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[ it's difficult, in many ways the hardest thing she's ever had to do, but michelle keeps herself from crying. she's a princess, after all -- if she didn't know how to reign in her emotions by now the whole country could have fallen into ruin, to hear their mother tell it. she doesn't even have to bite her lip or close her eyes to stem the tide of tears, she just takes a couple deep breaths, leans into jack, and slowly but surely quiets the panic raging through her body. after only a few seconds she wipes delicately at her eyes and curls against jack's side, no evidence that she was ever close to tears left. ]

Get to the Neheda. I can do that.

[ and if she can't, she'll do her best to make jack proud anyway. she has no doubt that even if they don't end up on the same team whoever is in charge of her will be able to threaten jack just as seriously as mothership had. but that does beg the question... ]

What will you do? She threatened you, Jack.

[ that's what will keep michelle awake and terrified at night, not her own fate. she may not be her brother, but she's grown up a princess, with rose benjamin as her mother. she knows how to play a part, even if the parts she's had to play so far have been small. lying doesn't come as naturally to her as it does to jack, but when it counts... when it counts, she can lie with the best of them.

this counts. ]

[ He nods, approving of her agreement. Get to the Neheda. That's all she needs to focus on. That, and, not getting herself in trouble anymore. As she curls up next to him, Jack's palm runs a rythmic path up and down her upper arm, holding her close to his side. Michelle's always responded positively to physical affection. He can give her that if it calms her. ]

I know Mother and Gliese. We're on good terms. I'll handle it.

[ Not well enough to talk his way out of a punishment, but Ghost had said if he controls her, the punishment will be averted. Still, Jack is likely the most talented liar in all of Shiloh. He can tell her that with easy confidence, without missing a beat. Distraught as she is, it should easily go past her. Jack always has had connections in the past to get what he wants - CDC wouldn't be any different, as far as Michelle knows. ]

Don't get into any more arguments with them and it won't be a problem.

[ He isn't above guilt tripping her - not if it means she'll keep her opinions to herself and do as she's told. Guilt's a powerful motivator, especially in his sister. As much as he respects Michelle, he can use her just as easily as anyone else. If it'll save her life, he's not worried about the ethics of it. Just another sacrifice, and a small one, on the grand scale of things. ]

[ it's not that michelle believes him, not quite -- no matter how distraught she is, she knows his tells -- but she wants to believe him, and just the wanting can go a long way to letting her ignore the way her stomach twists at his words. maybe he's lying, but he's saying what she wants to hear, and saying it so easily and with such conviction that she can let herself believe it. the only other option is to call him out on the lie, and what would that accomplish? nothing but to bring even more grief on both of them. better to let herself believe -- and it's not like it's hard to convince herself. jack has always been well-connected, it's not a stretch to imagine he's managed to get on the good side of the most influential people here.

she nods against his shoulder, soaking in the contact and attention. it's the first time she and jack have spent any extended time in each other's presence in longer than she can remember, the first time he's touched her for more than a couple seconds in even longer than that. until now, she wouldn't have thought that she'd missed it, or if she had, she'd gotten good at hiding it. now, it's the only thing keeping her together. ]

I won't. I'll be good, I promise.

[ michelle doesn't make promises lightly, and this one is no different -- she will do her utmost to avoid getting into an argument with mothership again. she'll probably just avoid talking to her or any instructor at all, really, until she understands this place better. ]

Is there anyone else I should avoid pissing off? Or just avoid in general?

[ Jack's chewing at the inside at his lip, thinking of anyone else of note. Barnes. She should stay the hell away from Barnes, no matter how drawn to him and his similarity to her brother she is. The guy that dismembers people. Most of Red Team and half of Green.

But she's not in the Neheda crew, not yet. That won't matter until she gets there, if she does. He can fill her in on it then. ]

No. You don't need to worry about it now.

[ He breathes in deeply, and exhales slowly, slouching back against the wall behind them and tugging Michelle in to rest against him. Fuck this day. Fuck everything about it. ]

Just... relax for now.

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