Post by dj1678 on Nov 29, 2009 20:54:12 GMT -5
Headquarters in Southeast Asia was a lot bigger than Aurem had imagined. Not too hard when he had been expecting a tent in the middle of the jungle. He stepped out into the sunshine from HQ carrying a copy of his new orders, and noticed Arieta standing nearby, waiting for him with her usual cheerful smile. Aurem was still a little shocked every time he found her waiting for him, but was getting better at covering it up. She fell in beside him while they walked back toward where their Mobile suits were being kept. Even if they weren't damaged, these things always seemed to need maintenance and calibration.
"What do they say?" she asked, motioning toward the orders and noticing the somewhat sour looks Aurem was giving them.
"Nothing good."
"That really doesn't tell me very much..."
Realizing he'd have to let her know what they were doing sooner or later, Aurem handed her the orders and said, "Read for yourself then."
Arieta sighed. Clearly her attempt at conversation had failed again. "You really don't like talking very much, do you?"
"...No," Aurem said after a moment.
"Why is that? How can you possibly get to know anybody like that? ...Without talking to people I mean."
"I don't like talking about it--"
"--Or anything else apparently," She interrupted. "Fine, how about something else then, like where you're from. That should be pretty easy right?"
Aurem's face darkened, but Arieta didn't notice and continued.
"I'll go first to show you how easy it is Mr. Idontwannatalkaboutit. I was born on Earth. It wasn't quite so...jungly...as it is here; it was nicer too. But I've always wanted to go see space. Funny that I'm with the ground forces then, huh?"
She laughed, but Aurem wasn't in the mood.
"See, that was easy, wasn't it? Now it's your turn. Where are you from?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh, not that again! What is it with you?" She said, adopting a slightly heated tone. "Is everything classified or something? or is it just that you--"
"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Aurem yelled, obviously louder than he meant to. He'd stopped in the middle of the path, but quickly began walking again once he noticed others nearby staring at him.
They walked silently the rest of the way back. Arieta had now taken notice of how obviously upset Aurem was, and wondered whether it was just her that he didn't want to talk to, or if it was really something she had said.
They arrived at the hangar. Aurem noticed that Arieta had been unusually quiet and even looked a little depressed since he had yelled at her. He didn't like seeing her like that and felt bad for earlier.
"You really want to know?" Aurem asked, considerably calmer now, but still not thrilled about talking.
Arieta nodded, visibly cheering up, but apparently still being cautious.
"Fine. Side 2, Island Iffish. Though I suppose that I'm technically from Australia now. My family certainly is..." Aurem trailed off, trying not to think about where that thought was inevitably leading him.
Arieta stood shocked. She felt relieved that it wasn't just that he didn't want to talk to her, but she also felt horrible about pretty much the entire rest of the conversation.
"...I'm sorry..." she said tentatively. "Is there anything I can--"
"I still don't want to talk about it," Aurem said doing his best to smile.
"...I understand."
Arieta made a mental note to talk about something safer next time, like maybe teddy bears.
"What do they say?" she asked, motioning toward the orders and noticing the somewhat sour looks Aurem was giving them.
"Nothing good."
"That really doesn't tell me very much..."
Realizing he'd have to let her know what they were doing sooner or later, Aurem handed her the orders and said, "Read for yourself then."
Arieta sighed. Clearly her attempt at conversation had failed again. "You really don't like talking very much, do you?"
"...No," Aurem said after a moment.
"Why is that? How can you possibly get to know anybody like that? ...Without talking to people I mean."
"I don't like talking about it--"
"--Or anything else apparently," She interrupted. "Fine, how about something else then, like where you're from. That should be pretty easy right?"
Aurem's face darkened, but Arieta didn't notice and continued.
"I'll go first to show you how easy it is Mr. Idontwannatalkaboutit. I was born on Earth. It wasn't quite so...jungly...as it is here; it was nicer too. But I've always wanted to go see space. Funny that I'm with the ground forces then, huh?"
She laughed, but Aurem wasn't in the mood.
"See, that was easy, wasn't it? Now it's your turn. Where are you from?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh, not that again! What is it with you?" She said, adopting a slightly heated tone. "Is everything classified or something? or is it just that you--"
"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Aurem yelled, obviously louder than he meant to. He'd stopped in the middle of the path, but quickly began walking again once he noticed others nearby staring at him.
They walked silently the rest of the way back. Arieta had now taken notice of how obviously upset Aurem was, and wondered whether it was just her that he didn't want to talk to, or if it was really something she had said.
They arrived at the hangar. Aurem noticed that Arieta had been unusually quiet and even looked a little depressed since he had yelled at her. He didn't like seeing her like that and felt bad for earlier.
"You really want to know?" Aurem asked, considerably calmer now, but still not thrilled about talking.
Arieta nodded, visibly cheering up, but apparently still being cautious.
"Fine. Side 2, Island Iffish. Though I suppose that I'm technically from Australia now. My family certainly is..." Aurem trailed off, trying not to think about where that thought was inevitably leading him.
Arieta stood shocked. She felt relieved that it wasn't just that he didn't want to talk to her, but she also felt horrible about pretty much the entire rest of the conversation.
"...I'm sorry..." she said tentatively. "Is there anything I can--"
"I still don't want to talk about it," Aurem said doing his best to smile.
"...I understand."
Arieta made a mental note to talk about something safer next time, like maybe teddy bears.