"I'm aware there are many uses for strength. But my position at home didn't give me many opportunities to volunteer myself, and there are no trees or boulders here. There's nothing we need to build, or transport in bulk. There's nothing that we need to do at all. We don't need laborers any more than we need knights and soldiers, and I ... am not good at taking leisure."

Dimitri turns the blade over again. Blood wells up from the marks of his fingerprints, spilling across the polished steel and dripping onto his lap.

"I helped Bastion bring some plants back from the island. I enjoyed that. But they don't seem to grow or wilt here, just like how the food doesn't rot. They don't need any care. I don't get much pleasure from eating; I can't sit still long enough to read; the arcade is overwhelming; I'm trying to learn to draw, but the crayons just crumble. I enjoy the company of animals, but there aren't any here. I like to spend time outdoors, but again. There's so little here that feels like a purpose, instead of distracting myself long enough to get from one sunrise to the next, waiting for the next time the Captain tries to kill us." Dimitri sighs. "I'm almost relieved that the ship's not repairing itself. At least in that way our actions matter now."