[Ryder's definitely more on the ball than he is, asking the relevant questions. She's also fighting valiantly to control herself, he can see, the little things that he can read from her face to her fingers. She's putting his attempts at faking humanity to complete shame.
He moves closer, bumping his arms to her side in lieu of holding on. He wants to hold on.
Maddy doesn't show much of a reaction to that accusation. She barely shrugs.]
Someone has to be. Might as well be me.
[Me, she says. Not us. He wonders at that, but he doesn't ask. He nods along with what Ryder says. Just want to live. He just wants to live. It's not really a lie at all. He wants to stay with Ryder and push things out as long as they can. It feels like the living, more than the dead, keep getting in the way of that now.
But no. That's not fair. It was the dead that took over this world, the dead that hurt people. And Ryder is alive. He wants to keep her that way. What would he even do if he didn't have her now? If he'd met these people alone. He has a feeling that he'd probably be dead.
He follows at Ryder's side, willing his gratitude to be felt by her. Magically, he supposes. He asks Maddy--]
Statistics...? How...?
[Another half-shrug.]
Higher connections. At least before that fell apart. Shame.
[Her tone doesn't suggest it was a shame. He doesn't want to ask further.
They walk until they come up to that apartment. His shoulders sag at the sight. All these people... he did that. It was necessary. It was for Ryder. But he still did it.
He didn't have this much of a damn moral issue before. Sure, he'd prefer to spare what he could, but it didn't feel like this.]
no subject
He moves closer, bumping his arms to her side in lieu of holding on. He wants to hold on.
Maddy doesn't show much of a reaction to that accusation. She barely shrugs.]
Someone has to be. Might as well be me.
[Me, she says. Not us. He wonders at that, but he doesn't ask. He nods along with what Ryder says. Just want to live. He just wants to live. It's not really a lie at all. He wants to stay with Ryder and push things out as long as they can. It feels like the living, more than the dead, keep getting in the way of that now.
But no. That's not fair. It was the dead that took over this world, the dead that hurt people. And Ryder is alive. He wants to keep her that way. What would he even do if he didn't have her now? If he'd met these people alone. He has a feeling that he'd probably be dead.
He follows at Ryder's side, willing his gratitude to be felt by her. Magically, he supposes. He asks Maddy--]
Statistics...? How...?
[Another half-shrug.]
Higher connections. At least before that fell apart. Shame.
[Her tone doesn't suggest it was a shame. He doesn't want to ask further.
They walk until they come up to that apartment. His shoulders sag at the sight. All these people... he did that. It was necessary. It was for Ryder. But he still did it.
He didn't have this much of a damn moral issue before. Sure, he'd prefer to spare what he could, but it didn't feel like this.]
You've scouted this place out?
Just... just a room... a floor...