<div style="text-align: justify;">Mariya wasn't completely heartless, and she did really like Vitali. But there was a job she needed to do. It was important, as one never knew what was brewing in Soviet Union, and it could very well be a new threat of war. The world would probably not be able to handle it without facing destruction. And that was what she was up against. That meant more than anything. Even an old friend.<br/><br/>Maryia squeezed Vitali's hand, though, when he said exposure to radiation could increase the risk of leukemia. It was horrible to think that he could get so sick due to his work. "It looks like they have thought about everything", she murmured, slightly shaken. It wasn't a pleasant idea to think that he could fall ill due to radiation, and it was even more unpleasant to wonder if he would be taken care of in case that happened. <br/><br/>"I am happy that you do not smoke. It's incredibly smelly, after all. If you tell me you do not drink either, you will be just perfect", she joked, sounding much like her old self. "I would love to join you for some real food. It's the thing I have missed the most. Well, present company excepted". Mariya wasn't being flirtatious. At least not consciously. It was something she had in her since she was a child, that way to speak in a way that meant to please the person she was talking to. It had been refined even further while living in London, as people there had very strict social expectations. And Mariya had to admit to herself that being back home felt like a gust of fresh air.<br/><br/>She would fall silent for a moment, her mind working both on her plan and on the present moment. She would only speak again once they were both seated face to face. "I'm really glad you came to meet me, Viti. You are... the last person, the last close person I have left now".</div>