(Untitled)

[followmycords]

Kristine still wasn't sure if the Island was some kind of cosmic punishment for all the unkind thoughts she'd had for her crewmembers back on the alternate Starbug, but she was trying to make the best of it. The IPD took up some of her time, which meant there wasn't quite as much of it available in which to sit around feeling sorry for herself,

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[polly_okeefe]

I came up to Kristine, holding two slices of bread. "Can I borrow some of that peanut butter?"

[followmycords]

"Sure. But it's crunchy," Kristine warned, handing over the jar, actually sort of relieved she might not have to eat any of it. Of course, that meant getting up to go and look for something else to eat, which she did.

[polly_okeefe]

"I like crunchy," I said. "There's more bread," I called over my shoulder as she went back to the refrigerator. "I didn't mean to hog it. I was just looking for a bread knife."

When she came back, I added, "How have you been?"

[followmycords]

"Not a big crunchy fan, especially when it's cold," Kristine replied, spotting a can of diced peaches in the cupboard she was rummaging through and taking it out. It wasn't cold, but it would have to do.

If she could find a can opener.

"I've been fine," she said as she rattled the contents of a drawer. "Why would anyone keep crunchy peanut butter in the fridge, anyway? You'd just end up with globs of frozen half-macerated peanut paste that's impossible to spread over anything short of concrete. And even then you'd have to drop it from a height."

[polly_okeefe]

"The fridge thing is unforgivable," I said, cutting my peanut butter into chunks that I laid over the bread like paving tiles. "Sometimes you can improvise with an oven, though." I looked up, then nodded over to the cabinets. "The can-opener is in that drawer."

"You're paired up with Sean, aren't you?" I asked casually. I fought down a brief flame of jealousy. I would not be ruled by my crushes and, besides, I was dating Bridge, now. "How's that going?

[followmycords]

"Thanks. It's nice, actually," said Kristine as she retrieved the can opener, which was rusty enough to earn a dubious look. She set to trying to use it anyway. "I haven't heard an Irish accent in years. Of course, most of them are nearly impossible to understand, but I suppose if worst comes to worst we can always resort to sign language. Blast!" Her grip on the can opener had slipped, somehow, and it went rocketing out of her hand and across the room. Thankfully, nothing smashed. Audibly, at least.

"I give up," she decided. "I'll just starve."

[polly_okeefe]

Now, see, this was the reason why I thought it was a little unfair for Nita to be so miffed at me back when I tried to help bank the plants before the blizzard. I was stressed; worrying over my parents' decision to ride out the storm in their hut on the other side of the island. Kristine was stressing over a can opener and food choices.

But then, Nita had been stressed too. And who knew what Kristine was really stressing over. Be kind, I reminded myself, because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

"Here, let me get that," I said. I went to the drawer and got out the other can opener, and worked on the lid.

"I know it's not my business," I said, "but you seem a little stressed. Do you want to talk about it?" I got the lid open and handed her the can with a fork.

[followmycords]

"No," Kristine said, smoothing her hair back from her temples. "I mean, no, I'm not stressed. Not half as much as I was before I showed up here.". Being stuck on a ship with alternate versions of people you thought you knew was bad enough, but it was even worse when one of their favourite pastimes was to watch her underwear spin-dry.

Not that she was going to mention that.

[polly_okeefe]

"And yet you'd rather starve than deal with today's... admittedly lacklustre choice of food and kitchen implements." I gave her a smile. "Well, never mind. The Island likes to play its tricks. We all have stories."

[followmycords]

"Just a bit of British humour," said Kristine. Of course an American would take her seriously. "I don't actually intend to starve myself."

To illustrate her point, she tried some of the peaches. Warm as they were, they actually weren't that bad.