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Sue graduates from Tactical School a year early, he's barely fifteen. He's toned down the flirting - he treats Aegis completely platonically, in particular - and has cut down on the unhealthy amount of sleeping-with-everything-that-wants. And he's apparently, via his independent study, gotten far enough through the curriculum that they're nudging him along to Command.
They've given Sue a strange old man for a tutor, who appeared in his room and started a physical confrontation, which Sue won; Sue related this story to her with something between amusement and irritation.
And a quicker-than-average flurry of notes has been piling up in the psych data since about that time, according to the timestamps.
Aegis knows before they tell her that they're going to send her to Command early too. She's just barely fifteen herself when she gets another update of the psych files and sees that Sue's had - well, the files aren't terribly clear, some of the communication is happening via in-person conversation and memos that don't get stored in these folders, but Sue's had some kind of breakdown and the only things they can think of to get him out of it, get him back into shape to train and fight, are her friendship and Howlett. They have mixed feelings about both - Howlett's insubordination problem; their bewilderment that Aegis and Sue can be so close when "she's the one person he can't link!" - but they're desperate.
Bird? They don't talk as often over the long distance, just as there was a lull when he went to Tactical ahead of her; their schedules have nothing in common and their contexts less. But he knows her, and he can reach this far if he tries. And she wants to know what's wrong.
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autokinetic
autokinetic
"But why wouldn't they just tell you that? You wouldn't let everyone die."
"Maybe they think I would," he suggests.
He shrugs.
autokinetic
"I asked the guy if he could tell me what the big secret was, and then even if I wasn't allowed to tell you I could tell you if it was a big deal or not, but he didn't tell me shit," sighs Aegis.
"The fuck do you expect?" he shrugs.
autokinetic
"I expect them to notice when what they're doing isn't working. And if they brought me in as a Sue-expert I expect them to treat me like I might have information on how to deal with Sue. But apparently I'm disappointed today."
"Yep," sighs Sue, nestling his head into her lap.
autokinetic
"But at least supposedly we're not under any particular threat of my being taken away," says Aegis. "I could probably even move in, if you want, although I'm not sure how they'd keep you in when I left the corridor to go to classes - I'm pretty sure you are still under house arrest, here - and we might not like whatever they come up with."
"Move in anyway," he says. "I miss you."
autokinetic
"Okay. I'll get my stuff when you've unclung some. No hurry."
"You're the best," he says, smiling.
He giggles softly.
autokinetic
"I don't suppose there is any way to get you back on the simulator short of telling you whatever-it-is?" Aegis asks.
"Sure," he says. "If you convinced me it'd actually matter to the survival of the human race."
autokinetic
"If it did," Aegis snorts, "that'd probably be the big secret."
He giggles.
autokinetic
"I mean, it could make a difference. You're good, we're training to be soldiers for a reason. I'm just not sure why they think it makes such a huge difference."
"Exactly," he shrugs.
autokinetic
"Have they been having you link any subordinates up when you've been playing? Maybe they think that'll be a gigantic edge and they need to figure out how much of one."
"Nah," he says. "I keep expecting them to, but they don't."
autokinetic
"Then I'm stumped," says Aegis. "They don't even know if you'll be a big deal."
He shrugs expansively.
autokinetic
Later, when Sue has unclung, Aegis gives him a final hug and says, "I'll go get my desk and my uniforms and move in. It's nearly bedtime."
She goes.
She comes back, and sets up in the other bunk in his room.
They go to sleep.
When Aegis wakes up, she feels - wrong.
Bricks and clay. The blanket over her weighs a hundred pounds. She ought to be forcing herself to sit under running water, ought to be reaching for the soap - but she's -
"Sue?" she asks tremulously.
She goes.
She comes back, and sets up in the other bunk in his room.
They go to sleep.
When Aegis wakes up, she feels - wrong.
Bricks and clay. The blanket over her weighs a hundred pounds. She ought to be forcing herself to sit under running water, ought to be reaching for the soap - but she's -
"Sue?" she asks tremulously.