Hard talks and harder choices

Just give me a reason
just a little bit's enough

Chulane hesitated when Morgan asked directly who was responsible for the doubts that had been stirred up within him. Some part of him still wanted to defend the boy, to excuse his behaviour away.

But then, Korbin had behaved badly before Weaver died too. There were no excuses left.

He sighed, sadly.

"Korbin. The kid's been through a lot, and I thought we had turned a page after I gave him some tough love and convinced him that life was worth living. He's the one who found me, after the portal dumped me out on the Tundra. I felt like I owed him - I wanted to save his life as well, I guess." He was talking, going through the narrative he had repeated in his own head many times over.

"I feel like shit for what I put him through that night. But he agreed to live... And then we ran into each other here and got talking and…" he paused, raising his gaze to meet Morgan's again.

"He kept trying to argue that Halo is a hard place full of hard people who were used to dying to allow the rest to survive. Like it was normal. I tried to argue that such a price was too high, that the agricultural plans I had could help fortify not just the people but could help Halo step up and deal with the changes it has been dealt, and adapt to whatever might come - he would hear nothing of it."

And yet most other Naturals he had met had been welcoming of him, even the landlord who Korbin first introduced him to. Why did Korbin's words stick out the most to him then? Why did he care so freaking much?

"He's got an eye for detail and when motivated, can achieve many great things. He picked up healing really quick, he's good at managing teams - he just… he hates me, hates Outlanders, and won't bend to see the world a different way." At least, he wasn't interested in it, as far as Chuy could tell. "I've dealt with sticklers for tradition before, but even they usually bent to logic and accepted that, sometimes, tradition lives in the past."

I let you see the parts of me, that weren't all that pretty
And with every touch you fixed them

CHULANE