hadriel_logs | 2.3/ closed/ i'm running out of time; keep stepping out of light

( In the wake of The Null's announcement, Kate stays longer hours at the clinic - stops going for walks on her breaks, foregoes the small pieces of relaxation that she'd begun to enjoy for something older and familiar. Ceaseless work. Constantly keeping her eyes open at the sight of visitors, just in case.

Just in case, just in case, just in case.

The uncertainty is maddening, worse than the threat itself. She checks rooms in the morning with extra diligence, for unfamiliar faces or things out of place, and there's always a hitch of breath, a moment of what if that never comes true.

This morning, she's cupping her hands around a cup of coffee from the coffee cart, eyeing the documents on the office desk warily. Ah, for those moments only a few weeks ago where their organisation was a chore of boredom, not one laced with the wonder of what if there's a trap. Then the twitch of her ears as a noise catches her from the corridor. )

Who's there?

Hey.

( That's the greeting any person would give to their friend on being put on a kill list and dragged into staying with them for a yet-to-be determined length of time, right?

No?

Well, it's going to be now. Kate raises her hand in a lazy wave to Carlisle as she lets the door swing closed behind her, as though this was nothing more than a social visit. As though there's nothing to be afraid of and this is just a way to kill time. )

( The Speakeasy isn't Delight's Bar, it doesn't have the same lingering joy that came with the old building. It's smaller, subdued, and closer to theirs.

Some days, Kate wonders if some idiot will try and blow this one up too. The one thing that makes all the bullshit easier.

But for tonight, she has a glass in hand and the company of a friend. )

How's it feel, bein' wanted?

( A friend who managed her own place on the list that has them all looking over their shoulders. She tilts her glass towards Cecily's in a mock toast. Should they feel proud that The Null are so threatened by their very existence? It often feels surreal to consider that their lives have come to this - to a strange city on planets not their own, being chased and wanted dead for...

Relatively little, really. )

( Some days - okay, a lot of days - the routine of Hadriel gets stale. Wake up, go to work, work out, drink and fall asleep. A city half-destroyed without enough people to provide the variety a city would means that after a while, you're going in circles, seeing the same things and places.

But there's always friends. Friends who are capable cooks willing to open their doors for an evening.

And that's the story of why and how Kate ends up walking the stairs of spire three, a bag of groceries in her arms, and therefore the story of how she ends up dodging a blur of adolescent energy that's barrelling down said stairs. )

Watch it- ( Good grief, child, you'll break your neck. )

( The clinic beds are rarely full, but often dotted with those who manage to get in over their heads, whether from events or the caves, or - in the worst cases - other residents. She can't know the story behind every person who ends up staying the night, since her own abilities are nothing more than first aid and power related, and the kid who sleeps in one of the makeshift wards is no different in this regard.

Apart from the fact that the sight of him brings back flashes of a dragon all too powerful to be wholly real.

She clears her throat as she steps in the room, face carefully neutral as she approaches. )

How're you feelin'?

( The few flights of stairs between her place and Glacius' means Kate doesn't really need to drag her things with her. She takes the distance as a little bit of extra exercise and comes back to shower, to change clothes, to check that no one's come along and set fire to her place. And today, like any other day, is no different. Her flat remains undisturbed and she picks out clothes for the morning from a pile of clean pieces tossed haphazardly over the couch.

She holds a cup of tea in hand as she locks up, its balance precarious in her fingers. )

Shi-

( There's a moment where her keys clatter together loudly as she saves the contents of her cup from meeting the floor, commotion just loud enough that it might attract the attention of a neighbour. )

( They could meet at the clinic, but one doesn't simply meet Bianca at the clinic unless she's been shot and needs treatment. No, of course not. It's much more fitting that they meet where alcohol is served and talk. It's been far too long and with everything going on, Kate finds herself more and more inclined to know the standings and opinions of the people she calls friends.

She's already argued with Glacius about their situation, and Bianca…

Bianca is Bianca. Quick, clever and charismatic. The same woman who learned what Sharon did and masterminded them into a worse situation.

She could be planning anything. But Kate's almost certain she's planning something. )

What're we drinking?

( But first. Priorities. )

Kate.

[He knows this isn't a social visit. Glacius told him that this would not be a social visit. Glacius insisted it was for her safety. Carlisle is her friend. He cares, does he not?

He hasn't figured that out yet. He tries to pass it off as nothing to be concerned about, but his uncertainty is tight in his brow.]

Do you need something?

[Asked with the exact tone of someone who already knows what the answer is, but wants to hear it from her.]

( Really, Carlisle? Kate's arms fold, tilting her head back to look him in the eyes, clearly unimpressed. )

You forget I were crashin' on the couch or summat?

( She knows Glacius will have said something. That's just who he is. )

No.

[His answers are a bit terse for someone who normally uses ten words when one would suffice. He sets his teacup down and pats Rabbit as he gets off the aforementioned couch. His pet doesn't even budge.]

I thought I would ask in case you had changed your mind.

( Don't think she isn't noticing that. She knows the bite that lies in a tone like that, recognises it from her own voice at times. )

What's your problem?

( She would have said if she changed her mind, well before now. )

[He averts his eyes; discomfort pulls at the corners of his mouth.]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[He should behave; this is what Glacius wants. He wants his partner to be happy, doesn't he? He worries so much.

As does Carlisle, but in a way he can't yet put into words, for as much as he loves them.]

( Yeah. Excuse her if she doesn't quite believe that. If her eyes narrow and her folded arms wrap tighter around herself. )

Actin' like you swallowed a lemon.

( And, after a moment's thought: ) More'n usual.

( The offer itself is simple enough that she decides to text it - Coffee? - despite the wariness recent events have instilled with regards to the network. Simple enough to meet outside the Colosseum one evening after they're both done with anything that needs doing. Kate shakes the smell of the Clinic out of her hair and ties it back up as she walks the short distance from there to the Colosseum.

Perhaps it's some leftover emotion from Tranquility's little ideal city all those months ago, or something she can't quite name, but spending time with Ignis has become commonplace, comfortable. He's already proven himself trustworthy, and at this time, that is worth the weight of a thousand pieces of gold. )

Ready?

I'm doing nothing of the sort.

[Says the guy who is totally doing that.]

I just— weren't you close enough without actually living here?

「Hey, he remembers her, weird dreams she's got... Well, he's not that sure if it did happen or if it was just a dream but whatever; he's also seen her around the clinic doing... stuff, barely ever looking this way to which in all honestly, has been welcoming so far, he's got enough to deal with Law being a pain (just doing his job, he knows, he knows...). But she approaches and here comes the dreadful question, he knows it—and there it is!」

Like I should be in a sarcophagus.

Bianca sweeps in, her head high. She always pauses, when she enters a room; pauses as if for applause, and although the pause is infinitesimal, someone watching closely might see the ever-reapeating flash of wry disappointment in her eyes when her applause continues not to happen.

But they light up again, bird-black and wicked, when she sees Kate.

"Darling. I'll have what you're having. As long as you're having tequila. Has anyone tried to collect your head for the bounty yet?"

Edited 2017-11-09 13:31 (UTC)

One day, Bianca. One day, perhaps the applause will come. Maybe you need to return to singing for the city. Who knows. Kate simply waits for the woman to be seated before gesturing for two drinks.

"You know me," she comments with a shrug. Of course it's tequila. Or beer. Occasionally wine if she's just hanging out with a friend. But tequila is the front-runner when, as one says, her head has a bounty on it.

"Not yet. You thinking of trying?" It's said lightly, but doubt will linger for a long time after this. Always wondering if contacting a friend might lead to a nasty surprise.

She turns, and fixes Kate with her gaze - not outraged at the suggestion, because she absolutely would if she had a good reason - but Bianca wants Kate to see the truth behind her eyes.

"No. I'd require a vastly better offer than anything a race of emotionally constipated cyborgs could ever scrape up. What I've been chiefly thinking of is how best to protect Hope."

Edited 2017-11-09 13:51 (UTC)

[It isn't an invitation he'd take from just anyone.

Ignis is in the Guard HQ when he gets the message, texting back a quick 'Certainly' before he goes back to firmly letting Henry know that he is not going to provide any more meals for the Guard than he is already. He simply doesn't have that kind of time, no matter how much they enjoy it.

Spending time with Kate has become something he finds himself looking forward to. It fills at least a part of that space left by the absence of his lifelong friends. He takes the walk to the Colosseum briskly, and arrives not long after she does.]

As I'll ever be. [A smile. They come more easily around her these days.] But I should warn you, I take coffee very seriously.

( A toss of her hair. Yeah. She'd have happily stayed in her place, but she knows Glacius will do nothing but worry if she says no.

And maybe she'd thought that spending a few days with friends might be nice. Maybe. )

Can go if you want to explain it to Glacius.

( :| )

Right. And let him worry even more about you. A perfect suggestion as always, Kate.

[NOT BITTER.]

( She looks up at him, flickers of amusement traced over her face at that comment and the smile that accompanies his greeting. For all the time they've spent together since arriving here, she's never actually known that.

But some days, even Kate wants a drink that doesn't have a percentage tacked on the label. So coffee it is. )

So'd the people who set up the cart.

( She remembers Emily's ranting fondly, their morning chats in the clinic which so often turned to venting and gossip. The girl's long gone by now - to a world Kate only vaguely remembers as being not much better than Hadriel itself - but her presence is still felt in the cart, and the sewing shop. )

You visited any of the temples before?

( It was better when it was at Delight's Bar, true, but that no longer exists. )

What d'ya want me to do, then?

( Really, Carlisle. It's working on her last nerve. You can't complain that she's here and then complain that she offered to leave. )

Shots come as Kate watches Bianca's expression intently, listens to the weight behind her words. And she finds herself believing them. But then, she often does with Bianca. Before she speaks, Kate takes her shot, slamming the glass down and gesturing for something with a mixer this time.

"Fill me in. Haven't heard much 'bout their plans, just the list." She crosses one leg over the other, voice sharp as she leans forward slightly. Joking about being on a hitlist is all fine and good, but The Null are a legitimate threat, and Kate's sorely lacking in any information about their plans right now.

2.3/ closed/ i'm running out of time; keep stepping out of light

brennan/ but these little bones can't help to feel alone

carlisle & glacius/ so every time the beat try to hold me back

cecily/ i feel it coming on with a strong alcoholic attack

richie & eddie/ won't you tell me what's going on?

atem/ i was unafraid to start a fire

whistler/ i was just afraid of the fall

bianca/ i'm not afraid any more

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ignis/ take a little part of me for everyone to see

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