[ He agreed? How did he agree? How does he even know any of this? — a game, probably, somehow. The Echoes always did have weird and wonderful ways to fuck with people. ]

Wash is about as fond of you as you are of him. [ It bears pointing out, wryly, with an emphasis on the "you." ]

… It's fine. [ She gives a shrug, picking a random direction and starting to walk. Ignore, ignore the bubbling maelstrom in your gut, keep walking, keep walking. ] I thought the same thing, at first. It took years for it to sink in that I wasn't gonna fall asleep there and wake up back in some Echo's realm.

[ There's a moment of hesitation. Brief. ]

What game?