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Istra leans against him, curling up into his chest. "He thought being in a womanform was disturbing."

"They have such restrictive ideas about 'gender'... but you were transformed." Mikodez had been transformed too, and he thinks that the limitations of growing up on Earth make people ignore those changes.

He chuckles firmly, taut. "I was but I no longer am. It was temporary."

Besides, Mikodez is fine.

Mikodez leans down so he can kiss his forehead.

"Being from Earth was the far more dramatic transformation." Mikodez's relationship with being changed isn't the same as Istradez's, but he's not here to drag him into a second argument.

"You're too nice to people."

"Too nice?" he echoes with a roll of his eyes. "How do you think so?"

"You were willing to talk to him in the first place." He had just tried to punch Vash.

Mikodez rarely gets angry at people, which is useful as he would do far worse if ever wanted to.

"That wasn't kindness. That was an attempt to stave off his annoying habits," he grumbles. "I just - want to forget about today. What a waste."

"Then don't think about it." If a warden can't win Mikodez's support to their cause that's on them. Right now, he's as free an agent as he ever can be. "It may have been a waste for you, but I finished a sweater. I can give it to someone without them thinking it's an assassination attempt!" As if he would be that obvious, but for some - mysterious, of course - reason he can make people paranoid. It's very funny.

He looks up at him with the hint of a smirk.

"Who did you make it for?! And is it an assassination attempt?"

Mikodez pokes him in the forehead.

"Ashton. See if I make you a sweater, now."

He reaches up to rub his forehead. "You will," he reminds him. "Because I will hurt you if you don't."

"I'm sure I can find something in neon. You can really light up the place."

He shrugs. "If that is what you need to remind people I am the better looking one..."

"We are very good looking. Such drastic steps could prove necessary."

Istradez looks at him with a sigh. "How is time with your inmate going anyway? Have you interrogated him?"

"Iago? We've played a few board games. They're not from his time, so the cultural references can be strange to both of us. It's much more fun than interrogation. Oh, and apparently there's a character based on him in a drama, but it's very hard to understand. It might be like one of those Andan romantic dramas where people do stupid things because they want to fuck each other." Unlike what he'd proclaimed in his innocent youth, he can't say 'unrealistically stupid'. "As performed by aliens, which makes it even harder to follow."

That gets a genuine laugh from Istra. "I like those!" he protests. "But they never get to fuck each other because they're just - too busy sulking."

"I know you do." He is resigned to the fact, and happy to have avoided watching them as much as possible. Which, with his workload, is generally very possible. "I imagine it's much like going to Shandal Yeng's for dinner." He supposes that's truth in fiction for you, though there had been a range in successful seduction. Much like with the dramas, he usually tuned out at least half of it.

"Hush," he grumbles, but all of his malice and venom are gone. They've left him a bit woozy, a little tired, in the aftermath, but he can tough it out.

"You should find a girlfriend here," he points out, though they both know how poorly that would go. But it's a fun little game to play, curled up in his brother's arms, talking about something silly like Mikodez having other lovers.

He laughs. There's a certain level of assurance in a game about something that would never happen. "Try something new?" He supposes he technically did have a girlfriend for a few months when he was at school, but it probably doesn't count if it was for class. "I don't mind hard work, but I wouldn't even get a sweater out of it. I'm too young to decide it's time for speed dating."

"That really is unfortunate," he sighs. "And you wouldn't get a sweater, but maybe someone could make your tea."

As if Istra would let anyone else do such things.

"You make a good point. But I'd have to tell her that my annoying brother might stop by to say that putting in sugar is an insult to the tea."

"It is," he says and moves back just slightly so he can sit up to look at him properly. "And you're the annoying one."

He leans in to kiss him. "I suppose I'll have to stick around."

"Yes, but then you might say the tea deserved the insult. I could be the charming one if I wanted to." He just enjoys being annoying. Why put aside something so amusing?"

He pretends to consider for a moment. "I suppose so, and someone has to appreciate the soap for the shower." Istradez has said he's not interested in dating on the barge, but even if that changed it has never changed their relationship. He returns Istra's kiss. His active bad mood seems to have mostly drained away, but this has always been a good way to make him happy.

It does make him happy and it makes him forget about Vash and how he felt there on the deck. He deepens the kiss, pushing the tablet to the side, the actors still going about their dramas in the background.

He doesn't want anything else except to have the support and attention of Mikodez in times like these, when his patience is thin and the world doesn't make any fucking sense. But this, his hand on the back of Mikodez's neck and pressed close to him, makes sense. This is always what brings Istradez comfort and stability because he can trust this and he doesn't have to worry about twelve years of change and a ship where his main goal is to graduate and leave his brother again.

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packhounds - 2025-06-11 03:47 (UTC) - Expand