Speaking of Mars, Mercury… and Saturn, we talk (Mercury) about this stuff.

Saturn = skin
Mars = All the dangerous sharp-edged metal war stuff

“It’s your energy, P. Your energy calms me down and fast. It’s like a phenomenon. So when we were together I’d be all calm and then every time we broke up I always went out and got in a bunch of trouble.”

“Yeah, I know. You got in trouble of all kinds. You shouldn’t have left and you wouldn’t have gotten in trouble.”

“I didn’t leave. I never left, you always threw me out.”

“Oh that. Well however it happened, it’s true. One way or the other you’d leave and get yourself into big trouble which you surely love.”

“I don’t love trouble,” he said.

“Right. You get in way too much trouble not to like it. I know you like it and I’m pretty sure you love it. And as for leaving me and getting into it, this last time you left is no exception,” I said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well you left me for twenty years and look what happened? You come home and you’re full of shrapnel! You’re full of metal for Godsakes. Ever think about that? There’s metal under your skin, and in your body. You have metal in there.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I’m full of shrapnel all right. Very full, I’m sorry to say.”

“And bullet holes! You have been actually hit by bullets. Bullets have flown through the air and gone right though your skin. You have been SHOT for Godsakes!” I shouted manically. “Can you understand this is trouble?”

He laughed.

“And what about knife wounds? Cuts in your skin. A blade cutting through your skin. Does this sound like trouble to you? Do you think you’ve gotten in some trouble, or no?”

“Yeah, that’s trouble. But no knife wounds. Only a few people got close enough to me in my whole life where they might have used a knife. Tricky bastards, but they didn’t live very long. Because I had my knife, you know.”

“I see.” I don’t react to things like this. I have a deep understanding of soldier and his career. I understand him in my bones and always have. “So I guess it’s pretty dangerous to be near you then,” I said, wheels in my head turning.

“If you’re the enemy, yes. It’s very dangerous to be near me. Someone is gonna die and I doubt it’s going to be me because I can use a knife. I can use a knife better than most and maybe better than all.”

“Better than all?”

“Yeah. Better than all… probably. Can’t swear to it though. There might be someone out there.”

“I see. So freakishly dangerous to get close. But I did it. I got close to you. I got very close to you and I lived. I thrived near you.”

He laughed as if he could not believe my stupidity. “Well you’re not the enemy, P,’ he said, still chuckling. “Of course you lived and thrived. What else would you do?”

“Oh well I was just thinking there are some people; anyone who gets near them gets hurt. And you could be like that. Don’t you know people who are like this? People who mess up anyone they come in contact with, profoundly? Associate with them in any way and you’re just guaranteed to be injured.”

“Yes I know people like that. I’d say there are all kinds of people out there who are like that.”

“Well you’re not one of them.”

“No, P. No I’m not. No one gets hurt around me, ever. Unless they’re the enemy in which case they get killed.”

Have you ever met someone who is devastates to anyone they come in contact with?

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