“I don't know. I haven't seen much outside the city, aside fro the few places we've gone looting and shit, so maybe there are places out there that are doing okay.” Not thriving, like she'd said, but doing okay. “Maybe somewhere. I haven't given up hope on everything.” At least, not completely. Marigold had revived some of his hope. He wanted a world that she could live in, and enjoy living in.
Brandon chuckled awkwardly and shrugged a shoulder. “Had to see you in person first, you know? See if you'd really become as awful as everyone seemed to think you have.” Okay, that wasn't entirely true; he still wasn't sure that it was a good idea for them to be here like this, but he didn't want to tell her no, either. “But all we've done so far is talking, right? And we're having a pretty good time.”
Hanging his head, because it would still be difficult to think of her as anything but Allie, he nodded. “It's okay. Just gonna take some getting used to, but I'll get there.” He smiled and shrugged, unoffended by her outburst. He picked up on how she looked away, but didn't put two and two together; just saw it as discomfort with the situation. “Here, why don't you sit down?” he asked her, both in an attempt to relax her and give himself a chance to push past the awkwardness. He didn't know what it was about her, but seeing her always sort of... got under his skin.
“Yeah,” he chuckled awkwardly and bit his lip. “Here's seriously hoping it goes better this time.” Because he wouldn't be able to take a second failure like what had happened the first time around. The only reason he was able to consider forgiving himself was because Marigold was alive today.
And the thought of a second government attack only served to make that worry more prominent. “I'm sure it's not the only one in use. I'm sure there are branches of government all over the place. They all survived because they have people and crews to keep them safe, and they're always protected and hidden in their cushy places,” Brandon felt a slight spike of anger, but tamped it down. “Assholes,” he muttered.
Snorting a laugh, Brandon shrugged. “She is kinda scary sometimes.” But not as much as people seemed to think she was. She was scary because she was scared, but Brandon would never tell people that. “But only when you piss her off.”
Nodding his head, he shrugged again. “I think everyone here is violent, to a degree,” he mused. “It's sort of a key to survival, you know? Learning to adapt. O'Brien had this 'everyone is a suspect' thing, but there are some people who I just believed... couldn't have done it.” He sighed a little. “I'm just glad it's behind us. We won't have to deal with someone that crazy again.”