( open ) made you a prisoner inside your own secrecy

[gevurah]

Date & Time: nov. 7th – 14th
Location: various locations
Characters: kate & you
Summary: kate (sort of, but not really) doing things and having feelings around the base and people maybe interrupting her.
Warnings: tba.


➊ bathroom / showers ( closed to the first person who gets it anne boleyn )

[ Is she up earlier these days? Kate has to wonder this to herself as she exits the individual shower unit. Time is funny up in space; when days begin and end begin to blur together, but the implemented Earth hours seem to help a little. Whatever the time is now, it’s a good time to grab a quick shower despite the water never rising above lukewarm.

Wrapping herself in a snug towel that she had lifted off the hotel in Basel, she moves toward one of the mirrors and begins to dry herself off before she slips into clean undergarments, shorts, and an A-shirt. The USMA sweater (that she’s also lifted from her previous mission with a heavy heart) is tucked into the duffel bag along with her other belongings. She digs through it, extracting scissors and a small, fine comb. Once she’s combed through red locks that she’s allowed to grow far too long, she parts it and leans in the mirror to quickly examine its condition.

She uses the comb to separate a thick portion of it and she begins to snip away, shortening the length bit by bit. ]


➋ cafeteria

[ The coffee brewed from the stolen machine is shit compared to what Gil had brewed her a while back. She tells herself to consider asking him for some of it in exchange for whatever she can afford to trade.

But beggars can’t be choosers. While she picks up some of the freeze dried fruits like banana slices, strawberries, and apples, Kate’s lived on far less – and worse – in the past. She’ll take jarred pickles that may have been sitting around too long over snake... although she sorely misses sushi.

She’ll think of it as Washington Hall; a really cheap and sadly lacking Washington Hall.

After she picks out some vegetable canned soup and heats it up, she makes her way down the floor to an empty table and seats herself. Her hair no longer spills over her shoulders and hangs before her line of vision: it’s neat and short once more, and it feels like a tiny, trivial weight off her shoulders. ]


➌ virtual simulation room

[ She returns to the Academy.

Not the Academy in the 2200s, that’s not hers – not really. Neither is this one, though AI does a magnificent job with the little details in her memory. The room converts itself into one of the familiar grounds Kate once used to trek up and down in her cadet days. The buildings towering above with such historic beauty, the grass a lively and perfect green, and the memorials frighteningly committed to being as accurate as they can to her memory. The text glints in the false, bright rays of the sun above, displaying the words she’s engraved in her mind long ago:


THE CADET HONOR CODE
A CADET WILL NOT LIE, CHEAT, STEAL,
OR TOLERATE THOSE WHO DO.

The grass “crunches” softly beneath her feet as she hikes closer to the honour memorial. She grips the strap of her bag and pulls it forward, unzipping it, and pulling out the sweater she’s been meaning to wear proudly once again, but finding difficulty in scraping up any pride to do so. It may be a silly thing to wrestle with morally, though questionable morals is something she’s found herself facing more often in the past several months. ]


➍ observatory

[ Without any bags to punch or weights to lift, Kate hasn’t had much of a workout since the necromorphs outbreak. She’s restless by the implemented time of nightfall. The observatory doesn’t comfort her much, however; space is supposed to be some incredible frontier filled with endless possibilities countries have raced each other to get to first, but under the glimmer of the stars she can finally see so clearly, she wonders what’s so great about a dark, empty place like this.

She positions herself against a wall and stares upward, lost in thought. At some point, she’s sitting on the floor with her tablet, reading through the information the AI’s decrypted a while back once more. ]

Comments

➊ (if it's okay!)

[ensorceler]

[ When Anne had first heard of the living conditions they were expected to abide by, she was livid, though she kept these complaints silent, and for a time they were honestly subdued by the humility brought on at watching the chilling bombing herself and knowing she had kept one young life from death, at least. It has been long enough now that the more superficial urges are resurfacing again, jewelry joining along her black attire, more laughter forced into her voice, and she is allowing herself to hate the Initiative just a little bit once again. Her feelings are, as ever, back and forth.

But even these showers, these decidedly shameful bathing stations, were necessary. As much as she adored hot baths, she missed even the cold shower after learning that a wall had been knocked through and the showers rendered temporarily unavailable. Now that they're open once more, even these crude showers seem blessed to her.

Anne prefers to be alone for the bathing, but upon seeing another woman within the bathroom she is actually glad. That means she can get help with her clothes, because it's almost like pure acrobatics to undo it all oneself...let alone the reverse! She begins a smile and a word, only to pause mid-step when she sees the bright haired woman cutting away at her hair. Anne can't help but breathe out in surprise (well her own reaches her waist when undone), one hand lingering beneath her chin. ]

To destroy such beautiful hair, how sad.

completely fine

[gevurah]

[ She pulls the scissors away from her locks, not wanting to converse and accidentally poke herself with them. Her hair is still damp and flat, so the bangs fall further into her eyes than usual.

It's not the first time she's heard such a comment from another woman – or anyone, honestly. ]

I find it easier to manage shorter hair.

[ensorceler]

I suppose then you would not need another to help you brush it proper.

[ The comment is said with a hint of amusement, though she still prefers the longer hair for women. ]

But I may yet assist you in cutting it straight and true, if you like.

[gevurah]

[ She regards herself in the mirror for a brief moment, examining her hair once more before it occurs to her — ]

Maybe for the back when it's shortened? If you don't mind.

[ To maintain an even length, but that won't be for a bit. ]

2

[mallarkey]

[ For as neat as Kate's haircut is, Wayne isn't looking quite so immaculate himself. It's been a few days since his very, very stressful arrival and though he's gotten over the urge to stay in his room and avoid everyone, dragging himself out to eat is still one of the biggest motivators. There's a dusting of stubble over his jaw and cheeks, evidence of a few days of shaving neglect.

There are things he can do. Things he should do. Things he should be doing now even, maybe, but all he wants to do is sit down and drink a cup of strong, shitty coffee while he eats whatever the hell it is he just heated up for himself; it's easy to fondly remember what Dahlia's cooking tastes like and he wonders if maybe with enough willpower those memories will overpower his current meal experience.

At the last minute he decides against sitting at an empty table. Too depressing. ]

Hey. Can I join you?

[gevurah]

[ Kate looks up from her bowl of soup, a soup that may taste a little more watery than vegetable-y, sizing up this disheveled man who's approached the table. A quick assessment of his state concludes he's one of the new Transports. Awful, she thinks, being brought into a strange new universe and having to witness the carnage of the undead. ]

Seat's open.

[mallarkey]

Thank you. I'll be quick -- promise. Seemed a little pointless for everyone to sit across the room from each other, given the... everything.

[ He says it amiably enough though, once he's sitting. When he wants to Wayne's quite good at ironing certain emotions out of his tone to stay levelheaded. ]

[gevurah]

No rush.

[ She offers a polite smile. ]

Newbie?

[ While he's likely new, it's possible he's simply returned to Exsilium after a long period. ]

➍ let me know if it's alright

[falla]

[ At some point, Charlie wanders in although she doesn't makes much noise or engages her because, well, she doesn't look like she wants to talk, at least not right away. It's been quite a couple of weeks. Eventually she finds herself next to the other redhead, arm leaning softly against the window as she peeks outside.

Quick Charlie, break the ice! ]

...

[ Well, that went wonderful. ]

it's fine

[gevurah]

[ She sees Charlie, glancing up and her face washed with a soft glow of light emitting from her tablet. She doesn't say anything yet, not too certain if Charlie's here for a conversation or peace of mind. ]

[falla]

[ Charlie keeps staring out for a few minutes though, until she finally finds something worth of sharing. Well, kind of. ]

I've j-just realized... I can't see m-most constellations.

[gevurah]

[ Her eyes trail upwards, to the black sky with bright lights strewn across its entirety, like someone's spilled glitter. She looks at the stars, trying to find one she's familiar with, but she reminds herself these aren't her stars. Or Charlie's. ]

Maybe some of 'em don't exist in this world. Or time.

2?

[luxuresombre]

[Lulubell has given up trying to tell the food here how much she disapproves of it by glaring. Today, she just paces the cafeteria at a leisurely pace, nursing a cup of awful tea and staring out at nothing in particular. When she sees Kate, there's a decision to be made. Ignore her, or engage? They've only talked once.

But she figures she might as well.]

Your hair is shorter.

[For lack of a different conversation starter.]

[gevurah]

[ It's that mysterious non-human lady again. Kate's likely watched her from the distance discreetly and then refocused on her food until Lulubell's made the trek all the way to the table she's seated at. ]

It was getting in the way.

[luxuresombre]

Oh? Could you not tie it back? Though I suppose it is your choice.

[Settling down on the other side of the table.]

[gevurah]

It's easier to manage when it's shorter. For me, anyway.

[ She doesn't have a problem with long hair, her hair used to be long and beautiful. But having it grabbed a few times in a fight was often a detriment to her work.

She gathers another spoonful of soup before swallowing. ]

Just tea?

4.

[lucency]

[ it's infinite, and that's something that both disturbs and intrigues belle. there is no horizon to reach for, nothing to strive for. just infinite blackness and dots of light that, while beautiful, demonstrate a certain coldness that she's not entirely sure she was prepared for.

so, for a moment, she looks away, and toward kate, though she hadn't meant to disturb her. ]

Anything interesting?

[gevurah]

[ She glances up from the tablet and shakes her head, loose hair swishing gently from side to side. A tired smile settles into her features. ]

Just the usual daily questions.

[lucency]

Such as?

[ while belle enjoys technology, it's still a bit awkward for her to get used to, in all honesty. she prefers the physicality of books to things glaring up at her from a screen. she crouches down next to kate. ]

[kneecaptain]

[ They had something like the VR room at SHIELD— Stark probably made it. Bucky didn't know. He didn't like it, though, the way it could search your mind. He didn't like things that did that. But it was a better way to train than just hitting a dummy, so here he was.

Bucky whistles low, announcing his presence. He nods to the plaque. ]

They woulda kicked me out.

[gevurah]

[ Even deep into the simulation and both happy and painful memories, Kate doesn't lower her guard. You can't risk it in Exsilium, in space or not.

She turns her head in Bucky's general direction, partly surprised to see him. It's been a while, she figured maybe he had been sent back home and then she feels a twinge of guilt for not checking up on him after the bomb had dropped and the outbreak of necromorphs.

It reminds her Renee's name has gone offline on the network and how she hadn't seized the chance to sort things out with her. ]

They kick out some good folk sometimes.

[ A lot of the time. Lt. Dan Choi had been one. ]

[kneecaptain]

Yeah. [ The bigwigs in charge— they didn't always make sense. Part of being a soldier was knowing how to swallow questions. Part of being a good soldier was knowing when you couldn't afford to. And Bucky isn't sure if he ever did get that last part nailed. ]

I probably wasn't smart enough for them to ever let me in.

[ His hands are in his pockets. He is better at joking than remembering. ]

3. 11/12 if you're not tired of this kid yet

[blondtactician]

[Please forgive this idiot kid running right into your serene moment, looking around.] Eren! Are you in here?

[There's a very real note of panic in his voice - he's only bursting in here because he's looked pretty much everywhere else, and there's no sign of of his friend.]

Oh... I'm so sorry ma'am. I was just looking for someone...

[He notices the script on the statue and straightens his posture unconsciously.]

whispers, "never."

[gevurah]

[ Luckily his hurried footsteps alerted Kate to someone about to burst into the VR room, but she remains surprised regardless seeing who it is that's entered the room. She's never seen the particular expression he wears and she takes care to note the panic in his tone.

She turns around to face him properly, the simulated sunlight earning a squint from her. ]

It's alright.

But I'm sorry; there's no one else in here.

[blondtactician]

No, no, I looked everywhere else, he has to be...

[Armin is losing Eren, and once again the world is slipping away, like he's been lifted high above it, dangled into a titan's mouth all over again.

Eren threw him from the jaws of death only to be consumed himself. Even if that very moment changed the course of the war that day, and Eren somehow walked away alive, if changed, he'll never be able to erase that image from his head. Trying, desperately to grab his friend before he's swallowed. Trying. Failing. Falling apart.]

He... must be somewhere...

[Eren is slipping away.
Eren is going somewhere he can't touch him.
Eren is out of his reach again.
Eren is out of his reach again.
Eren is out of his reach again.

Armin is shaking and sweating. His hands are in his hair tugging, and he becomes aware he's vaguely muttering, no, no, he must be...

He's usually very impressed by the VR room: it might as well be made of cardboard now, because this can't be real. He can't be in a world without Eren again. Not again. Not again!]

I'm - I'm sorry, you wouldn't happened to have seen a - a boy about my age, dark hair, green eyes, very loud... his name is Eren Yeager... we were planning to go on a mission together... see the ocean... he wouldn't go without me, it was for my...