Hikari sighed. This was a pretty big deal for her, but she knew in the grand scheme of things it didn't matter. Thinking this over, she took a bite as well. "Oh wow, it is! I've never tasted anything like this before."

"I guess it's a benefit of having power. You're never going to get me to understand my sisters mind. She rigged up that reactor almost immediately after we came here. With the radio active creatures outside, their blood acts as a perfect substitute for oil or uranium. I just hope we remember that exploiting resources is what got us here in the first place. "Arventino said. "Speaking of that, I'm thinking about leaving the city for awhile. A city nearby has raiders that need to be cleared out, and the city liberated. Normally I command from the back, but.....well, I think I miss being on the front lines. "Arventino said.

Yaro would look at the map drawn for him of the locations of the various housing, and would knock on Rosemary's door. "Oi, miss? You in there? It's Yaro, I need to speak to you."

Hikari looked up from her food. "If you're going to do that, you should tell Rosemary. She'll worry about you if you just disappear." She said.

"At this point, I could care less of what she thinks. Obviously, what I think is wrong. "Arventino said, obviously still upset about their fight. "At any rate, it's not her choice to make: The Ark Soldiers answer to me, not her. She may command the village militia, but I lead the remnants of our military here. "Arventino told her.

Hikari blinked. "I don't know anything about military control, I was talking about her feelings." She said. "Listen, I know Rosemary can be stubborn and headstrong, but that's because she had to grow up faster than most. She's had to be mother, father, friend and leader to her whole village. So she's not used to showing her feelings, and she comes off as abrasive." Hikari shrugged. "I'm not defending her, because I wasn't there and I don't know what happened. I'm just saying she does really care about you, no matter what she says. And, even though she doesn't act like it, Rosemary is a woman, and has all the feelings of a woman her age. Anyway, if you're going to be off in battle, the two of you should part on good terms."

"I made the effort, and I didn't intend to start an argument. She claims I don't understand her at all. "Arventino said, picking up his book, and keeping his eye on his book. "If she can't handle that I have my own opinions, then I am sorry, but I just don't care. I have let someone change who I am my entire life: I don't care how much I love her, but she'll never change me. "Arventino finished. It was obvious that what she said had bothered him greatly, as it made him question whether she could accept someone like Arventino in her life. Arventino was someone who, after years of fighting, finally came to terms with who he was. The thought of someone not accepting him and trying to change him, even if it's not on purpose, was terrifying and enraging to him.

Yaro waited outside the door for 15 minutes, checking his watch, before sighing "You know what? fuck this. "He said, before pulling out a bobby-pin, and unlocking the door. "Rosemary, I'm coming in. "Yaro said, walking with his dog by his side.

"From what I heard of the fight you had, she wasn't trying to change you at all. It sounds more like she was trying to show you a part of her world, but she failed pretty miserably." Hikari said calmly. "But whatever. I'm not going to argue with you. As long as you're happy with your choice, it doesn't matter that you both gave up on each other so easily."

((At this point Wolfie would like to redirect you to the last post with Rosemary in it. Please read her part carefully and you will find out where she is.))

(okay, my emotional understanding, and subtle hints may be pretty fucked up, but what part of the conversation was her trying to show him her world?)

Arventino started to say something, before sighing. "I'm not trying to fight.....but I told her twice that it was just what I thought, I never said it was true. Even then, I apologized right after because I didn't want a fight.......I'm not trying to give up, but at this point, I just can't understand this at all, and her snapping on me and making it seem like I don't understand anything is just pissing me off. "Arventino said, obviously he couldn't understand the situation.

A gun barrel would poke at Rosemary's shoulder, and a dog would nuzzle her. It was Yaro. "Good job Fencer. You found the woman.....hey, idiot. You know you're going to be a target for raiders to take pot-shots at out here, right?"He asked. "Anyway, you gotta come with me. Joseph asked to speak with ya."

((It wasn't, that was just Hikari's interpretation, since she doesn't know the whole argument. However, it also wasn't her trying to change him.))

"If that's the case...maybe she has her courses." Hikari suggested bluntly. Human women still went through a monthly cycle, and Rosemary was human, so perhaps her mood had something to do with that.

Rosemary looked up and shoved the gun away from her. "I am aware of the dangers. Why do you think I came out here?" She snapped. "If Joseph wants to talk about what happened, he can come get me himself. There is nothing to discuss."

Yaro stared at her for a good few minutes, before he started walking away. "Okay, buh-bye. I just came to tell you that......jeez, now I think I get why the kid left, huh Fencer?...."Yaro asked his dog.

"I just......I don't know okay, I don't. I want to make this work, but this is giving me a huge headache. "Arventino told her.

Rosemary wasn't listening, though. She had gone back to staring out into space.

Hikari shrugged. "I can't claim to be an expert on relationships. You two will have to figure things out as you go."

((Andraus: *ahem*))

(Sorry)

"Easy for you to say. You have someone like Joseph, whose willing to do anything to make you happy, and is a lot more understanding of emotion than I am. "He said. "Me, I don't. I say what I think is right, and I tend not realize when I am insulting. I never had to think about that."

"Wake up.. If this is the best that we can expect from someone who claims to be a leader, then this place is doomed. Has peace made you Westerners soft or something?"Yaro asked, staring down at her.

"That just means you two will have to work a little harder at it." Hikari said. "My parents told me all the time that relationships were tough. They had to work really hard on theirs. But they said the ones you put the most work into are the ones you get the most out of. So, if you work hard at it, you'll be rewarded."

Rosemary looked back at him. "I am beginning to wonder if I am fit to be a leader. It may be that it's time for someone else to try...Grandfather always said women aren't meant to lead. He said our hearts are too troubled and easily turned. I thought he was just being silly, but..."

"-and? So what, one bad decision, one bad word. Your people have food, they have water, and they have security. That's more that can be said about a lot of other communities left out there. You're worried about a bad decision? You're only human. "He said, before running a hand through his hair. "Fucks sake, I'm not here to babysit kids....Alright, listen, I can tell you from personal experience: People don't trust those they don't know. Take those Ark Survivors for example, They only trust their own because they 'know' them. Ark survivors don't open up easily to other survivors, because they only thing they expect is blood and death, which they have strong reason too. "He said. "Joseph filled me in on you two, some guy named Ahzidal and you, having bad blood. Have you ever.....I don't know, gone down and talked to the guy, instead of fighting with him?"

"Yeah? well I need to know how, because I haven't been this close to anyone before. Funny, isn't it? It took me 200 years just to find someone to date me. "He said, rubbing his head. "Gods, why does this feel like such a huge mess? Can't things be simple for once in my goddamn life? Haven't I gone through enough of this complicated bullshit...?"

(Note: No, Rosemary and Ahzidal have never actually tried to talk things out. From what I noticed, from day 1, the two were hostile towards each-other. This is just to break bread, and actually for the two to get both their mind-sets out.)

((You can't decide that. Rosemary has made it very clear that she has tried to reason with Ahzidal multiple times in the past.))

(Just like you didn't have the right to decide that Ahzidal was a hermit in town.)

((Okay, you have a point. Wolfie just got that impression from what she knows about the character, which isn't much, and you didn't object to it outright, so she went with it. How about we call it a happy medium and say that neither of them ever bothered to talk to the other?))

(Fair enough. Glad we could work this out without fighting. let's just make it agreed that we both will talk to eachother about something like this, okay?)

((Sure.))

(Alright, it's your turn)

((Oh, right.))

Rosemary puffed out her cheeks, ready to argue...but stopped. She sighed. "No, I haven't." She said. "I guess neither of us bothered to...actually talk to the other."

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but there is no such thing as a simple relationship." Hikari said. "But that's what makes them fun. C'mon, tell me the truth. You'd get bored if everything was easy, wouldn't you?"

"I would.......~sigh~, you're probably right. Still though, I wish some things could be easier, I mean really, Do I have to have to clean up such a huge mess every time I have something good? It's enough to make me want to pull my remaining teeth out. "He said to her. " I mean, after the Anchorage Liberation, it was hard enough to deal with people, given they were calling us hero's AND Villains. "Arventino said, which would (probably) surprise Hikari. From all reports the Anchorage liberation was a retaliation attack on the Chinese, something that needed to happen, but Arventino was the first to mention people treating them badly after what happened.

"You didn't even consider-..."Yaro just stopped, before leaning down to pet Fencer. "Go on, go talk to this guy, and see if you two can't come to an understanding. Considering his sway with the people, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you two to be on the same side, especially with Oliver's funeral coming up. There is going to be tension, try to make sure there isn't down-right civil war. "He said. Given the current level of aggression between the Post-human Survivors, and the Ark Survivors, Yaro's statement was pretty damn accurate.

Hikari tilted her head in confusion. She knew only what Joseph had mentioned in passing on the subject...which was not much at all. Nobody liked to talk about it, and she didn't want to make them. "Um...okay?"

Rosemary stood up, jaw clenched. This wasn't the first time she'd had to swallow her pride, and it wouldn't be the last. "Alright. Thank you." She said, then walked back inside the walls.

Arventino looked up, before looking back down, setting down his fork. "Hikari......how much did Joseph tell you, about the American-Sino war?" He asked her.

Tsunami and Storm were heading deeper into the city. Tsunami was checking the datapad to make sure the location was where her Zaeed's Agent was. "He shouldn't be too far off......We need to find this guy before the Slavers do. Storm, you picking up anything?" She asked him.

Ahzidal was busy handing out rations and the like to the populace. Considering he was performing a job meant for a group of people, he was doing fantastic. Perks of having a computer in his brain, probably. Ahzidal would then walk over to a small group of refugee's, before looking around, not noticing Rosemary, and placing an extra parcel of food down. "Here....Take this, and go and feed your family. Say it's from a friend."He said, as the kids thanked him, and ran off.