One might not be surprised to know about the comings and goings of those from the walls of Rhodes Island. The landship's doors are always open to those who would consider themselves friends of the infected, and its facilities are always there to help whoever it is who needs help. Whether it be non-oripathy injuries, or oripathy itself, the doors of Rhodes Island are always open.
There are many infected and non-infected, who come and go as they please, and the only ones who hold any sort of obligation to Rhodes Island's leadership and direction are those who are formally hired as operators for the pharmaceutical company.
However, one might still be even more surprised to know that there are several members of Reunion, or at least Reunion as it stands now, who come to Rhodes Island for treatment, or for other things. Sometimes just a change of scenery akin to a holiday is needed, and if they're close enough to the landship, and they're willing to leave their weapons at the door, they're more than welcome to enter the halls of Rhodes Island and do their business as they see fit. Most do, many don't, and even then, they're willing to leave the area of Rhodes Island without causing harm to its operations, in more than ceremonious fashion. Those who return from being turned away, are often willing to stow away their weapons upon their return and seek whatever it is they're looking for aboard the Landship.
It's not unheard of for those once who had drawn swords on one another on the battlefield, to find themselves commiserating in the central mess hall, or any of the other cafeterias aboard Rhodes Island. It's even less uncommon for those who do, to end up turning their talents over towards Rhodes Island, won over by the air and attitude of all those professionals aboard the ship, and how they take care of not only their own – but anyone who needs assistance at all.
But this visitor to the halls and decks of Rhodes Island isn't here for a particular reason. He's found himself wandering as of late, with no real business to attend to, and no real purpose in his life save a few things that he thinks need doing or taking care of. But he's arrived in these halls, nonetheless. Yet, there's something that he thinks has driven him to this ship, to this time and place. He can't quite place it, but among these unfamiliar faces, and even the few familiar ones he does recognize, the place is friendly enough towards him that he doesn't mind spending the day or so wandering its halls. Although he, of all people, would be the first to admit that he feels at least a little out in the open, seeing those combat operators for Rhodes Island freely walk about with their weapons, while all the visitors have none. The feeling goes away after a short enough period without his weapon.
He had arrived in the evening when Rhodes Island had stopped near a non-mobile settlement, and he was cleared to visit after surrendering his weapon for safe-keeping, and that meant he spent the evening aboard the landship. That first morning aboard Rhodes Island, life went on as it normally would. Operators assigned to security missions were announced over the intercom of the landship, and those who weren't, went about their otherwise plentiful duties, whether that be in the medical wing, in the cafeterias aboard ship, or in the plethora of other departments that had things that needed doing. In its own right, Rhodes Island was a veritable city, unlike anything that Red was used to seeing. Sure, his camps had their own schedules, their own responsibilities of things that needed to get done, but nothing was as organized as this. Granted, one needed to be organized in order to run a landship this big, but still, there was nothing like this in any of the Reunion camps that Red frequented.
He wondered how long it would take for him to run into a familiar face aboard the landship, one not of the siblings of Reunion, but one of the operators who might recognize him. He was almost certain that he had crossed swords with a couple that he had seen, but none that were so familiar as to that he knew their names, or their faces that well. Just their articles of clothing that were in place of more formal uniforms. Something that was drastically different compared to that among Reunion's members – no uniforms. Those combat operators generally wore whatever was the most comfortable for them (and the more fashionably inclined operators wore that which was the most fashionable to them), and among those who weren't full-on named Operators like those that Red saw the most familiarity in, there were more practical uniforms and kits given out to those who one might consider the "grunts" of Rhodes Island.
Red didn't quite understand the logic there but didn't pay much mind. It wasn't like Reunion had expected of him to wear a uniform either, just that his skills set him apart as much that he didn't need one. In that way, he supposed that Reunion and Rhodes Island were more alike than dislike.
But it was on that second morning that he did run into someone familiar. He was meandering around the outskirts of the dining hall that was closest to the temporary quarters that he'd been given as a visitor, feeling almost like a guard, looking out for trouble, either from visitors, or from Rhodes Island themselves (although he had doubts that someone from Rhodes Island would start trouble, especially aboard the ship of all places), and didn't particularly pay much mind to the feeling in his stomach that was reminding him of how meager his meal before entering Rhodes Island had been. He was used to that feeling, at least, the feeling of wanting more and not having it – but now, aboard the landship where there was more than plenty, he wasn't entirely sure how his body would react to being given 'enough'.
He was lost in thought, and idle monitoring of those present in the dining hall, when his meandering brought him in front of one of the doors to this compartment, right at the same instant that someone else was entering from his blind spot, and he practically ran into them.
Being the more deft on his feet, Red merely looked like he stumbled a bit, tripping over someone else's feet, and righted himself – but in his righting, he realized that the person he had run into was completely caught unawares and was tipping over. He reached out towards that flash of pink, and grabbed their outstretched hand, which was searching for something to grasp onto to right themselves and prevent themselves from ungraciously hitting the deck.
It was a deft motion, but a successful one. He'd caught their hand before they'd landed with a thud against the deck.
"Are you alright?" He practically blurted, his eyes barely having the time between the collision to resolve the shape of the person's face, or much of anything else that wasn't just their hair color.
In that moment of suspension, the person stammered, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!"
It was in that moment after the words had registered in his ears, and he helped the person steady themselves, rather than being held there by his grip, did he realize just who it was he had run into. And he couldn't tell if the motion in his chest was something more akin to a rising motion, or a sinking one.
"What brought you to Rhodes Island, Mister Red?" Susie asked him, not even two minutes later, in the waiting line for food in the dining hall, the pair standing side-by-side as they waited in line, and Susie was the first one to break into the realm of small talk.
He wasn't entirely sure how to answer this question, and rather stammered over his words with 'mm's and 'ah's, instead of actually answering the question. "I'm, ah, not sure, actually…"
"Really? I mean, I figure you're a long way from Caladon… Are you still working with Reunion?"
"Ah… Sort of?" He hadn't been entirely sure that she knew that he was a part of Reunion… But he supposed that she wasn't exactly daft either – putting two and two together wouldn't be without the realm of possibility for someone like Susie…
"Aha, it's okay Mister Red, I didn't mean to make you admit something that you hadn't told me… I just kind of figured after what happened with Caladon and the tunnels…" Susie trails off, "And then I didn't hear from you until now, that you were probably…?"
Red sighs, mostly inwardly, but the expression on his face must be what cuts off Susie's line of thought before she can finish it. "Yeah, you could call it that… Although we were a lot more… 'Active' once upon a time."
Susie grabs both of them trays, and hands one to Red, who nods his thanks as he talks.
"We haven't been the same since—"
"I can understand. I'm sorry. I figure that must be hard on you all." Susie points at a nearby table, and Red follows where she's pointing. "That young man there, the one with the oripathy on his eye and throat? He used to be one of Reunion's squad captains. The whole thing fell apart for him after… You know…" The two talk about the events of the Lungmen-Chernobog Incident, something that feels so long ago, but still so relevant in their lives. "But he still wanted to do good, so he came to us… U-us being Rhodes Island… I mean."
Red smiles kindly, not recognizing the man that he sees pointed out to him but recognizing the story anyways. That man wasn't the first person to defect from Reunion, especially in light of what happened in Chernobog, and Red doubted he'd be the last. But still, it stirred him inside to realize that there was something for Infected, even outside of Reunion.
"But what brought you here?" The line moves forward, and Susie steps slightly in front of Red in order to serve herself breakfast food from the line that was in front of them. Beaming at one of the attendants behind the counter as she does, in a form of greeting and recognition. The young, short Ursus girl smiles back at Susie, and casts a wary glance at Red before moving on with her duties. "You still haven't really told me."
Red thinks for the smallest of moments, before deciding on his words. "Is 'This landship is more comfortable than sleeping on the ground' a valid answer?"
Susie giggles at this, "I'll accept it. I have to admit that Caladon even, is nothing like Rhodes Island. It's like, a night and day difference."
"Yeah, I can see that. Nothing at all like Caladon… How about you? Are they treating you well here?"
"Mhm!" Susie nods happily, having finished serving herself and standing out of the way for Red to serve himself now, "Everyone here is super kind, even the more quiet ones. I even bartend with a nice Liberi girl from Bolívar, she doesn't talk much, but she can really mix drinks!"
"Do you still do haircuts?" Suddenly, at the mention of hair, his own hair, cleverly tucked away in his cap, feels all the more shaggy. "I know that's what you wanted to do in Caladon."
"Yup!" Susie leads Red towards a table, where they can sit and eat their meal. "I've helped out with the hairdressers already aboard the ship, and even have a few repeat clients of my own." She beams as she sits down, and Red sits across from the pink-haired Feline.
"It sounds like good things have come your way since Caladon. I'm sorry that involved the loss of your dream in order to get here though."
"Mm, it's okay now, I think. It still hurts to think about, and sometimes I have nightmares about it. But I'm doing better now that all of that is over." Susie's smile wavers for just the slightest of moments, and Red catches it, but doesn't acknowledge it. Knowing that she probably didn't mean to. IT would be for the better that he doesn't ask any further, he supposes.
The two talk like this for a while longer, before eventually, something in Susie's pocket buzzes, and she practically jumps at the feeling. She fumbles her phone out of its pocket resting place, and puts it to her ear, "Y-yes?" She timidly says into the phone. Someone says something in response to her, but Red doesn't quite hear it. "I-I'm so sorry! I lost track of time; I'll be right there!"
She stands up hurriedly, and Red follows suit, almost out of habit rather than deliberate action. "I'm so sorry Mister Red! I lost track of time, and I forgot I have to be at work!" Susie scrambles to put her napkins on her tray, and to tidy up after herself.
"Oh no, at least let me walk with you there." Red cleans up after himself in much the same manner.
"Sure! I appreciate it!" Susie leads him over to where to throw away his trash, and where to take care of his tray, and he does dutifully, feeling more and more like a guest, rather than a stranger aboard the landship.
They exit the now-quiet dining hall through the entrance where the two had quite literally run into one another, and then made their way through what was certainly a maze to Red, but was deftly navigated by Susie. The conversation, having been interrupted by the buzzing of Susie's phone, feels distant now, yet the air between them is still friendly, and the silence between them isn't something that feels imposing, rather almost comfortable in its nature.
"I never got to thank you; you know." Susie says, as they round an indeterminate corner, and when Red gives a confused look in her direction, she clarifies, "For saving me back then. In the underground?"
"Oh. That… Please don't think much of it, Miss Susie. Anyone would've done the same." He responds, almost sheepishly. Although Susie can't tell if he's actually embarrassed that she's brought something up like this or not. "I think anyone would've done the same thing in my shoes."
"Either way…" She feigns mock irritation with his words, "It would be impolite not to thank you, and I never got a chance to before, so I'm doing it now."
"Ah, fair enough… You're welcome, Miss Susie."
"And you don't need to call me that! You saved my life; I think you're allowed to just call me by my name." Susie half-beams at him as they walk.
"Then you don't need to call me 'Mister Red' either, Susie." He smiles smally, and Susie giggles at this.
"Okay, fair enough. Equal standing."
They round another corner, and Susie stops almost suddenly in front of a door – Red, not knowing his way around the landship, nearly passes it, thinking that they're not quite there yet.
"Well, here's where I work… Sorry that I didn't get a chance to spend more time with you."
"Ah, well, if you want to, I'm probably going to be aboard a while longer at least." Red points out, "I don't particularly have anywhere I need to be."
"Oh! Well, that's good!" Susie blinks for a moment, takes a deep breath before deciding to continue her thought; "S-So, would you w-want to get dinner with me?"
Red is more or less taken completely off guard by this. And part of his mind is almost sure that his face has gone flush at the sudden brashness of the otherwise timid Feline.
"I… Uh…" He starts.
"I-if you don't want to that's okay… I-I just thought it'd be nice to get drinks or something after work…" If Susie is put off by his lack of initial enthusiasm, she doesn't show it, at least outwardly.
"No, no! I'd love to… I just don't know my way around…" He says, once again, almost sheepishly, and he is sure that his face has gone flush. What kind of timid Feline suddenly musters the courage to ask someone to drinks like this, especially on short notice?
Susie, however, is beaming at his admission of wanting to go with her for drinks. "If you'd like I can come find you! Just be around your guest quarters at around… Say 6pm?"
"Sure, that's fine! It's not like I'm doing anything… Just, before you go to work… How do I get back to the guest quarters?" Red has to admit, the layout of the landship is labyrinthian at best. And navigating it himself, while probably doable, doesn't seem conducive considering he's now standing in a part of the landship he's never been in before.
Susie giggles a bit at this, realizing all too well the difficulty in navigating the landship's halls. She points down the way they came from. "Follow this hallway back towards that corner, third door on the left is an elevator. It has a little computer in it that'll give you instructions back to your room. It's not really well marked on this level, but it's there, promise." She smiles, and Red looks down the hallway, mouthing the instructions back to himself.
"Down the hall, corner, third door on left. Got it… I'll see you later…?" He almost sounds unsure of this to himself at this final part, like he doesn't quite believe the words that he's said are correct and true.
"I'll see you later!" Susie beams and enters the room they've stopped outside of. She gives a small turn and waves back to Red as the door slides shut behind her, leaving Red alone in the hallway outside.
All things considered, Red makes it back to his guest room fairly easily, following the instructions from the computer inside the elevator to the letter, and arriving back at the guest room which lets him in with the PIN he was given. He isn't quite sure what time it is, or what he's going to do with his time. But he goes about his day anyways, practically counting the minutes and seconds on the clock until it's time for Susie to meet him.
If he's being honest with himself, he isn't quite sure what to expect, or what the feeling in his chest is about the fact that it seems like Susie is interested in him in more than just the platonic way. Which comes with it a whole crock of emotions and feelings and baggage that he isn't sure that he's actually able to deal with in the exact moment that he reflects on it. For the longest time, if he's continuing to be honest with himself, he hasn't exactly thought of himself as anything except emotionally unavailable, if not strictly for the life that he lives, and the circumstances of the world that bear down on him at all times but for the fact that simply, he's never let himself be emotionally vulnerable long enough or perhaps ever at all to allow himself to be vulnerable if he could help it. Whether that be in terms of emotion or physically.
But, he supposes, at least – that the mere act of surrendering his weapon at the door, is plenty enough proof that maybe he is willing to try.
Susie, on the other hand, was having the hardest time thinking straight at all. More accurately, she was having a hard time thinking about her work and was rather far more focused on the fact that she had successfully asked Mister Red out to have drinks with her after she was done with her work in the generator room would be done for the day. Which, for all intents and purposes, made focusing on her work, in preparing the room and keeping it running, all the more difficult now that she was focused on something else entirely. Yet, there was a kind of automatic response by her body to this – she didn't need to think too hard about what she was doing, just merely let her body go through the motions of her work, even if it was menial, in order to get it done. There was something more exciting than work waiting for her now. Something that was more enrapturing to her.
If Susie is being honest with herself, she's completely mortified about what has happened. She didn't think that Red would say yes, or even be open to the idea, all things considered. The Ursus man had never seemed interested in her before and had disappeared from her life the night that she had been kidnapped, and she hadn't heard from him since, until now. There was a special kind of beating in her heart, one that felt alongside, not overtop her heartbeat, which throbbed in a way that felt foreign to her. She wasn't sure what to expect, or what had driven her to particularly invite Red to drinks, but here she was, having arranged this and now expecting herself to pull herself together in time to have this whole thing work in her favor. It was something she kept coming back to, the fact that she had no idea what she was expecting from this whole endeavor.
Maybe, that wasn't a bad thing. Having no expectations, that is. Just being willing to live through this and see what comes of it. She still isn't entirely sure what has drawn her to Red, or what that feeling in her chest is (although she has some suspicion that it's been hiding there since her time at the Green Spark in Caladon).
So, the time passes instead, Susie doing her best to focus on her work, and Red trying to find some way to pass the time. The thing was, however, that Susie didn't actually get off work at six. She instead got off work at 5, but this gave her time to get ready, freshen up a bit after spending those hours otherwise occupied and working. It also gave her time to put on something a bit nicer than her work clothes. Although, part of her wondered if Red would mind at all, considering she doubted that he had any other clothes to wear in case he wanted to be a little more dressed up… But why would he? It wasn't like this was a date, was it? It had occurred to her more than once now, that this whole situation could be viewed as if she had asked Red out, even if it was just for drinks. But she hadn't intended it to, even if the idea wasn't completely opposed to her goals for this whole thing. She wanted to get to know him better, spend more time around Red, because she hadn't really gotten the chance to, back in Caladon, and before he had disappeared from her life. He had been so kind to her, and in return she hadn't been able to give him anything asides from words of thanks – at least now she'd be able to repay him in some small way, in making him a few drinks that would be paid for without him ever having to see a bill for it.
Either way, it was far too late to back down now, especially as she was walking to Red's room. It wasn't hard to reach out to the appropriate channels to figure out where the visitor to Rhodes Island was, and to get his room number. Which, now, clad in something slightly more formal (but not too formal, merely a more polite skirt, and a different blouse than the one she'd been wearing all day at work), she was headed, with a slight skip in her step, towards Red's guest room. Far too late to back down now.
He was waiting for her outside his room. Leaning against the bulkhead, watching down the hallway in the opposite direction from which she was coming, although it seemed he sensed her presence before she announced it, turning the way that she came from, and smiling slightly at the sight of her. For whether that was due to her attire, or just the familiar presence of the Feline, neither would be able to answer.
"Hi Mister Red!" Susie cheerily greets him, hands clasped behind her back.
"Hi Miss Susie." His smile doesn't waver, "Ready to go?"
"Mhm! The lounge is just a couple decks up, I hope that's okay."
"Not a problem at all. Lead the way." He pushes away from the bulkhead, and follows side-by-side with Susie, as they head towards the nearest stairwell to bring them up the two decks towards the Lounge.
They don't talk much during their walk, Red keeping an amicable smile on his face, and watching Susie watch him through the corner of her eyes. She brushes a stray strand of hair away from her sight as they walk. He notes it. It's still as pink as he remembers her hair to be.
"Did anyone give you trouble for being late to work?" Red asks, as they pass the first of the two decks on their way up the stairs, passing an Iberian and an Ægirian as they do. Neither of whom are people Red recognizes. Why would he?
"Oh! Not at all. They're super lenient as long as the work gets done on time, and I'm really good at getting my work done on time, so it was more just a reminder of where I needed to be, rather than someone getting upset with me."
"Good. I'd hate for you to get in trouble on my account." Red gives a small smile at this.
They make it to the deck where the lounge is, and round the corner of the stairwell, to find a more open part of the deck, where two sliding doors, labeled 'lounge', are sitting agape, polite chatter emanating from the door, alongside a soft, cool breeze as the doors to the balcony outside the lounge are open, and there is a trio of junior operators enjoying each other's company as they unwind from a day's worth of work.
"Oh, this is a lot bigger than I expected from Rhodes Island." Red comments.
"It's nice, isn't it?" Susie beams, with a hint of pride behind her smile. "It's one of the many perks of working for Rhodes Island."
"I imagine so." Red follows her inside the lounge, and are met with a more darkened room, lounge chairs and tables scattered around the perimeter, tables like one would find in a restaurant dotting the center of the room, and flanked on the far side from the door is the bar itself, where a short (at least compared to Red) Liberi woman is stood behind it, mixing a drink in a mixer, the contents of which are indeterminate to Red at this point, now that they're being mixed, but she looks content in her motions back and forth of the cocktail mixer, and the shaking sound that comes with it.
"Hi Rafaela!" Susie calls once they enter the Lounge, and the Liberi woman, the one named Rafaela, opens her eyes slowly, as if awakening from a sleep, before meeting Susie's own eyes.
"Oh…! Miss Susie…!" Rafaela smiles. "How're you this evening?"
"I'm good, thanks. Are you the only one working the bar tonight?" The Liberi nods, and Susie smiles; "Is it alright if I come behind and mix up a few drinks then? Just so you don't have to do it for me?"
"Sure…!" Susie maneuvers behind the bar, and motions for Red to sit down at the bar. He does, watching Rafaela through the corner of his vision. "Is he a friend…?" Rafaela pours the drink out of the mixer into two tumblers, before sliding them down the bar to two Archosauria girls, who are so enraptured in their conversation that they don't notice the drinks right away.
"Mhm! This is Mister Red, a friend from Caladon. Red, this is Rafaela, the girl I told you about earlier."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mister Red." Rafaela smiles at him, before turning back to the drinks that she has to mix.
"Likewise," He manages to say before she turns away completely, the young Liberi girl not acknowledging him any further. Not out of disrespect, but for the mere reasoning that Red suspects that Rafaela is a bit aloof, compared to most people aboard the landship, but at least she seems familiar with a bar.
"What do you like to drink?" Susie asks, as she gets two glasses from beneath the counter.
"I uh, don't get to drink very often, but whatever you think I'd like, I'm sure I will."
"Oh! In that case, let me make you something that's a favorite of mine." Susie gets to work, and Red watches the way she moves about the barback, grabbing bottles that she needs, and then setting about pouring the requisite amounts of liquor and liqueurs into the mixer, before adding some ice to it and beginning to mix. He watches the way she works, the way her hands move over the bottles, how her wrist twists to stop the flow of liquid into the mixer, how she clasps the two ends of the mixer together in order to keep it sealed while she mixes the drink. A simple, repetitive action, but one that he doesn't mind watching her do. After some number of seconds go by, she opens the mixer again, and gently pours the drinks into the two tumblers, a cheery, green drink. She moves the drinks in front of him, and then moves from behind the bar, to sit next to him.
When she sits down, she leans across the bar, and grabs her drink from in front of Red. Leaning close to him as she does. When she does, she notices the smell of him, rugged, earthy. Whether that be from the dirt still clinging to his clothes, or some other combination of personal hygiene products, she isn't sure. But she notes it. She likes the smell. It reminds her of Caladon.
It's only once Susie has her drink in hand, does Red pick up his. They clink their glasses together, before both taking a drink from the cocktail that Susie has mixed.
Lemon, lime, hints of the alcohol beneath the flavors of the juices and liqueurs. All flavors that feel almost exotic to Red, not having had the time or ability to drink in the more casual situations, since joining Reunion. But these flavors aren't unfamiliar to Susie, who is used to sipping these flavors casually while she works, keeping an eye on how much she is drinking, so as to not overdo it.
But that's not on her mind. For now, what's on her mind is enjoying the time she has with Red, in this more relaxed situation, one where she isn't expected to be working, and can instead be casual with the man who has saved her life once and taken a beating for her once besides. Something that she still remembers in all but fondness, instead admiration for the man sitting in front of her.
"How are you liking Rhodes Island?" Susie asks, having taken a decent few sips from her drink before the conversation had picked back up again.
"It's… Different than I expected." Red admits. Although he isn't entirely sure what he expected.
"What did you expect?" Susie sets her drink down and leans one arm against the bar, propping herself up with that arm, still facing her body towards him.
"I'm… Not sure, if I'm being honest… You know I've faced Rhodes Island before… And it's not like it was one-sided, but there's a brutal kind of efficiency that came from how Rhodes Island moves, that I'm not sure we'd ever be able to replicate in Reunion… Even if we were still fighting."
"Ah…" Susie says, "That'd be the Doctor."
"Makes sense. Commanding all those units like that, making plans and things of that nature, was never my strong suit, or anyone else's, come to think of it. We were all just pawns and pieces to serve another person's goals."
"But you still rally under the banner of Reunion now?"
"A metaphorical one, now." Red takes a sip from his drink. "We abandoned the iconography, and now we're just a name. One that is trying to be for the every-man, still. But not beholden to anyone's ideology. Just the idea that the Infected deserve to live free. Same as anyone else."
"…Makes sense." Susie says and takes a sip from her drink. She hasn't realized how much of it she'd already drank.
"…Really?"
"Yeah. It does… I'm Infected too, remember? I'd be lying if I said I didn't think that Infected deserve to live freely. Granted I don't think you'd find anyone aboard this landship that didn't think the same way as you do… That's just the difference between us and what's left of Reunion, I suppose. Just the path we took to try and reach the same, common goal, was different."
"You talk like you're truly a Rhodes Islander."
"I've fought alongside them you know. Bled with them. Same as Rafaela. That's what really makes you a Rhodes Islander, I think. To be willing to bleed for the cause."
"Well now you kinda sound like old Reunion."
Susie laughs, "I don't mean to! I just think that's what really makes someone one of us. We've all bled in some way for the cause, either by fighting, or standing up for what we believe in. It doesn't even have to be real blood. I think it could be tears too, I suppose. We all believe in the one thing that's brought us together, so that's what really matters."
"We're really not so different, huh." Red smiles.
"Well, you and I?" Susie jests, "I think we're quite different… Like you're from Ursus. I'm from Victoria… But I imagine you know more about me than I know about you." Susie smiles and sits up again, no longer leaning against the bar.
"Is that why you asked me out to drink?" Red takes a sip from his drink as he talks.
Susie's heart skips a beat in her chest when she hears the phrase, and stammers over her words for a moment. "I-. I uh… Sort of? That and I never got a chance to thank you for that time in Caladon… Well… Both times, really…"
Red smiles again, "There's no need to thank me, anyone would've done the same thing in the same situation, I think… Well, mostly anyone."
"Well, despite needing to, I still want to, and I never got a chance to in Caladon, so here I am." Susie sets down her glass, and suddenly has an air about her of seriousness. "Thank you, Red. I mean it. For everything you did in Caladon."
"I—"
"And don't try and brush off my thanks." Susie huffs at him semi-jokingly, before finishing the rest of her drink. "Would you like another?"
Red looks at his tumbler, which is starting to run low besides, before nodding at Susie, who stands up, and returns behind the bar to mix up a new drink.
He watches her again; this time she mixes the drinks with a tad more of the white rum than she did before. Maybe she's decided she wants something stronger. Although Red can't really tell. He merely watches. Until a thought crosses his mind.
"Can I ask a question Susie?"
"What's up?"
"What was the reason you asked me out?"
Susie practically drops the shaker as it's in motion, only managing to catch it in the last moment before it slips from her grasp and sends liquor and juice everywhere. The phrasing of the question sending her into a near-stupor at the bluntness of it.
"D-do I need a reason?"
"No, I'm just curious is all."
"Then how about you? Why did you say yes?" Susie sets down the shaker, her hands still shaking slightly from the act of almost having dropped it. "It couldn't have just been because you have 'nothing better to do'."
"I—" It's Red's turn to stammer for a moment. "Well, I—"
"My reason? Because I wanted to get to know you better, Red." Susie puts her palms against the counter, "And I think I'm learning a lot about you just by how you answered."
"But I didn't—"
"Say anything?" Susie smiles warmly, "You didn't need to."
She pours the pair of them their drinks. In the time since she stood up, she could feel the buzzing in her limbs, likely part of the reason why she almost dropped the shaker in the first place. She rounds the bar once more, and sits down, this time, inching the barstool closer to Red as she does. The smell of him getting more present in her nose as she does so.
Red, his face near certainly a shade more red than it was before, takes a sip from his drink. "…So, what about me would you want to know?"
Susie ponders the question for a moment, before settling on an answer, "What was your life like before you got infected?"
Red, reluctantly, starts to talk about his life before he was Infected, about his time in the Ursus Army, about his childhood – things that he hadn't thought about in a long time, and felt near painful to recall, if not for the fact that they were from a different time in his life, but because of the innocence he felt during those times. He didn't quite notice as he talked that the contents of his drink continued to wane, as did Susie's. But he did notice how attentively she paid attention to him, even at one point asking if he wanted water to drink. He declined; he didn't see a need for the water at this point. Instead opting to just continue his conversation with her.
It was, after a while, pleasant instead of painful to recall such a time period in his life when he wasn't Infected. To talk about his family, about where he grew up, and about the life he lived before he was Infected. A reminder, perhaps, of what he was and had been fighting for all along. A life like that again, one where the title of "Infected" didn't matter so much to how he lived his life. A life where he didn't have to fight to etch out a place in this world.
He didn't notice Susie inching her barstool ever so closer to him.
Neither particularly noticed the other patrons of the lounge leave in the late evening twilight, Susie barely nodded in the direction of Rafaela when she whispered her goodnight to the pair as she left the lounge behind.
Leaving them alone in the lounge, their drinks empty, and alcohol buzzing on their tongues and in their limbs.
Yet Susie sat attentively, listening to Red talk about his life before he was Infected, before he turned the conversation in her direction, asking about her family, how they were doing now that she wasn't in Caladon.
"It's easy enough to send them a lot of my salary from Rhodes Island… It pays a lot better than the Green Spark did, even though Miss Quercus did her best." Susie smiles smally. "I'm waiting on the next time we end up near a bigger city to see if there's any letters for me… It's a lot harder to keep in touch since being on Rhodes Island."
"I can imagine, have you had a chance to visit them since leaving Caladon?"
"No, I've not. We've been so far away from Victoria…" Susie smiles smally. "But I heard from one of the navigation team that we might be headed that way soon!" Her smile grows at the idea of being able to see her family again soon.
"I hope you get a chance to see them soon."
"Thank you, Red. I mean it."
"You deserve it, Susie. Genuinely. Especially considering all that's happened in the last… However long it's been." Red smiles kindly, and fidgets with the tumbler, rocking it back and forth along its edge on the bar top.
Susie nods, and stretches her arms above her head, arching her back and stretching it too as she does. There's a stifled yawn from her as she does this stretch. Neither is really aware of the time, having been lost in the tides of conversation the entire time, not paying much attention, nor caring really what time it is.
"Is it time to turn in?" Red asks.
"What time is it…?" Susie asks, looking around at the now empty lounge.
"Dunno. It's been a while since I last noticed anyone in here… Should I walk you back to your room?"
"Mm… That'd be nice, yeah." Susie smiles – sleepiness from both the day of working, and from the alcohol's depressive effects have kicked in. And so, she moves to stand, Red stands with her.
What neither really expected, nor accounted for in their tipsy states, was the positioning of their chairs, and how they both managed to stand up at the same time, led to the two of them standing extremely close to one another. So close, in fact, that Red's breath brushed up, warm and hot against Susie's bangs, and Susie's eyes were just at neck-level with Red.
Susie nearly takes a step backwards, and her heel catches against the barstool's feet as she does. Stumbling backwards, Red reaches out to catch her, and does, just moments before she completely loses balance. His grasp is firm against Susie's arms, but not painful or forceful. Gentle, and kind, and the feeling of his closeness sends shivers down her spine once her mind has processed what is going on.
"You okay?" Red asks, calmly, like nothing has happened at all.
"I—" Susie starts, "I am… Y-yeah… Thank you…" She regains her footing, and Red lets go of her. Immediately, she wishes he hadn't.
"Don't mention it." Red motions towards the door with his arm. "Shall we?"
"Y-yeah…" Susie responds, flustered.
Their walk towards Susie's dorm room is quiet. They don't talk about what just happened. The closeness between them, that almost felt like gravity bringing them together in that moment that was in reality the summation of little actions that neither was particularly cognizant had happened. But both would know what the feelings that Susie felt meant at that moment. What she wished had happened in that moment of closeness. Even if it was just a quiet embrace, that would've been more than enough for her. But it wasn't anything close to that. It was instead a moment of panic at that closeness fueled by gravity, in how sudden and unexpected it was.
If she had an opportunity, she'd missed it.
They make it down the few decks to the Dorm level, and then move the few frames forward towards where Susie's room is.
They silently walk the whole while.
Susie wishes that they had never left the bar. Red doesn't think much about the particular incident of him catching Susie before she toppled over, but if you'd ask him, and he was honest with you, he would boil the situation down to not being careful enough. But he suspects that there was a level of closeness that Susie wanted, that was why she was sitting so close to him. But he doesn't know what to think of that desire of hers. What it means for him, or what it means to be close to someone physically, much less in any other way that Susie might have wanted for how the evening to turn out.
He doesn't know, for either want, or willingness to, what this whole evening means for him. Either in the short term or the long term. He doesn't know where this fondness of him has come from – whether it had been because of something he'd done, or if it had just been something that naturally occurred, in the way attraction to another person does. He doesn't think about it because he doesn't really know how such things work. He's never let himself be that emotionally vulnerable before.
He certainly doesn't notice the way that Susie's hand hovers just within his reach as they walk. The way at specific points, how she almost reaches for the safety of his hand. He doesn't notice the way that she sways in her stride, moving closer and closer to him as they get closer to the next turn, but shying away once she realizes just how close she's gotten.
This cycle continues until they make it to Susie's room.
Susie stops in front of her door, and Red follows suit, keeping pace with her the entire walk thus far.
"This your stop?" Red asks.
"Yeah… Yeah it is."
There's silence between them for a few moments, Susie not wanting her time around Red to end, and Red not wanting to be impolite towards her. He has nowhere to be, and realistically, nor does she. But she still can't shake the sleepiness from the corner of her brain and has to admit that her own bed sounds far more comfortable than the barstool she had been sitting on before.
They look at one another, neither really being sure what to do in this situation. Susie, despite the tiredness in her eyes, does not want this moment to ever end, and whether her thoughts are fueled by the loosened inhibitions, or something more natural to her, she isn't sure.
"I—" Susie starts smally, almost imperceptibly to her own ears.
"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to get so close." Red, incidentally, also has something to say, and accidentally cuts her off without knowing.
"Oh…! It's okay… I didn't… Realize how close I'd gotten…" Susie admits, only partly truthfully. She had meant to get as close as she had but didn't realize that Red would stand at the same time that she would, resulting in both of them getting far too close far too fast.
"Were you going to say something?" Red asks, clearly perturbed by the notion that he might have cut Susie off. "I didn't mean to cut you off."
"No… No, it's okay. I was just curious when you might… Leave Rhodes Island?" Susie asks timidly, as if asking such a thing already means that he's gone from her sight, gone from the landship and away again where she cannot reach.
"I don't know. I was thinking tomorrow or the next day. I'm not really sure." Red responds after half a moment passes, enough time for the answer to be genuine in its uncertainty, but not complete in its thoughtfulness. "Why?"
"Well… I… Want to spend more time around you, Red." There's honest in her words, but she isn't telling the complete truth. The truth of this evening, and what she had hoped would happen from it. Versus what is happening now, she has no way of controlling the two things, just resolving one against the other and letting things play out the way that they end up. "If you're… If you're gonna spend more time here… I wanna spend that time with you."
Red smiles and casts his gaze to the ground. He figures that she would say something like this. And part of him wishes that she hadn't. Not because he doesn't want the same, doesn't find her interesting in a way that could evolve to something more akin to the way that she obviously feels towards him – but because instead that he feels like he cannot return that same feeling in a meaningful way now. His heart too burdened by duty and responsibility as one of the leaders of what is left of the ideology of Reunion. One of those that people look up to. He can't leave that behind, not now at, at any juncture that he can see in the reasonable future. Part of him resents himself for ending up in this situation, with knowing that just in how he's reacted, both physically, and mentally, what that means. What he'll have to say next and what he will have to say in order to move forward from this to try and find a way where he doesn't break her heart in this alcohol-influenced state, while also being true to himself as best he can.
"Susie, I—"
"I'm sorry…" Susie says. She doesn't look about to cry, or anything close to it, instead seeming a bit sorrowful. "I didn't mean to make you have to choose."
"I don't have to choose." Red looks back up at her, and his smile deepens. "I know who I'd choose. I just can't make a decision now."
"What do you-?"
"I can't give up on what I've already started, but I also can't start anything new with someone. You're a kind girl Susie, and I also would like to spend more time around you, I just can't do that now. Not when I can't be away for long…"
"I… I understand… I'm sorry for bringing it up…"
"Don't be." Red's smile doesn't waver. "It was brave of you to bring it up at all."
"Th-thank you…"
"But now, I think it's time for both of us to head to bed… You're swaying on your feet."
Susie nods slightly in sorrowful agreement and turns to open the door to her room. Keying in her code to enter the room. She stops in the doorway and finds Red has moved just behind her.
His breath is against her hair and her neck, warm and familiar like it was before in the Lounge. She closes her eyes against the familiarity and wishes this would never end.
"Goodnight, Miss Susie." He whispers to her. Before kissing the top of her head. "I hope to see you again soon."
"Goodnight, Red." She whispers back. His presence disappears from behind her. And she doesn't need to look to know that he's gone without a sound.
Susie doesn't look down the hallway to see where he might've gone. She steps further into her room instead and lets the door slide shut behind her. She doesn't feel sad, with the words she was left with. Instead, a strange kind of hope in her heart. Red has never lied to her. If he wants to see her again, it will happen. She has no doubt about this.
She changes into her bedclothes unceremoniously. Slinging her skirt and blouse into the hamper with the rest of her dirty clothes, and crawls into bed, pulling the blankets around her shoulders, and part of her can't help but wish that it was Red's arms around her, and not the weight of her blankets that feel all too light in this moment.
Red, on the other hand, had made his decision on when he would leave, around the same time that he had told Susie that he wasn't going to decide between her and anything else now. He meant that. He meant that he couldn't do anything about what he had already agreed to, what he already was expected to do. And that he needed to continue doing it. But he also meant that he wished to see her again, and soon.
He made his way to the entrance of Rhodes Island as it sat, its hulking mass against a twilight-darkened sky that he would see on the hilltops as he left Rhodes Island behind that night. His weapon-bag slung over his shoulder, and wind blowing at his back, as if propelling him forward like a sailboat across the seas of these hills outside the settlement that Rhodes Island loomed over.
He missed it already. He missed standing in those halls, being around Susie, being able to know that she was right nearby. He knew he'd be back. He'd all but promised as such. Meaning that he had to make good on that promise. Maybe one day when his duties were lessened, and the burdens on his shoulders could actually be taken up by someone else. But for now, he had no choice. He had to keep moving forward, to try and get to that idealized day of being able to return to Rhodes Island. To her. He knows that she'll be waiting this whole time. Waiting for him to return, like all but said he would.