skin, bone, and arrogance
Pierce's heart was still thudding madly at Natasi's prank. He thought it was highly unfair after the day he had had, and all he had dealt with, to inflict his mother on him as a joke. He glared at his cousin, but the glare transferred to [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"] when he brought up their training. Even in his shaken state, he still remembered it vividly.
"As I recall, I was exhausted because I spent much of the day out of doors," Pierce said, reaching up to scratch his head lightly, ruffling his jet hair. "Yes, I was out of doors. Preparing for the graduation ceremony. Not all of us pulled cushy office jobs that week. Besides," he added defensively. "I was dehydrated because Elijah Markus put gin in my canteen instead of water." He paused, recalling Markus. He had been a junior cadet that had been dragooned into acting as a sort of steward for the other officer candidates. Pierce scratched his head again, then went on: "I guess he didn't get the memo that it wasn't just any other Saturday."
Natasi, for her part, looked pained, glancing to the side as she pretended not to hear. She sat in the chair [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"] had vacated, wringing her hands anxiously. Pierce went on: "How is Auntie Fiolette? Will she make it?"
"It's difficult to say," said Natasi honestly. "Anyway, we're going back to Dosuun, so you'll be moved to a real hospital soon, and Colonel von Brinkerhoff can get some sleep and a shower. Come to that," she said, distracted by an unsightly blotch of crimson on her sleeve. "I could use a shower myself. Perhaps when you have clearance to sleep, I will return to the Frontrunner and have a bath," She paused a moment, glancing over at Roderik. "It has a guest room if you'd like one, too."
"As I recall, I was exhausted because I spent much of the day out of doors," Pierce said, reaching up to scratch his head lightly, ruffling his jet hair. "Yes, I was out of doors. Preparing for the graduation ceremony. Not all of us pulled cushy office jobs that week. Besides," he added defensively. "I was dehydrated because Elijah Markus put gin in my canteen instead of water." He paused, recalling Markus. He had been a junior cadet that had been dragooned into acting as a sort of steward for the other officer candidates. Pierce scratched his head again, then went on: "I guess he didn't get the memo that it wasn't just any other Saturday."
Natasi, for her part, looked pained, glancing to the side as she pretended not to hear. She sat in the chair [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"] had vacated, wringing her hands anxiously. Pierce went on: "How is Auntie Fiolette? Will she make it?"
"It's difficult to say," said Natasi honestly. "Anyway, we're going back to Dosuun, so you'll be moved to a real hospital soon, and Colonel von Brinkerhoff can get some sleep and a shower. Come to that," she said, distracted by an unsightly blotch of crimson on her sleeve. "I could use a shower myself. Perhaps when you have clearance to sleep, I will return to the Frontrunner and have a bath," She paused a moment, glancing over at Roderik. "It has a guest room if you'd like one, too."