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[weaponwithoutpurpose]

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[reargunner]

[He doesn't answer.

Alexei doesn't say anything at all. He stands there for a couple of seconds and breathes, then inhales slowly and holds it for a moment before gradually letting it out. Then he moves to the railing, several feet down from Jacob, and pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

Silently, he lights one, tucks the pack away, and takes the first drag. He taps a bit of ash over the side of the ship and rests his weight forwards, leaning against the railing.]

I'm not an animal, Jacob.

[He says it quietly, level, but clearly something about what the other man said had stung.]

You fucking deserved it this time, but I'm not gonna smack you for no reason. And I heard what you said. Just making that real fucking clear right now.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Didn't say you were. Didn't mean to imply it, either.

[It's a lesson he's learned the hard way.]

Ro gets mad like that. Like you. Like I can get. You ever heard of fawning? Had a therapist tell me that it's what I do when shit gets hard. It's how I ended up following Joseph.

[reargunner]

[Another drag. He lets it briefly burn in his chest.]

I've read about it.

[He's been reading more than anyone might think about psychology since his own mental health started visibly circling the drain.]

I fight. Always have. Probably always will.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Yeah, I can tell. People assume that about me.

It's not a bad thing.

It's just - what happens. [He grips the railing tightly for a moment.]

You read a lot about that shit?

[reargunner]

[He tilts his head a bit, then shrugs.]

I guess. I read a lot. People expect me to be stupid.

[Because he has a temper. Because he's volatile, waspish, a fighter who lashes out first when he's agitated.]

I'm not stupid.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Didn't think you were. I don't hang around stupid people.

I like reading, too. Not about psychology - got too much of that straight from the VA.

But I started this book about fish. [He leans down, glancing over at the spark from the cigarette.]

Ever heard of a stonefish?

[reargunner]

[A headshake.]

Let me guess. It looks like a rock.

[Just a guess, mind.]

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He snorts.]

No shit. But it sits at the bottom near actual rocks and blends in. And if you step on it, it shoots venom into your body and can kill you.

But apparently you can eat them.

[reargunner]

Hm.

[The next drag he takes is a slower one. He hasn't looked Jacob's way since he stopped shouting at him.]

You know, Mars doesn't have any native plants or animals. The whole planet was seeded when it was colonised.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

What do you fish for?

[He doesn't notice. He reaches down to put his hand on Mae's head, grounding himself there.]

[reargunner]

Fish, obviously.

[Sir, please.]

They're naturalised now, but came from Earth originally. Okun' and shchuka mostly. [He sniffs.] Uh.

[A small wave of his free hand.]

Perch, and uh... pike? Salmon in summer. We call them losos'.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Smartass.

[He rolls his eyes, but there's no animosity behind it.]

Shchuka. That pike or perch?

[reargunner]

Pike. Nasty fuckers, too.

[A shrug. He's known more than one person take a bite from a landed pike that they thought was already dead. They were already aggressive but something about Mars had sure made them worse.]

Keep you going for a while if you catch one, assuming it doesn't break your line first.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Sounds like a bitch of a fish.

[He snorts.]

That the sort of fish you wanted to show me how to catch?

[reargunner]

I dunno.

[Shrug. He puffs out another drag of smoke.]

Maybe. Some time.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Yeah. Some time.

[He rubs his face. It really is starting to hurt.]

Alright. I'm going to go ice the shit out of my face. I'll see you around.

[reargunner]

Whatever you say.

[He'll just stay where he is until he's done with his cigarette.]

I'm always around.