Eleven -
Xenosaga Ep. II, Gaignun and Jr.
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Gaignun, for once, was doing nothing. The mental touch of Jr.'s voice made him smile, just a little bit, and he closed his eyes and sent (I assure you) (every day without you was like a year) (a very peaceful year)

(aww) (you missed me) (i can tell) Jr. promptly muscled head and shoulders through their mental connection, opening Gaignun's eyes and peering curiously out through them. (in your office) (how'd i know?) His--their--eyes looked out through the massive curve of window that dominated the east side of Gaignun's office, towards the Durandal. (hey look!) (there i am!) (wave to me!)

Gaignun's hand lifted without any conscious input from its theoretical owner and acknowledged the Durandal--and Jr.--with a slight wave. (there) Jr. said, pleased, and put Gaignun's hand back down. (see?) (you missed me)

(if you say so it must be true) Gaignun restrained the impulse to laugh, leaning back in his desk chair and steepling his fingers together. (should I come to the port?) (to meet you?) (for once I'm not busy)

(whoa) (not busy?) (who are you and what have you done with my br) (other) Jr.'s mental voice was curious, and Gaignun kept glancing around as Jr. used him like a pair of binoculars, trying to figure out what he was up to. (nah) (i'll come to you) (wait'll you see what I found)

(oh?)

(Moby Dick!) (on paper!) The excitement leaked through the connection, and Gaignun felt it like a rush of adrenalin. (a real copy!) (but it's not in very good shape) (old) (like you)

(brat)

(yep) A pause--the touch of something like a mental frown--then Jr. pushed into the connection a little more and Gaignun's head cocked to the side. (...) (you're listening to that again?)

(what?) Gaignun's voice was ever so slightly defensive. (I like it) (good memories)

(girly song) (girlygirly) (makes you all drippy)

(not girly) (not drippy) (reminds me of good things) (home) (nursery) (together)

(laaaaaaame)

(not) (least it's not Moby Dick)

(what?) Jr. sounded outraged. (what's wrong with Moby Dick?!) (great book!) (wish I'd named the Durandal the Pequod)

(bad omen) (plus you'd have to lose a leg)

(yoooooou didn't answer me) (what's wrong with) (Moby Dick?) (arrr, the whale, the white whaaaale)

(not telling) Gaignun sent, but a bit of what he was thinking filtered through anyway, a brief flash of (phallic) (homoerotic).

There was a burst of static in his mind as Jr. dropped the connection for a moment, the mental equivalent of gagging. (gross) (you're so weird) (and the song is girly) (girlygirlyGIRRRRL)

(is not) (it's about being free) (about getting away from a bad place and going to a better one)

Silence. Gaignun closed his eyes and went on, gently pressing his advantage. (and look at us now) (almost free) (in a better place)

(okay) Jr. conceded, just as the first shuttle broke away from the Durandal, heading for the space port. (still don't see why it has to be about rainbows and bluebirds and stuff) (girly)

(Somewhere over the rainbow) (bluebirds fly) Gaignun sang through the connection. There was another burst of mental static and Jr. was gone in a mostly feigned huff, leaving Gaignun alone. "Birds fly over the rainbow," he murmured, even as the crackling female voice on the ancient metal disc sang its four-thousand-year-old heart out. "Why, oh why can't I?"