of us."

Mordenna shrugged, getting up after her. "Fine by me—probably best Bradford doesn't give himself stress-magnified cirrosis."

"Is that care for Bradford I hear?"

"Pfft, you wish, Lizzie."


Fal-Mai would have never guessed she would be feeling regret over her brother.

She'd thought that the way she had retaliated was so cut and dry. He cut to her core, she aimed for his. He had clearly entered her cell in order to antagonize her and thus, he had gotten what he had wished for.

But that link... Despair. Hopelessness. The feeling as if she would never do anything right. Panic. Then the wisps of regret that quickly morphed into something more of her own. That cycle was recognizable to her by now. How she had known that Mordenna had leapt off a building once... well, morbid curiosity and pattern recognition. But, did she cause it this time? Was he alright? Was she caring?

It wasn't that she didn't care for Mordenna. He just frustrated her and it seemed as if he was set in his ways—something very much confirmed by his interaction with her and what she had heard outside of the bounds of her cell. It was hard to think that he would ever change if those were his actions. Fal-Mai had given up ever trying to change him herself; she merely resolved to become stronger for whenever he came to antagonize. Though, it was always hard to keep a stony face when she felt that despair set in...

The soft reverberation of footsteps outside of her cell didn't escape her. They sounded somewhat familiar at this point—but Mordenna's threat rang in her ears. Standing up, she cloaked and pressed herself against the wall.

Of course, when the figure beyond was none other than the Commander, she quickly dropped her cloak. Eliza looked... tired. Her hair was slightly out of place and her eyes looked a bit blotchy; outside of that, Eliza seemed the same as ever, carrying herself well. She looked to Fal-Mai and smiled. "Good to see you as always, Fal-Mai."

Fal-Mai nodded. "A pleasure, Commander." Even still, Mordenna's words rang in the back of her mind. Chosen Siren. She blinked a few times and a concern came to her. "... my brother did not harm you extensively, did he?"

Eliza shook her head, standing up straighter. "Not at all. We talked things out, and you'd be surprised how effective that is if you do it right."

"With my brother?" Fal-Mai responded incredulously. "I have tried, Eliza. He only seeks his own entertainment and amusement. Finding himself in trouble is but a game."

Eliza's face did set a bit at that. "You've... got the wrong end of the stick there, Fal-Mai. If finding himself in trouble earned that psionic punishment, do you think he intended it?"

Suppressing a shudder at the memory, Fal-Mai's eyes flickered downwards. Admittedly, the Elders' form of punishment had not been... pleasant. Ever since she had been at the brute end of it, she had wondered just why Mordenna acted as he did if that was what awaited him. Upon further meditation, Fal-Mai wondered if it was the Elders who were looking for the excuse, not Mordenna. "... and you were able to talk to him?"

Eliza's face softened at Fal-Mai backing down. "Yes. Long story short, Fal-Mai, Mordenna wants to do better by everyone. And he wants to start by apologizing to you."

For all of her supernatural hearing, Fal-Mai had to take a few seconds to make sure she wasn't mishearing Eliza. Mordenna wanted to apologize? What reality was this, where the Elders had turned and the Chosen Hunter wanted to make amends? Some part of her wondered if it was something Eliza had put him up to. "You're... serious."

"Absolutely."

"He wants to say sorry. And mean it."

"That's the case, yes. I'm going to be in the room while he does it so the two of you won't have to worry about being alone with the other."

Reasonable, but was Eliza ready to play mediator between two Chosen, should it escalate to that? Then again, Fal-Mai... did hold respect for Eliza, and part of that respect was not underestimating her. Her eyes looked to the closed door, and she took in a breath. There was a part of her that spoke to reject Eliza. Surely she would respect her decision, but... the knowledge that she may have been the catalyst for Mordenna's most recent episode? Though he had wronged her, guilt festered in her gut. "As long as you remain here..."

The Commander nodded, tapping the pad on the inside of the cell. From there, she leaned outside of the door and motioned for someone to step in—it being made clear shortly that it was Mordenna she was motioning to. Admittedly, Fal-Mai would never have expected awkwardness to be something she ever saw out of the Hunter. Maybe this wasn't some twisted dream.

Still, neither of them moved to engage. Mordenna was looking everywhere but at her, drumming his fingers on his thigh. She was staring him down, wondering if she should make the first move.

Thankfully, Eliza cut through it. "Mordenna. I hate to interrupt, but you did come here to say something."

"Riiiiight," he replied. Eliza seemed to ease him up a little—but did Fal-Mai's ears deceive her, or did his heart race just a little? Mordenna, being nervous? This day was full of firsts and oddities. "Alright. Yeah." He clapped his hands together, rubbing them and finally managing to look at some spot just above Fal-Mai's head. "Sis? I know you probably won't accept hearing this out of me, but? Me, coming into your cell unannounced and saying what I did to you... not cool. I'm... sorry."

Fal-Mai regarded him calmly for a second, before her gaze slid over to Eliza. "And how is the weather outside, Commander?" She saw Mordenna's face twist a bit in her peripheral vision before she continued. "Is blood raining from the sky, or however it went in old world stories? This... is an interesting day."

She looked back to Mordenna, and he was back to only mild nervousness. He must've not been expecting humor out of herself... and perhaps he was justified in that department. "Nah. We were just out there earlier, sis. Maybe a bit cold, but nothing to write home about."

We? Did Eliza have some hand in whatever had happened to Mordenna? It was anyone's guess at this rate. Still, Fal-Mai knew she would have to deign him with some sort of response for this to go over well. "—Your attempts at civility are not lost on me, Mordenna. You will have to excuse the fact that I am incredulous at you apologizing and meaning it, and not as one of your flippant remarks." She closed her eyes. "... I do not excuse what you have said, no matter your mood. You attacked me from a personal place, as was your intention at the time."

Judging by the gentle shifting of Eliza's hair, she was looking at Mordenna. Fal-Mai wondered if he had indulged just what he had said to her... no matter. She could always tell Eliza herself later. The Assassin continued. "Nevertheless... if you are being truthful, and if Eliza vouches for your attempts at reform..." She opened her eyes, looking to him. "I accept your apology. I do not forgive you, do not mistake this. But I will acknowledge and receive your 'sorry.' But." Her gaze hardened. "This comes with the stipulation that you will do everything in your power to prevent it from happening again."

Mordenna made some gesture over his chest that ended up with him holding up three fingers together. "Scout's honor, Fals. But, more seriously? Yeah. I'll try." That done, he looked to Eliza. "Now, I know my sis, and she probably doesn't want me in an enclosed space with her for long, even if you're here to make sure we don't kill each other. Probably in good interest if I bounce now."

Eliza, nodded, looking to the Assassin. "Do you have anything else to say?"

Fal-Mai shook her head. "He is my brother, and does know me some measure of well. If he is done apologizing, I would prefer to talk to him sometime else, in a much more open space."

"Crackerjack!" Mordenna said some strange things. Eliza opened the door for him as he made to leave. "Fal-Mai? See you sometime else, preferably when we're not going for each other's throats." After that, he ducked out of the door and moved out of sight.

That left her and Eliza. The Commander was quick to break the silence between the two of them. "Fal-Mai? How are you otherwise?"

Fal-Mai felt some tension go out of her shoulders as the door closed. "—I did not think my brother would ever apologize to me and mean it, Commander. Either of them, for that manner." The animosity she held towards Jax was... lesser, but still there. "I am hopeful, but doubtful all at the same time. He has been abrasive for as long as I have existed, and many years before that. If he is able to turn himself around after fifteen years... then, suffice to say, I will work with him."

Eliza's smile seemed to set off that burning in Fal-Mai's heart, and she cherished it. She did not know what the feeling was, but it was pleasant. "Thank you. For accepting his apology and expressing some interest in working with him. I can usually get a good read on people, Fal-Mai, and Mordenna does want to work on himself. I won't lie, it will be difficult, and certainly not an overnight thing. But, as I will support him... I'll support you, too."

More of this fire in her chest. Fal-Mai found herself with a sliver of a smile on her face. "I appreciate the gesture, Commander." Still, Fal-Mai understood that Eliza was probably going to ask about something else, as well. "As for my joining... a day or so more. Mordenna has set me back a bit, but I believe I will come to my ultimate decision in a short time." Fal-Mai was very heavily leaning towards joining XCOM, but there was something in the way, she felt. She needed to ruminate on what.

Nodding, Eliza's thumb ran over the remote in her hand. "Understandable. That was all I had for you today—have anything to say before I leave?" When Fal-Mai shook her head, she opened the door. "Have a good night, Fal-Mai. I'll be back tomorrow."

With that, Eliza stepped out the door. Though, she didn't get far after it closed behind her. Her footsteps stopped immediately as another pair approached her. Fal-Mai focused her hearing, catching on to the conversation.

"—was wondering if I could visit Assassin Neylor." That... that was Samhien. The Skirmisher she had captured... and the one who had started her on her line of questioning and thinking towards XCOM and Eliza. More importantly, he wanted to visit her after what she had put him through?

"Well, I'd have to see if it was alright with her," Eliza replied. "... is that tea?"

"Yes! I... have a vague hunch that Chosen do not require food, nor drink, but I would imagine something palatable to her tastes would brighten her a bit in her captivity."

The alto of Eliza's chuckle was nearly just a hum through the wall. "Sammy, you're a real work of art. You do know she's going to have to have her cuffs off to enjoy that though, right?"

There was a quick pause of silence, presumably Samhien nodding based on what he said next. "As I know. I trust the Assassin to not harm me in this kind of situation. Despite her known animosity towards Skirmishers, when presented the opportunity to cloak and flee you presented by not watching the door, she remained in her cell."

"Good observation. Well, alright. I'll still be outside of the door in case something happens, but I'll check with Fal-Mai first." After that, the door opened. Samhien was indeed behind the door, holding a tray with two mugs, filled with something hot judging by the steam. Eliza leaned in. "Hey, Fal-Mai? Sammy here wants to talk to you and share some tea. He's going to uncuff you so you can drink it. Is this alright?"

Fal-Mai had been half-tempted to interrupt with "as I know" as Eliza was talking... but that would give away the fact that she could hear beyond her cell. The Assassin decided to keep that fact close to her chest. As for Samhien... she was not afraid of being alone with him, but he still unnerved her somewhat. Perhaps due to the way Helena had brought her into this world. Still, she nodded. "Very well."

Sammy offered her a warm smile and stepped in, Eliza placing the remote on his tray as he did. When the door closed behind him, he balanced the tray on one hand and took the remote with the other. "It is good to see you again, Assassin Neylor. Though our circumstances are curiously reversed, I just want to chat and make you feel at home on the Avenger."

Fal-Mai looked down at him benignly, trying to gauge just how truthful he was being. Surely that remote had other functions, too. Would he use those? "If I were any more cynical, I would accuse you of gloating."

He shook his head. "Nothing of the sort, I assure you. In a way, I would also like to apologize. But, first." Sammy felt out for a button on the remote and pressed it. Fal-Mai could feel her cuffs loosen to the point that they slid off of her wrists and clattered to the ground—same with her shackles. Just for a moment, the thought of springing on Sammy came to mind... but she hardly entertained it. She would not throw Eliza's trust in her face. Instead, she rubbed her wrists, then slowly took one of the offered mugs and sat down as Samhien did.

She got caught up on something he said, a finger testing the hot ceramic of the mug. The scent that wafted up from it was... pleasant. She might have to try some when it cooled. "Apologize? I would believe I am the one who has committed wrongs in this room. What would you have to apologize for?"

Sammy took a gentle sip of his own mug before replying. "For antagonizing you while I was captured. What I said clearly caused you distress, yet I had pressed on anyways and 'earned' a dagger to my hand." That made Fal-Mai's eyes flicker to that hand. The wound was starting to scar up. Goodness knows how long he'd have that for...

Fal-Mai shook her head, taking her focus away from the wound she had dealt. "The facts you had faced me with were simple truths that I was still not keen to accept. Though it irritated me at the time, what you were saying needed to be heard."

"I will still contest my delivery. I... could have been more calm about stating what I did."

Lidding her eyes, Fal-Mai let the matter drop. Surely it was understandable for him to have said things the way he did thanks to her own actions. She suspected she would be arguing with him for a long time if she kept insisting he had no error. Indeed, a part of her reminded herself that she was arguing that a Skirmisher had done nothing wrong... but it was becoming increasingly apparent to her that her and the Skirmishers' crimes were one in the same—they dared think for themselves. Though her being reeled at it, maybe she shared more with them than she thought.

Sammy sighed, tapping his mug. "With that in mind... I'd like to assist you now, Fal-Mai. More than me forcefully presenting you truths. I would like to come at things with a gentler hand."

Fal-Mai still found herself rejecting what he was proposing. As much as she was sure he wanted to do good by her, she just... didn't trust him. Half of it was still her ingrained hatred for him and his kind, the other half was that situation he'd like to help her with was very personal. She'd only trust someone like Eliza. Probably just Eliza. Fal-Mai thought about giving him a half-hearted answer. He can see through your lies. It would be best to tell him the truth.

Fal-Mai straightened. "I will have to reject your offer, Samhien. Perhaps later, when things are not as... muddied, between us, I will give it some thought again."

She expected some kind of resistance out of Samhien out of that, but he merely nodded. "Understood, Assassin Neylor. Do you at least have someone to confide in?"

Hm. To tell him, or not... Fal-Mai took this chance to take a taste of her tea. Herbal. A little bit sweet. Could be sweeter, in her opinion, but it was welcome. Still hot, though. She'd take measured drinks, and the time to taste it gave her time to arrive at her answer. "Yes." That would be all that she would offer him.

Sammy seemed... unsatisfied by the answer, but he did not press on it. She wasn't lying, at least—she considered Eliza a potential confidant. "Ok. Friends, then?"

She blinked. "You. Would want to be friends with me."

Sammy smiled warmly. "The reasons why not are outweighed by the reasons as to why. If you have someone to confide in, you should have someone you can relax and talk with normally, as well. Hobbies, philosophy, chit-chat, there is much to be shared without having to divulge feelings more personal to you. Friends are good to have, Fal-Mai."

Friends. Eliza had said she would want her as a friend, if the Assassin allowed it. Fal-Mai had to consider the thought for a moment. She did not trust Samhien as a confidant... but perhaps she could give him the chance to be trusted as a friend. She took a measured drink of her tea before she replied. "I believe that could be done. I do not know much of what it's like to be someone's 'friend,' so you will have to bear that in mind."

Chuckling, Sammy shook his head. "There is always time to learn, Fal-Mai, and you have so much time to do it with! I'm sure you'll know how to be a great friend, given the chance. You just need the chance to do so."

Chances. Second chances, at that. Fal-Mai had already failed with the Elders. Something in her seethed about her lowering the bar for herself, but she reminded herself that the standards of Helena were realized as being too high to meet. A second chance did sound nice. "I suppose I should count myself lucky that you and Eliza are patient, then." Eliza was more than patient, of course. Kind. Understanding. Thoughtful. Thinking about her made Fal-Mai's chest roll in that pleasant way.

She looked to Samhien... and was taken aback by his curious expression. Of course. He could still read her emotions, and Fal-Mai felt as if he was going to question just what she was feeling. Or maybe he knew what she was feeling and that it was bad in some way. Instantly, Fal-Mai felt herself get guarded, trying to shoo away the feeling. "—If one aspect of being friends is respecting the other, would you respect my want for you to leave at any time?"

Sammy seemed to catch what he did, and he had the decency to look flustered. "O-of course!"

She hadn't thought that she would dismiss him so soon, but that seed of doubt had taken root in her stomach and seemed to battle with the feeling in her chest. Ultimately the doubt won out and she drank as much of her tea as she could manage to staunch it. "Then I would kindly ask you to leave now. I fear I am a 'broken record,'" A phrase she remembered Mordenna using, "but I want to meditate in peace. If I decide to join XCOM, we may talk more of my own accord." She sat her nearly-finished mug down on the tray. "... and thank you for the tea. It... could be sweeter, I think."

Sammy nodded, putting his own mug down and setting the tray aside. "I'll have to remember that. Now, um... I think they would want you to have your cuffs back on before I leave."

Ah, right. Fal-Mai had almost gotten used to having her arms free. "Understandable. Allow me to stretch for a moment and I will put them back on myself." Fal-Mai stood up and rolled her shoulders, flexing and bending a few joints that had become a bit stiff from the cuffs. Afterwards, she re-attached her shackles, then finagled the cuffs behind her back even as Sammy seemed to want to offer his help. She could do it on her own, and soon she was back to her bound state.

Sammy put the remote on the tray and picked the whole thing up. "Fal-Mai, it has been good chatting with you, and I am glad that you enjoyed the tea. Hopefully we may talk again soon." With that, he balanced the tray to open the door, stepping out. Eliza's arm came into view as she plucked the remote off of the plate and stepped in.

When the door closed behind her, she began to talk. "Everything go alright, Fal-Mai?"

Fal-Mai nodded, though her insides were busy twisting up. How fortunate that Samhein wasn't there to reap what he had sown. "It seems you are not the only person who wishes to be my friend."

That earned a giggle out of Eliza, a sound that just made the battle inside her worse. "Hey, that might speak to a larger trend. Only one way to find out, yeah?" Eliza looked to the pad in the room, then to Fal-Mai's arms. "... y'know, since you swung being uncuffed with a Skirmisher in the room for as long as you did... I think I can give you access to something we wouldn't have trusted Mordenna with." Eliza then proceeded to tap through options on the datapad, editing quite a bit from the looks of it. When she was done, there seemed to be one less option on the screen.

"Not being able to trust the Hunter with something? How ever could you say that, Commander?"

Another laugh out of Eliza. "I think you're picking up humor pretty fast, Fal-Mai. Keep up the good work." She waved that line of thought off and gestured to Fal-Mai. "What I'm going to do is adjust your handcuffs to be in front of you. This is to let you interact with the pad on the wall over here. You... can't do much with it for safety's sake, but what you can do is hit a panic button... and hail for me. Just to make it easier for you to contact me when you do come to a decision."

Eliza was placing more trust in her from the sounds of it. Perhaps it wasn't unfounded, but she continued to fascinate. "So you are going to allow the Elders' Assassin to be in a room with you, unbound, even for such a short amount of time?"

Eliza nodded. "You said it yourself. You've got too much honor to attack me like this. I've proven able to best you, even if it was by proxy and when you weren't exactly giving your all. Would be kind of dirty to attack me now, yes?"

She had remembered Fal-Mai's words. The Assassin looked to the side for a second. "It... would. I will not attack you, Eliza."

"Alright. Just give me a second here." Eliza pressed the same button on the remote, and Fal-Mai caught her cuffs before they could fall. After a heavy moment, where her chest suggested she do something her gut disagreed with, she handed Eliza the cuffs, pausing a moment to redo her own shackles. Holding out her hands, Eliza redid her bonds gently. Through the material of her gloves, Fal-Mai could feel the relative coolness of Eliza's hands compared to her elevated body heat. "There we are. You be sure to contact me if you need anything, alright?"

"Understood, Eliza."

Eliza nodded, turning to leave. "Have a good night... again, Fal-Mai."

"Have a pleasant evening, Commander."