Her face softens (if it can be called that, what with her fangs) into a
smile at the praise. Taura leans forward and reaches out one big, clawed
hand to take Ford's for a second, squeezing gently.
"I was part of a small batch of experimental prototypes for genetically
modified soldiers, and the planet I grew up on is essentially an enormous,
well-organized black market." She's alright, though. "I'm well rid of
it. The people who made me can't have me back. I have better people now."
He squeezes her hand back. Both their hands are kind of weird, aren't they? Too big, genetic anomalies, but she isn't afraid to hold his hand and he isn't afraid to hold hers.
"I know something about what that's like, actually," he says. "Thanks to another transuniversal Barge event. Cloned, raised in a lab, meant to be a weapon." It hadn't ended well. Poor Weapon X-618. "Now, it wasn't exactly real either, and it wasn't the same as what happened to you, but I'm glad," he says, another word that isn't adequate to describe what he feels about someone he'd thought of as his daughter until a few days ago being raised in those conditions, "that you're out of it."
If the people who made Taura showed up right now and tried to take her back, Ford Pines would probably end up demoted. Sometimes that's just how it be.
No fear of that. Taura's experiment was scrapped, Taura was sold, and the
man who bought her afterward is very thoroughly dead now, thanks to
Mark. No loss there. Taura doesn't think Ryoval is redeemable, so she
certainly hopes he never shows up on the Barge. ...The scientists who made
her? Some of them might be, and she'd try to give them a fair chance here
as long as they didn't try to treat her as a test subject again.
"I'm sorry you know what it feels like."
She hesitates, then continues, "You still feel like my father. I
didn't expect that. I don't... expect anything from you if you don't want
to offer it, but I'd rather have some version of you in my life. It won't
be the same, but it could be good."
"I can't assume that what I know about you from the breach is the same," Ford says, slowly. Then, he offers her a sideways smile. "But," he adds, "I wouldn't mind finding out. I just hope you won't be diaappointed! I'm nothing but an old fool who's lost without his family, and I'm probably going to make mistakes."
"I never had a family in the first place," she reminds him. "I don't know
what I'm doing either, but I think it matters who you choose to care
about, and who chooses to care about you."
It's not the same as family you've had all along, but it can be just as
important. She has to believe that. And Ford mattered so much to her in
that other life.
"It seems worthwhile to get to know each other again."
"Well," Ford says, "in that case, I'd like to give it a try." The smile turns from sideways to sincere. "I, uh...I used to get breakfast with my warden, but I'm afraid my temporary houseguest has insisted on going together lately. What, uh...what would you like to do together?"
"I'm almost always hungry," Taura admits, "even with drugs to keep my
metabolism partway in check. Or I like exploring new places. We could use
the Enclosure. It's nice, getting to see planets nothing like any I've
visited before."
"I have seen a lot of unusual planets," Ford says, in the tone of someone who's just been asked to put a specialized skill to use. "...do you still like to go for runs?" he suggests.
"I do," she confirms, the eager smile on her face a measure of trust
in and of itself; Taura hates people flinching at her fangs. "It feels like
such a luxury to take them somewhere more interesting than a treadmill, or
laps around the ship."
No flinch here, just an answering, if a touch more shy, smile. Two years ago, or in the breach, it would have been broad and open, delighted to have the chance to show off all of the places he's seen. But Ford's been worn down to more hesitance, humbled again and again, and he's grateful to find acceptance here.
"Well, then," he says. "We can take turns choosing locations."
"Okay," she agrees, still smiling warmly. "I haven't visited too many
planets yet, but we can try some from my universe I haven't
seen after I run out."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Her face softens (if it can be called that, what with her fangs) into a smile at the praise. Taura leans forward and reaches out one big, clawed hand to take Ford's for a second, squeezing gently.
"I was part of a small batch of experimental prototypes for genetically modified soldiers, and the planet I grew up on is essentially an enormous, well-organized black market." She's alright, though. "I'm well rid of it. The people who made me can't have me back. I have better people now."
no subject
He squeezes her hand back. Both their hands are kind of weird, aren't they? Too big, genetic anomalies, but she isn't afraid to hold his hand and he isn't afraid to hold hers.
"I know something about what that's like, actually," he says. "Thanks to another transuniversal Barge event. Cloned, raised in a lab, meant to be a weapon." It hadn't ended well. Poor Weapon X-618. "Now, it wasn't exactly real either, and it wasn't the same as what happened to you, but I'm glad," he says, another word that isn't adequate to describe what he feels about someone he'd thought of as his daughter until a few days ago being raised in those conditions, "that you're out of it."
If the people who made Taura showed up right now and tried to take her back, Ford Pines would probably end up demoted. Sometimes that's just how it be.
no subject
No fear of that. Taura's experiment was scrapped, Taura was sold, and the man who bought her afterward is very thoroughly dead now, thanks to Mark. No loss there. Taura doesn't think Ryoval is redeemable, so she certainly hopes he never shows up on the Barge. ...The scientists who made her? Some of them might be, and she'd try to give them a fair chance here as long as they didn't try to treat her as a test subject again.
"I'm sorry you know what it feels like."
She hesitates, then continues, "You still feel like my father. I didn't expect that. I don't... expect anything from you if you don't want to offer it, but I'd rather have some version of you in my life. It won't be the same, but it could be good."
no subject
"I can't assume that what I know about you from the breach is the same," Ford says, slowly. Then, he offers her a sideways smile. "But," he adds, "I wouldn't mind finding out. I just hope you won't be diaappointed! I'm nothing but an old fool who's lost without his family, and I'm probably going to make mistakes."
no subject
"I never had a family in the first place," she reminds him. "I don't know what I'm doing either, but I think it matters who you choose to care about, and who chooses to care about you."
It's not the same as family you've had all along, but it can be just as important. She has to believe that. And Ford mattered so much to her in that other life.
"It seems worthwhile to get to know each other again."
no subject
no subject
"I'm almost always hungry," Taura admits, "even with drugs to keep my metabolism partway in check. Or I like exploring new places. We could use the Enclosure. It's nice, getting to see planets nothing like any I've visited before."
no subject
"I have seen a lot of unusual planets," Ford says, in the tone of someone who's just been asked to put a specialized skill to use. "...do you still like to go for runs?" he suggests.
no subject
"I do," she confirms, the eager smile on her face a measure of trust in and of itself; Taura hates people flinching at her fangs. "It feels like such a luxury to take them somewhere more interesting than a treadmill, or laps around the ship."
no subject
"Well, then," he says. "We can take turns choosing locations."
no subject
"Okay," she agrees, still smiling warmly. "I haven't visited too many planets yet, but we can try some from my universe I haven't seen after I run out."