exsiliumlogs | (closed) often I lie wide awake

Entry tags:

(closed) often I lie wide awake

Date & Time: various throughout August.
Location: also various.
Characters: Ellie Linton & the poor suckers she plagues.
Summary: MANY THINGS just trying not to spam like a beast. Thread starters in comments.
Warnings: Ellie standard issue: PTSD, probably mentions of war/death/violence and language. I'll add if anything else comes up.

( So, six months ago Ellie Linton arrived in Exsilium with a fruit knife and bad temper.

She's lost the fruit knife, still has the temper, but that's just about softened off a little.
Fiona has been and gone; she misses the others like crazy, about as bad as her parents. She'd never have expected that. Even if they were like a second family, missing Homer or Fiona that much just hadn't occurred to her. That they aren't here is so difficult, but now she's got Steph and Collette, Cedric, the people who'd be ranked right up with the others. Exsilium has decent people that pull together, and sometimes she wonders what it would be like if she never had to go home.

If her parents could be here, and her mates from home, maybe she'd actually go for it. )

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( Typically, when Ellie thought of people she needed to bug and/or check in on, that list would involve dragging Stephanie for waffles, Ezio for hot chocolate, Cedric into the unit for tea, or any other combination of persons and food or beverages. Amazon-style warriors from space weren't necessarily the kind of people your mind went to right off the bat, but then again, Gamora and Ellie were already pretty unconventional in a few different ways.

She's watching Gamora train, has been for a while. It's amazing the way she moves. Terrifying, actually. She can remember how fast and brutal Gamora moved when they were in the United Earth, when they charged into that other world, though her stomach still twists uncomfortably with the memory of the latter.

Waiting for Gamora to start winding down, Ellie has to debate whether or not she wants to try sneaking up on Gamora after last time. (Last time hadn't even been deliberate, and she still wound up with a knife dangerously close.) As much as she wants to see if she can get to being able to sneak up on Gamora, she votes to maybe not do that this time, and instead announce her arrival as she starts wandering over. ) Hey, Mora!

( Who she assumes probably knew she was watching anyway, but still. Safety first, manners, and all that. )

( She knew, and had be hoping that the girl would have just decided to wander away and forget to come back. But life isn't fair. )

What did I say about nicknames?

( Mora, honestly. Rider had called her Gam in exchange for 'Richard-human', and there was the Magus' own 'Gammy'. She could do without one more nickname. )

And what do you want?

Uh, that you think they're great and you want more of them.

( A brief grin, clearly intended to be annoying. What a jerk, seriously.
She's idly fiddling with the handle of a knife hooked into her belt when the next question comes. ) I was gonna go get ice cream, actually. I didn't know if you're too moody and up yourself to eat sugar, but I thought I'd ask.

( No wonder they are so good at making friends, between the two of them. )

I'd rather die again.

( Because even though being dead was the happiest she's ever been, the dying part was pretty painful. But that's only in reference to the nicknames. As for the other half-- )

You're going to insult me and then ask if I want ice cream? ( A beat, and then she shrugs. ) You're paying.

( A frown, distinct. ) That's not funny.

( Seriously, Gamora. Seriously? Friends dying isn't exactly in her top ten list of things she loves. Considering that thing in Moscow... )

You know what? Whatever. ( She probably does it on purpose, on account that she's a bloody mess. ) Didn't you know? That's how we make mates in Australia. Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen.

( But, a grin, despite the fact she actually thinks that phrase is a load of bull, and a nod. Yeah, okay, she'll pay. ) Ready?

You'll know when I'm trying to be funny.

( Mostly because Gamora never tries to be funny in the first place, despite Rider's accusations that she was developing a sense of humor due to long term exposure to Peter Quill. That's just damaging to one's physical health instead of mental. )

Just when I thought your planet couldn't get any weirder. ( Earth. ) Sure.

( LEAD ON, ELLIE. )

Yeah? You've never seen a platypus, hey?

( And lead she does, looming green one. Maybe Gamora is just envious of how amazingly intelligent and witty Ellie is.

Ellie has to wonder how many stupid jokes about jealousy Gamora has had to put up with from Terrans. They weren't exactly the most original of jokesters. )

Do you even have ice cream where you're from?

A what?

( None, mostly because she's never been in constant exposure to a steady stream of them before. Quill and Rider both knew her better than to try. )

Frozen dairy products aren't an earth exclusive. Probably from a different animal than whatever you use.

A platypus. They're these Australian water mammals, got like a duck-bill and webbed feet? And venom spurs.

( Gamora seems like she'd prefer the venom spurs to the adorable animal, to be honest. )

All right, all right, keep your shirt on. ( A loose shrug, as she tilts her head towards the corner they're gonna need to go around. ) Animals. You can get milk from all sorts.

( Don't be contrary, Ellie. )

Maybe your planet actually produced something interesting for once.

( But seriously that sounds like a weird, messed up animal. Gamora will take ten. )

Sure can. But I doubt you'd want to try it from anything else.

( ALIEN MILK, ANYONE? )

Australia's the best country we terrans have got. Bloody right we produced something interesting. What about echidnas?

( This is going to be a terrible game, and she's frowning a little as she tries to figure exactly how long it'll take them to get there. Not too long, between the Gamora's impatience for everything in life and Ellie's compliant speediness. If she wanted to piss Homer off when he was in a mood, the best way was to dawdle - she'd not keen to do that with Gamora. )

Platypi sweat milk for their young, too. ( As an aside. ) Not too eager to try that, but.

It sounds like you just tried to talk while sneezing.

( gamora speaks fluent Kree - she's really not one to talk about how words sound when it's a language that decides it needed a billion vowels in all the wrong places. )

But other people have?

We get that a lot. ( Sigh. Her poor country. She never experienced this mockery before Exsilium.

A pause, as she... considers that possibility. ) God, I really hope not. ( SUCH A FACE.

Okay, but look, she's just nudging Gamora with an elbow and pointing towards an ice cream place up ahead. )

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gamora - 2013-08-29 19:52 (UTC) - Expand

( She's been bored; restless. Things keep getting twisted and buckled around, and she doesn't know why she went to look Nikolai up on the network, just that when she did, he was gone. The attempt to message him bounced back.

The effort to track him down in person didn't go much better. Not on a mission, not in any of the seedy places she might have guessed he'd be in. Not in any of the clinics. The Initiative said he was gone, and when she ran, pushed herself through her paces and only coming back to the apartments when she was a sweaty mess, she couldn't think of any reasons they'd lie.

She's panting when she pushes the door open, heading straight to stick her head under the tap and get some water - bugger the glasses. Steph needed to know. Would she already know? )

[She doesn't know.]

Ellie!

[It's more amused than really annoyed, Steph rolling her eyes at the fact Ellie is apparently too cool for a glass, as she makes her way from the bedroom into the kitchen.]

( Oops. Busted. She manages to splash some water on herself in the process of pulling back, wiping it off her face with the back of her hand. )

Hi.

( Breathless, but also, just wondering how to broach this topic and how bloody hard Steph is going to kick her arse for going after Nikolai in the first place. )

How you doing?

[There's still an unimpressed look being aimed in Ellie's direction, though it softens a bit at the question.]

Not too bad. How was your run?

[She's assuming that's what Ellie got up to, considering how sweaty she is.]

Yeah, good.

( Phew. Okay. Just give her a sec. She's chewing her lip, wandering over to Steph annnnnd yeah she's going to be a jerk and hug her while she's all sweaty, if she can get away with it.

What a jerk. )

You're disgusting.

[But she's allowing the hug, wrapping her arms around Ellie, because she's hugged Tim when they've both been sweaty, or covered in blood or sewerage, or any number of disgusting things.

She has a pretty high tolerance for gross stuff.]

Uh, excuse you. I'm being affectionate. I'd fail the practical component of dating you if I didn't hug you and be all annoying.

( Especially the annoying part, though she's pulling back and raising an eyebrow, as if offending. )

Hey, you gonna be around for a bit? ( Try to keep it light, or give her time to brace herself? Option B was probably better. )

You could be affectionate after you've showered. [a beat, and accompanied by Steph waggling her eyebrows:] Or while you're showering.

[Steph pls.

Though she's sombering up at the question, regarding Ellie a bit curiously.]

I can be. Is something up?

Where's the fun in that?

( Hang on. Is she smirking? ) Ah hah. I can see the fun in that option. ( girls pls

And back to seriousness. )

I found out something I reckon you should know about. It's not bad news, or anything. I just thought I'd shower first.

( In case they need to deal with things and she has gotten used to not feeling disgusting and sweaty all the time and just. Yeah. )</small.

[Any other time, and she might have followed that up with another suggestive comment, but what Ellie says next makes her pause.]

Okay? [The confusion is written all over her face, but she lets go of Ellie, taking a half-step back so that she can go take that shower she wants.] I'll talk to you when you get out.

[It's lucky Ellie said it's not bad news, because otherwise she would've been panicking.

She still is a little, but she's trying not to.]

( Play it cool, Batgirl, play it cool. )

Okay. ( But she is going to kiss Steph on the cheek, just lightly, before she starts walking backwards towards the bathroom. ) I won't be long.

( And she's just going to amble to the shower, and try to think exactly how to say this. It seems like a big deal. It is a big deal?

God, she doesn't even know any more. Things are just so weird. She's just going to let the hot water run over her, knead her neck and shoulder muscles, before she eventually emerges, wrapped in a towel. )

[Steph stares at the closed bathroom door for a little while before she realizes that's kind of weird, and heads to the kettle to start boiling water so she can make them each a cup of tea.

She tends to prefer coffee, but since living with Ellie she's taking to tea more than she used to. It's a little more relaxing than coffee is.

By the time Ellie gets out of the shower, there are two cups of tea, one in Steph's hand, and some cookies - biscuits - set out on a plate.]

You want clothes on for whatever this is?

[She tries a smile, but it feels a bit strained.]

Gamora → 3rd Augustish?

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that icon kills me every time

i'd be lying if i said it wasn't one of my faves.

it is basically the best, have to update El's cr chart just for that tbh

YES GOOD

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Steph → 24th August

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JUST PRETEND THIS ICON IS APPROPRIATE

j'refuse

omg

:T