[Athena doesn’t quite understand her meaning, but she nods anyways. Red and Boxer would make for a good family, she thinks.
She undresses and sets her dusty clothes neatly on the tile floor before getting into the tub. She’s practically buried in bubbles from the second she sits down in the water, though she hardly minds.]
They should have this stuff on Pandora. [Other things they should have on Pandora: reliable plumbing, hot water, and a base level of hygiene in general. But bubble bath is also a good start.]
[Red takes note of the neatly folded clothes on the floor. Atlas practice, perhaps? She wonders how extensive her etiquette training went.
When Athena gets settled into the tub, Red scoops up water into her hands, letting it run through her hair to saturate it.
"You'd have to keep it hidden somewhere special, or else some bandit will drink it all up," she jests, a small smirk on her face. "It'd be fun to watch him suffer, but not as fun as the loss of twenty fun bathtimes."]
[Athena smiles at the mental image, imagining a bandit choking on a flurry of bubbles. She tucks a wet lock of hair behind her ear and looks over at the siren with a curious expression.] Have you fought bandits before?
[The way she talks about them makes it sound like she has and as a Siren, she’s almost certainly more than capable of it. But looking at her, it’s hard to imagine her even setting foot on Pandora. As if the entire planet would shrink away from her rather than dare to let its dirt sully the hem of her dress.]
["Not with my own hands," she explains, "but Boxer and I are as one. There is naught of his adventures on Pandora that I have not been present for."
A few more handfuls of water, and she pours some sweet-smelling shampoo into her hand from a nearby bottle. She runs it through Athena's hair with her fingers, working it in with a strong scalp massage. Red's fingers may be slight, but they're anything but weak.]
[Her answer gives Athena pause. Red certainly hadn’t been at the Atlas compound or at Boxer’s hideout when Athena was there. She mulls it over and then momentarily forgets to think about it when Red begins work on her hair. She eventually manages to re-find her train of thought, though.]
You watch what he does through his ECHO? Is that why he wears it on his face? So you can see what he sees?
["It's not an ECHO," she corrects gently. "It's the marriage of Siren magic and technology, called a Transistor.
"It's a bit of a long story, and I don't want to bore you with the details--unless you want to hear them."
She's careful to avoid getting the soap in Athena's eyes as she works, but makes thorough work of the task regardless. This will be no half-hearted bath.]
A Transistor? [Boxer certainly hadn’t told her that. Judging by everything she’s found out about his life since stepping into this house, it's clear he hadn’t been nearly as truthful as he seemed back on Pandora. Part of her knows that it would be unreasonable for him to trust her with everything so soon after meeting her, especially on a planet like Pandora. Doesn't mean she can't also feel a little bit crestfallen about it too.]
I’d like to hear it. [If Boxer won't tell her, then at least Red will.] I won’t get bored.
["I'll start at the beginning, then, and hope my storytelling skills haven't rusted over.
"Boxer and I were born on Eden-6. He was from a nomadic people, and I was from a large family that owned even larger farmland. Neither of us came from money, and while my family was admittedly unlearnt in the ways of science, politics, and art, they knew all there was to be had of agriculture and husbandry. Boxer's family, on the other hand, were astrologians and performers.
"We met in the dawn of our awkward teenage years. I was in a dark place at the time, as my Siren powers were starting to develop and leave me with awful growing pains. I cared not for farming, not for lack of enthusiasm, but because peace was only found in thoughts grown in my solitude. I would write songs as I worked, and though my family merely wrote it off as passing the time, Boxer encouraged me to hone my skill. His family taught me how to read and write sheet music.
"As a sequestered people, neither of us knew what it was about me that was different. Siren was not a word we were familiar with until we moved into the city together, as young lovers, and met...as you can imagine, a mixed reaction. With time, we learned what Sirens were, and the unexplored connection they have with the Vault."
Red cups water into her hands and rinses the suds out of Athena's hair, patiently, taking as much time as she needs to get the shampoo out before moving on to the conditioner.
"You might have noticed that at no point in this story has combat ever come up. Boxer was well-read enough to adequately prepare himself for the life he'd have as a Vault Hunter, but he was nonetheless still a fledgeling. It was only a matter of time until he'd gotten into an accident, one that threw him closer than a breath's width from death--and he barely survived.
"Well, I ought to say that he didn't. Even comatose, I was still able to read his mind to find out that, even through all of his agonizing pain, he was fighting to stay alive. I commissioned a thinktank of two of the brightest minds in engineering and Siren magic to create the Transistor, the vessel that now houses his consciousness. He shed his original physical form to strengthen our bond, and now we are as one."
Red takes a moment from the hair wash to hold out her tattooed arm.
[Athena settles deeper into the bathwater as Red begins the story, occasionally lifting a hand to push wet hair away from her face. As Red tells the story though, Athena’s movements become fewer and fewer. She stops moving entirely when she gets to the part where Boxer almost dies.
At the story’s end, she doesn’t answer Red’s question. Instead, she turns her head to look at the Siren, brow furrowed in confusion.]
I don’t understand… Boxer is… his mind is inside the Transistor?
She runs a wet finger across Athena's wet brow, trying to smooth the knits out of it.
"Please don't hold it against him that he never told you about all of this. I know he doesn't seem like it, but he's very shy. Doesn't like talking about himself--takes a crowbar just to get him to open up."]
[Red drops her hand to swish it around in the water gently.
"Every Siren has her own unique powers. Mine is known, by the few people that are aware of it, as Phasevision.
"Mind, the things I'm telling you are top secret. You musn't share any of this with anyone, even under threat of torture or death."
It feels weird to tell give such a young girl these orders, but Red has much confidence in Athena--she knows of her training. She wouldn't have divulged this information if she didn't trust her.
Hell, Red wouldn't have had her brought here if she didn't.]
["I can read anyone's mind, Athena. It's only a matter of focus--and that's how I found you. In Boxer's case, he has the ability to read my mind in return.
"That's why we manage to stay so close even though we're lightyears apart."]
[Perhaps some people would find the idea of such constant togethernessromantic. Those people clearly weren’t raised under the constant, claustrophobic surveillance of a death-dealing corporation.]
What if you think of something that you don’t want him to know? Or he thinks of something he shouldn’t? Isn’t it… [She tries to think of a word that doesn’t sound as childish as “scary,” but, well, that’s what it is.] Isn’t it scary?
["Being in love is scary," she answers earnestly. "It means trusting someone with your everything. Your strengths, your weaknesses. Trusting them that they won't take advantage of it. It's scary, but...it's really exciting, too."]
Red gives her a knowing smirk. Without answering the question, she reaches over to the faucet and turns the hot water on, swirling with her arm to mix it with the colder water.]
[Red pauses, and takes on a look as if she were focusing out into the distance, like they weren't surrounded by porcelain walls.
"Nothing particularly introspective," she eventually answers, eyes still affixed to some imaginary distance. "She's playing a game of Truxican poker with some friends. She wishes she had a better hand, but little does she know that the other players all have worse."]
[While Athena has no way of verifying the accuracy of Red’s long-distance reading, she’s more than willing to take her word for it. Her eyes get even bigger when Red proceeds to read the other players’ minds as well.]
You really can read anyone’s mind… [Athena can’t even imagine what someone could do with that kind of power. She’s starting to get a clearer sense about why some people think Sirens are reincarnated gods.]
[Red "comes back" to the bathroom and gives Athena a smile.
"That's right. Rarely is it a good idea to make such a blatant attack on a base like that, but given the circumstances, I decided the risk was worth it."
She stands up and fetches a blow dryer and a brush from the cabinets, placing them on the counter.
[It certainly hadn’t seemed like much of a risk the way Boxer had torn through the facility, but if Red is truly always present in his mind, then she already knows that. Athena turns her head to watch her grab a couple of items from a nearby cabinet, one familiar and one not so much.]
No, I think I’m done. [Red might notice that Athena’s eyes are fixed to the hairdryer in her hands.] Is that a gun?
[Athena starts when Red points the “gun” at her hand, particularly at the loud noise it makes when she “shoots” it, but her alarm quickly eases when she sees the Siren is unharmed.]
Oh. [Clearly “hot air” does not mean anything hot enough to do real damage, like one might expect from a particularly outlandish Maliwan prototype.] Is it for drying off? [The idea makes sense, even if it is a little unnecessary: creating a gun for such a straightforward task almost sounds like something a Pandoran would do.]
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She undresses and sets her dusty clothes neatly on the tile floor before getting into the tub. She’s practically buried in bubbles from the second she sits down in the water, though she hardly minds.]
They should have this stuff on Pandora. [Other things they should have on Pandora: reliable plumbing, hot water, and a base level of hygiene in general. But bubble bath is also a good start.]
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When Athena gets settled into the tub, Red scoops up water into her hands, letting it run through her hair to saturate it.
"You'd have to keep it hidden somewhere special, or else some bandit will drink it all up," she jests, a small smirk on her face. "It'd be fun to watch him suffer, but not as fun as the loss of twenty fun bathtimes."]
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[The way she talks about them makes it sound like she has and as a Siren, she’s almost certainly more than capable of it. But looking at her, it’s hard to imagine her even setting foot on Pandora. As if the entire planet would shrink away from her rather than dare to let its dirt sully the hem of her dress.]
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A few more handfuls of water, and she pours some sweet-smelling shampoo into her hand from a nearby bottle. She runs it through Athena's hair with her fingers, working it in with a strong scalp massage. Red's fingers may be slight, but they're anything but weak.]
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You watch what he does through his ECHO? Is that why he wears it on his face? So you can see what he sees?
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"It's a bit of a long story, and I don't want to bore you with the details--unless you want to hear them."
She's careful to avoid getting the soap in Athena's eyes as she works, but makes thorough work of the task regardless. This will be no half-hearted bath.]
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I’d like to hear it. [If Boxer won't tell her, then at least Red will.] I won’t get bored.
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"Boxer and I were born on Eden-6. He was from a nomadic people, and I was from a large family that owned even larger farmland. Neither of us came from money, and while my family was admittedly unlearnt in the ways of science, politics, and art, they knew all there was to be had of agriculture and husbandry. Boxer's family, on the other hand, were astrologians and performers.
"We met in the dawn of our awkward teenage years. I was in a dark place at the time, as my Siren powers were starting to develop and leave me with awful growing pains. I cared not for farming, not for lack of enthusiasm, but because peace was only found in thoughts grown in my solitude. I would write songs as I worked, and though my family merely wrote it off as passing the time, Boxer encouraged me to hone my skill. His family taught me how to read and write sheet music.
"As a sequestered people, neither of us knew what it was about me that was different. Siren was not a word we were familiar with until we moved into the city together, as young lovers, and met...as you can imagine, a mixed reaction. With time, we learned what Sirens were, and the unexplored connection they have with the Vault."
Red cups water into her hands and rinses the suds out of Athena's hair, patiently, taking as much time as she needs to get the shampoo out before moving on to the conditioner.
"You might have noticed that at no point in this story has combat ever come up. Boxer was well-read enough to adequately prepare himself for the life he'd have as a Vault Hunter, but he was nonetheless still a fledgeling. It was only a matter of time until he'd gotten into an accident, one that threw him closer than a breath's width from death--and he barely survived.
"Well, I ought to say that he didn't. Even comatose, I was still able to read his mind to find out that, even through all of his agonizing pain, he was fighting to stay alive. I commissioned a thinktank of two of the brightest minds in engineering and Siren magic to create the Transistor, the vessel that now houses his consciousness. He shed his original physical form to strengthen our bond, and now we are as one."
Red takes a moment from the hair wash to hold out her tattooed arm.
"Don't you think these patterns look familiar?"]
rises from the grave
At the story’s end, she doesn’t answer Red’s question. Instead, she turns her head to look at the Siren, brow furrowed in confusion.]
I don’t understand… Boxer is… his mind is inside the Transistor?
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She runs a wet finger across Athena's wet brow, trying to smooth the knits out of it.
"Please don't hold it against him that he never told you about all of this. I know he doesn't seem like it, but he's very shy. Doesn't like talking about himself--takes a crowbar just to get him to open up."]
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I didn’t know Sirens could read minds.
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"Every Siren has her own unique powers. Mine is known, by the few people that are aware of it, as Phasevision.
"Mind, the things I'm telling you are top secret. You musn't share any of this with anyone, even under threat of torture or death."
It feels weird to tell give such a young girl these orders, but Red has much confidence in Athena--she knows of her training. She wouldn't have divulged this information if she didn't trust her.
Hell, Red wouldn't have had her brought here if she didn't.]
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I won’t tell anyone. [And she has more reason to keep her word for Red than she ever did for Atlas.]
So you can always read Boxer’s mind? Even when he’s on another planet?
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"That's why we manage to stay so close even though we're lightyears apart."]
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What if you think of something that you don’t want him to know? Or he thinks of something he shouldn’t? Isn’t it… [She tries to think of a word that doesn’t sound as childish as “scary,” but, well, that’s what it is.] Isn’t it scary?
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Can you read my mind?
[Right now she is thinking, among other things, that the water’s getting a little cold.]
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Red gives her a knowing smirk. Without answering the question, she reaches over to the faucet and turns the hot water on, swirling with her arm to mix it with the colder water.]
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You said you could read anyone’s mind, right? [She thinks for a moment, trying to come up with a more difficult test of her powers.]
What’s Jess thinking right now?
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"Nothing particularly introspective," she eventually answers, eyes still affixed to some imaginary distance. "She's playing a game of Truxican poker with some friends. She wishes she had a better hand, but little does she know that the other players all have worse."]
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You really can read anyone’s mind… [Athena can’t even imagine what someone could do with that kind of power. She’s starting to get a clearer sense about why some people think Sirens are reincarnated gods.]
That’s how you knew I was with Atlas, isn’t it?
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"That's right. Rarely is it a good idea to make such a blatant attack on a base like that, but given the circumstances, I decided the risk was worth it."
She stands up and fetches a blow dryer and a brush from the cabinets, placing them on the counter.
"Would you like a few more minutes?"
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No, I think I’m done. [Red might notice that Athena’s eyes are fixed to the hairdryer in her hands.] Is that a gun?
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"A hot air gun."]
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Oh. [Clearly “hot air” does not mean anything hot enough to do real damage, like one might expect from a particularly outlandish Maliwan prototype.] Is it for drying off? [The idea makes sense, even if it is a little unnecessary: creating a gun for such a straightforward task almost sounds like something a Pandoran would do.]
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shows up 3 weeks late with latte
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