Mother Earth.

Chapter 23: Dreams Of The Father.

Lydia Armageddon, Lisa Huo.

Russian Bastion: 'Our Place,'

The year 2173.

"That's all I got for boring old lady life! Papers, papers, papers! The big mystery eludes me! I've been on the road for... fucking forever now! I've gotten to see a great deal of monuments, it's a shame to see them in the state that they are in." Saffi's microphone picked up her car's rumbling engine. "Not sure where to go now."

"Took a lot of wandering for me to find this place." Lydia responded with her phone pinched between her head and shoulder as she buttoned up her ripped-up jeans.

"Oh! Muffin?"

"Yeah?"

"You got any room for me wherever you're staying in that big fancy Bastion of yours?"

"Oh... uh...?" Lydia's words trailed off as she picked her head up, her phone in her hand again scanning her and Lisa's home. A nice couch, perfect for her to bum around on. "Yeah! You'd travel all that way just to get here?"

"I'd walk the entire earth to be with you darling!"

"Well, alright." Lydia said, looking back to her mattress. "I'll have to check with..."

"With... who?!" Saffi shouted, her voice crackling through the connection flattering for a moment. Lydia tucked her black tank top into her pants. "Whatcha got going on there, hmmm?"

"Absolutely nothing, nope, mhm." Lydia lied through her teeth, picking her phone up in her hands, and biting her lip.

Saffi let out a cackle. "So that's what's going on! Who's the lucky one?!"

"C'mon, Auntie!"

"I said tell me, girl!"

Lydia waddled over to her mattress, turning around in circles.

"Well, she's pretty great, uh... she's funny, has a beautiful smile, and her hair is like silk-"

"HER NAME, BABY! NAME?!"

"LISA! God!" Lydia shouted back, and Saffi howled with laughter again, hearing her kick her dash board in her fit of laughter, rattling her ancient paper maps.

"What do you and Lisa get up to, hm? Must be quite the girl to catch your eye."

"Oh, the stories I have for you."

"You ought to tell me some time with her."

That sentiment brought a smile to Lydia's face.

"She isn't perfect, don't get that wrong."

"Anyone worth it isn't perfect, perfection is boring. Don't ever trust someone perfect!"

"I know, Auntie. I know."

"Dah... I know you do, Muffin, you're growing up on me." Saffi said, sighing. "I don't like that shit."

Lydia pinched her phone between her shoulder and head again, lacing up her boots. "I won't ever be too old to call you, or to not be called Muffin."

"Good! Then when I'm old, I can pinch your cheeks when you're taller than me?"

"You're pushing it."

Pushing through the tarp, she made her way to what the two of them called their living room. They bought a small couch, or rather found it and just put it in the center of the room, positioned so they could marvel at the artworks covering their walls.