[closed] plant friends gotta be plant friends

[tousei]

Who: Julius and Steinbeck
Where: On the ship Fenrir
When: 10D3
Summary: Plants being plants.
Restrictions/Warnings: Will probably delve into some body horror later on.

[ Things are changing.

Julius' tasks have leaned more and more to outright manslaughter as the weeks moved on, and it unsettles him - though it's not something easily told to others. The accident that befell his work partner gave him some reprieve, as the Dog cannot go without a Handler (or colleague, Julius insists). Since Sui Feng did not have any other important tasks to him, he has oddly a day off.

Time, rare in this tumultous place. ]

Hello, Steinbeck. This is Julius.

I would like to meet you to speak about plants.

[ A simple message, the best he can muster being a person who did not text outside of duty. It's well-encrypted and from a civilian source instead of directly tagged to the Company. Hopefully this works. ]

Comments

[tousei]

[ Steinbeck says the truth, so there's no reaction from him. ]

Do you know of him? Sion Astal, the director. If you speak to him, you may find efficiency in cooperation.

[ He has his hands tied himself so he can't do much. ]

[graftage]

[Steinbeck's eyes narrow. He knows the name.]

Yes, I do. [He sounds quite hesitant.] Can he be trusted? I mean, he works for the Company too, doesn't he?

[tousei]

He can. He too wishes to start a revolution.

[ And now, for something more personal: ]

He saved me from a fate of becoming a mindless beast.

[graftage]

...Did he?

[He didn't seem too bad, but...Steinbeck was always wary. A nice attitude and charming conversation hardly meant anything. The nicest person could commit the worst atrocities.]

Very well. If you trust him, then I shall follow that. He did a good thing. To help you out, I mean.

[tousei]

[ Julius nods. If the proof was needed, he turns so that Steinbeck can see his back. ]

My curse would have killed me. In place of my corpse would have risen a dangerous weapon. Instead, he gave me surgery to stabilize my condition.

[ The branches come from six ports installed below his neck. He has to tug his shirt down a little - two columns of three holes each. ]

It is hard to find who to trust. [ He knows. ] I consider myself very lucky to have met him. This can be the start of things looking up.

[graftage]

I guess it can.

[Though honestly, he still can't see the point of fully putting yourself in the trust of another. Yes, there are people he likes, but to be this devoted...?]

[Maybe he knew that feeling in another lifetime. Not here, really.]

What is he planning on doing? As far as rebellion goes? Is he going to help take it down from the inside?

[tousei]

[ It's hard to quantify their relationship in words. ]

His priority is to look after those passed over by the company first. He too has to keep a low profile, but when the time comes - that could be a possibility.

[ Sion can look after Steinbeck's people when he's out doing his rebellion thing. ]

[graftage]

Hmm. Well, I guess he can work on things there. It would be preferable to combine our efforts to get the best result.

[He doesn't want to think that Sion and co might be doing something that will go against what they ight be doing on the ground in Hyperion, despite their best intentions.]

Anyways, I guess I can use you as an excuse to say hello to him? He must be a busy guy.

[tousei]

[ Julius has absolutely no knowledge of Hyperion so maybe that's for the best. ]

I can ask him to contact you. I have some modicum of enhanced encryption, for safety.

[graftage]

Fine, then. I'm available whenever I can be.

[He shakes his head.]

But if he goes against me, I won't hesitate to do the same for him, understand?

[tousei]

Of course.

[ There's no reason for him to object. ]

That is all that I have to say. Unless you wish to ask me anything else?

[graftage]

I don't have anything else, no...

[A pause.]

Wait. You said you might become a tree. You really have no way of stopping this? Do you want to stop it? How long do you have?

[tousei]

[ Julius doesn't answer at first, closing his eyes for a moment; long lashes covering grey. When he opens them again, his irises have turned gold. ]

There is no way to cease or reverse the transformation. I can only endeavour to remain myself as my body changes. Two months, perhaps less than that.

[ And not lose his mind, that is. ]

[graftage]

...

I'm sorry to hear that.

[To lose control over yourself, transform into something beyond humanity...]

[Steinbeck recalls a dream, a long-lost dream where his body was changing into something inhuman, his hand a mangled mess of branches and leaves, and the presence of a man who was much like him.]

[He frowns, reaching out to just rest his hand on Julius' shoulder, reassuringly.]

You just have to do whatever you can to fight that fate.

[tousei]

[ Julius nods. He's already promised Sion to live. ]

I will. I will not give in until every last cell is no longer mine.

[ He says this with a deceptively soft tone, but the light in his eyes hardens. ]

Thank you.

[graftage]

No need to thank me. I'm just here because we share a few things in common, it seems.

[Though he's not going to transform into a plant anytime soon.]

...Do you need somebody to check up on you, Julius?

[tousei]

[ There's a few moments of quiet while he mulls on this, grey eyes betraying little emotion but darkened in some sort of way; uncertainty, and a desire to not burden another. ]

I will manage. The situation on Leith will only get worse. It may become unsafe for you to meet me in the future.

[ A beat. ]

But there is still the network. If you need encryption, I can pass some algorithms to you.