-That- feels like a dismissal, but she- isn't sure.

"See that your siblings are ready as well." It's a calm command, one that doesn't betray the depth of his present concern regarding his family's continued unity. "If any of them, or you, require further guidance between now and then? I'll be right here."

-Yup. That's a dismissal. "Yes, sir," she says, nodding sharply. And she turns and leaves. And she supposes she should go and hunt her new siblings down, make sure they're ready.

Where will she begin her hunt?

Well. There was that viewing area that Gamora showed her. She'll start there.

Gamora's there, gazing upon the stars in a state of detached rapture.

She has her back to the room's entryway, and does not appear to hear Grim's approach.

Grim taps her knuckles against the wall, stepping to the side of the door as she does so.

She startles only slightly--it's a gentle sound, but she's quite on edge.

"Oh." She glances back. "Grim?"

"Hey," she says quietly. "You alright?"

"I imagine there isn't any way I could really reply with 'yes', is there?"

Grim hums. "I suppose not from your perspective."

"From my perspective?"

"My father would've killed us. The lesson made sense. It wasn't pleasant but..." She shrugs.

"...yeah, no, that makes complete sense actually."

What Thanos did made sense. Had a certain fairness to it. But that doesn't make it okay for her, for some reason? If anything, it just makes Gamora feel worse?

"What even is my perspective?"

"I suppose- I'm not sure I really know. Just that- I don't expect you...expected him to threaten death? Maybe I'm wrong. My perspective's kinda...messed up I guess?"

"Mine too." Gamora laughs uncomfortably. "And you're right, yeah, about me not expecting... that."

She has a suspicion that any given 'normal' person out there in the cosmos would find herself more dissimilar from Gamora and Grim than they are from each other, but hasn't the foggiest idea how to verify that.

"I- wouldn't have let him kill you," Grim says after a moment. "I- not while there was breath in my body."

"Really?"

That surprises her on a multitude of levels. First: she wouldn't have thought that Grim would be willing to Disobey Father like that. Second: she wouldn't have thought that she merited that sort of loyalty from someone she'd only just met. And third... she's troubled by the realization that she never moved to protect either of her sisters on the chopping block.

("Is Nebula right about me?")

Gamora sits down with her back to the wall, such that she can still keep the stars visible in her peripheral while listening to Grim.

Grim slides down the wall to sit as well, draws shadows up and around her hands.

"Shadows are a lot more tangible than anyone seems to think. And maybe I- could've stopped this. Why should you pay for my failures? I suppose bringing it to his attention sooner might've just sped things up- But- Maybe."

"But you didn't want us to try making a run for it, even when death seemed so certain."

"I'm glad you didn't, given how things played out, but I still don't understand why you didn't back me up when I suggested flight?"

Grim snorts quietly. "I don't know if my father is dead or alive, and having him and- Lord Thanos after me seems less than ideal."

Pauses. "Besides that this- I've never- had anything like this. Anything this...safe."

"Do you think I'm... wrong? Stupid? For resenting him?"

"I don't- You seem to have memories of something better than this? Which...seems amazing to me, but... I could understand your feelings if that was the case."

"At this point, I can barely remember my life before. But I know that there's better out there. I know a lot of people have better lives--not enough of them, but some."

Grim leans forward, resting her arms on her knees. "Then I don't think you're stupid."