sadiebrin

[sadiebrin]

A woman. A visible...

Mutant?

Alien?

The latter seemed less likely. Regardless; enhanced. The soldier's gaze flitted to the other's hands as they rose through the air, as they adjusted the device over her ears- the... listening things. She was having a hard time placing the word, in her exhaustion. Did they have a microphone? Was she being recorded? No... Not likely. She could hear the tinny music echo softly from the ear pieces.

Gentle words drifted through the air, and yet the soldier's hand remained in place on the floor. Her left, rather than grasping the box, remained by her abdomen.

Mantis.

What was her... What was her name? Oh no. Rockland. Her old friend, he'd been... Mi... Mite? No, that was a bug. Although, this woman was named after a bug, so maybe she wasn't far off. But no, Mite wasn't quite it... Hers, though. What was her name? S...

Soldier. Asset. Second.

No. None of those, not anymore. Sad... yeah, that about described it. Sand- Her fingers dug into the floorboards, subconsciously. Her eyes drifted to the woman's feet, expression sinking into frustration and disheartened disappointment.

She swallowed. Rested just the finger tips of her left hand on the floor with a slight wince, to reach up with her right and remove the box from between her teeth. "... S."

A pine needle drifted from the bounds of her hair, onto the floor. What a sight for this Mantis to behold. Wait- she was stepping closer! “Stay back.”

@sadiebrin sent:

Rockland… That was his name. Rockland. She had to keep it close. She couldn’t let it slip away again. The soldier’s legs moved, feet padding the ground one after the other. Her left hand was held to her chest, wrapped in a part of her shirt. It burned and throbbed, joining the chorus alongside her aching muscles, and head. She’d woken on the ground at a couple points on her trek, with no recollection of falling, thoughts like sludge. She’d passed the sign for Missouri a while back, but she had to keep moving. She also needed food. More than the occasional herbs and berries she’d found on her way. A basic house would be subtler than a grocery store. Less inclined to have cameras in place. She wouldn’t have to go in the front door, either, she could sneak in through the wall. She just had to get cleaned up, and, as much as she didn’t love the idea, see what there was for food in the cupboards. The soldier rustled through the brush, keeping an eye out for cars, until she came across one with a clear driveway. When she approached a window, it appeared quiet inside. She waited a while yet, watching and listening for signs of movement. And then she carefully pressed her right hand to the wall. A subtle turquoise energy drifted from her finger tips, embedding into the crevices. The slight creak and crackle of boards pulling back on themselves met her ears, and she waited a moment, listening once more, before stepping through the makeshift doorway a moment later. Wild eyes scanned for the kitchen, stomach gnawing eagerly. She’d shovelled back a handful of dry cereal when she heard the floor creak. Instinctively, the tab of the box was pressed between her teeth, and she crouched down, palm flat to the floor, eyes darting to find the source of the noise.

So much had changed in the last few years, ever since the Guardians embarked on one last journey together to save their friend Rocket. The Guardians had reaffirmed their deep bond and friendship, but they had to learn that self-love came from within, otherwise it wouldn't be self-love. They would never stop being there for one another, loving and supporting each other unconditionally, but everyone needed a little space sometimes. Sooner or later, the Guardians would always find their way back to each other.

She was glad that Peter had listened to her advice, choosing to reconnect with his estranged grandfather, Jason Quill, and the rest of his family.

After having lunch together, Peter and Jason left the house to run a few errands, as well as Peter's step-grandmother, so Mantis put on Peter's Bluetooth headphones – which would explain why she didn't hear anything sooner – and she made herself some green tea. She had returned to the living room, sipping the tea slowly, when she felt a little hungry. Mantis walked back to the kitchen, humming along to Candy by Cameo when she spotted the woman.

...With a cereal box dangling from her teeth.

Hands lifted slowly, showing the woman her palms. With one hand, Mantis removed the headphones from her ears so they would rest around the nape of her neck. The faint melody could be heard without her ears and skull to block it. The empath stood very still, trying to appear friendly and approachable.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you," she promised, slowly taking one step closer – her voice soft and quiet. "I am Mantis. What's your name?"

[sadiebrin]

A soft, huff of a laugh, "Yeah, there you go, Mr. Brightside." A lotta gigs. Yeah... She could think of a few people who'd be open to having a professional badass on their side. "Definitely. Not always the right kind, though. You'd have to be careful." A pause, "Besides, doesn't your current job utilize your badass...ery?"

Her brows raised with his evident sheepishness, amusement tugging at her features, "Shoulder length?" It was hard to picture. Him being a rocker in his youth, however? Yeah. She could picture that. "Can't fault you there, rock is pretty great. Leather jackets, the works?"

She was certainly feeling a positive energy from their friend. Sadie withdrew her hand, only to reach out again a couple moments later. The kitten pressed their head into her palm and she gave Wade puppy dog eyes, whispering, "Such a little sweetheart." Under her breath.

A lotta things. Not just waffles and pancakes? "I see. I suppose that would reduce the draw, somewhat. Of course, there's still coffee." She gestured to his mug. And fries, he was clearly able to eat those as well. She drank back the last of her tea, and set her own mug to the side.

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[sadiebrin]

An amused stretch of her lips met Wade's reaction, eyebrows raised, an enthusiastic shrug. "Hey, to each their own. But yes, very badass." She agreed with a mischievous smirk, before taking another sip of her tea. Her fresh mug was nearly emptied once more.

He used to keep his hair long? Now that was hard to picture, "How long are we talking?" She asked, curious. An understanding nod met his sentiment. She'd gone so long without caring for her appearance, that she hardly recalled what it was like to do so. It seemed of such little importance to her, now. She'd cut and temporarily coloured her own hair shortly after arriving on the farm, but that was a safety measure, one more step to try and stay under Hydra's radar.

"Yup." She agreed softly, as they doted upon the kitten. "At least he has people looking out for him, now." They'd become something of a team, it seemed. She wouldn't dare get her hopes up, however.

A nod, as Wade spoke of the kitten knowing they had their back. "I hope so." When it came to the kitten's gender, she shook her head as well, "Not a clue." He brushed off her compliment yet again, and she just shrugged. She wouldn't push it.

She could listen to those purrs and happy grumbles all day. "Yes, eat safely, please." The soldier rested her head on her hand while she watched the kitten munch back the fish.

"Yeah? You're a regular diner connoisseur?"

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[sadiebrin]

"The ice is thick enough." She assured, having checked with her ability a moment before. Past the typical exhaustion that quelled beneath her eyelids, there was a warmth to her, a familiarity. Since the snow had begun to fall, and ice had started to form, she'd begun remembering fragments. And earlier, when they'd found this body of frozen water?

"I can recall skating on ponds like these growing up..." The memories were dusting over her mind, like freshly fallen snow, coming to her more smoothly, as one might glide over ice. She could recall sturdy hands gripping her arms. And while earlier in the winter, she'd struggled with more unsavoury memories of that sensation paired with the cold, others had drifted in as well. Hands, not set on controlling her, or yanking her from place to place, but guiding. Supporting.

My brother.

Cozy scarves, and hands not numbed with the cold, but enfolded in thick, clumsy mittens. Bright smiles, silent laughter on fuzzy faces. A feeling sat in her chest, a similar bittersweet comfort that the occasional dreams of Rockland brought her.

"I wouldn't encourage it if I wasn't confident." She finished lacing up the skates she'd borrowed, and carefully stood, before stepping out onto the ice, herself. She glided along for a moment. The surface was smooth, the wind brushed her face, brisk and wakeful. And then she looped around, making her way back towards her friend, who seemed significantly more wary. "See? It's alright. You doing okay?" A smile, as her mind cut her a break for once. As she allowed the cold to ground her, to be present, and just breathe and take in the moment.

[ SKATES ] - Sadie

[ SKATES ] for sender and receiver to go ice skating. @sadiebrin

"Are you sure about this?"

Dustfinger eyed the frozen pond dubiously, balancing precariously on the blades laced to his feet.

He'd never done anything remotely like this before. He was always taught to stay off of frozen water, and he'd seen one too many victims of hypothermia to have any desire to go again that advice.

[sadiebrin]

Her eyes crinkled in the corners, an amusement lighting them. "Fair enough. You could always um, pick up a wig, or you know, one of those," She gestured vaguely to the top of her head while she tried to place the word, a mischievous expression twisting her lips, because given his opposition to hats, she doubted he'd be for a "Toque... no. Toupee. One of those toupees." A pause, "Not that you need one, you look fine. Just..."

Gentle fingers weaving across her scalp.

Standing in a doorway, watching. Humour. Big... pink tubes, curlers?

She pet the kitten as she focused back in on her words, "I know hair can mean a lot to people. So, if it means a lot to you..." As much as she'd been joking around, it was also a genuine option if he wanted it.

Their new friend was purring away. Hopefully that meant they felt safe and content. That tiny mew. "You're a little kärlek-bugg." She cooed to the darling. "Easy to please."

The way Wade incorporated the kitten into their conversation was endearing as well. They'd go to the pet shop, if there was one open. Good. Okay. She hadn't even considered that they may have cats, that this little one could've busted out somehow. That was a good point. At the very idea of sending the kitten back into the rain, however, Sadie cast Wade a serious look of agreement. "And I certainly wouldn't allow that." While she had little in the way of resources, this kitten had found them. Had come to them for help, and there was no way she'd turn her back on them. She wanted them safe and sound, whether with them or someone else.

She watched as the kitten mewed yet again, seemingly enjoying Wade's voice, "He seems quite comfortable with you... and he's got a good appetite." That was good to see. The plate was pushed her way, and alright, she wasn't about to turn that offer away. "Thank you." She took one, munched it back. Hot and greasy, a good crunch. "Pretty good."

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[sadiebrin]

Sadie nodded in reply to his thanks, her own eyes flickering quickly to the window once more. This time, however, she briefly focused on the corner of the frame, where some dust had clustered. And then to the salt and pepper shakers, towered over by a classic red squeeze bottle of what she assumed was ketchup. A bell jingled as the cafe door opened, and the soldier instinctively found her attention drawn to the entering individuals. A woman in a long, fancy coat, and a man with red hair. She stiffened, left hand subtly drawn to the wooden base of her chair. He had a long beard.

He had a long beard. It wasn't him.

... dry fast.

What? Oh, right, Wade's hair. Cool in the summer, too. Respond. "So that's a perk." She agreed, distractedly. As she pet the kitten, however, the tension seemed to melt from her shoulders. Not in it's entirety, of course, but the little one did manage to soothe her. Their little cheeks were so fuzzy. The kittens ears flattened against their head as Sadie ran her fingers over the top to give them a gentle scritch. And then a little rub under the chin.

She withdrew her hand and just watched those sleepy little eyes. Her heart seemed to sing. What a darling. "Good point. Okay." She just had to trust he knew what he was doing, because she certainly didn't. Not with a kitten this little.

As for pet stores, "We could look around for one if you'd like?" Maybe he'd rather do so on his own, that was fine by her, but the offer stood, regardless. She wanted their new friend to be comfortable. Oh. Oh dear. The mental image of this tiny kitten in a tiny kitten raincoat sprung to mind and that was just too cute.

Unfortunately the mental image was interrupted by the thought of this little one potentially being an orphan, and that was heartbreaking. She hoped not. Maybe they'd been separated from their family through other means. She'd try to listen when they left the cafe, see if she could hear any other meows in the distance. There was a chance they'd had a human family too, she supposed. How would the kitten have been separated from them this young, though? Had they been abandoned? That was an awful thought, too, but people could be cruel...

Whatever the case, she wanted to protect this little one.

She watched as Wade whispered to the kitten, and they headbutt Wade in turn. Affection warmed her eyes, a little smile curving her lips. Their excitement was evident as the sandwich arrived. Her lower lip jut out with the mew of protest, as they were gently smushed back under the table top. The sandwich smelled good, Sadie couldn't fault them.

A soft snort as the kitten seemed to respond to the tartar sauce inquiry. She could hear the purring from across the table. Despite the stress of the day, Sadie hadn't felt this warm and comfortable since the farm.

"Good." She murmured, approvingly. Her features warmed as the whiskered sweetheart came back into view. "Hi there." She greeted in a whisper of her own, chin resting on her fist. She couldn't fault the kitten for being curious about the fries, either, they smelled good, too. Greasy, salty, fluffy. Yum. She'd already been hungry when she'd attempted her shopping trip. The adrenaline had distracted her, and then the tea had helped to stave it off a little, but not much. She supposed she could order a breakfast sandwich or something, those didn't tend to be all that expensive, and at least they typically had some protein... Or she could wait until she got to the hotel, see what was around there.

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[sadiebrin]

"It's no problem, I'm not going to judge you for a chronic condition." Sadie teased with a breath of a laugh, eyes crinkling in the corners.

"A mean face?" She mused, shaking her head in evident dismissal of that particular description. "You've got strong features, sure, but your eyes are-they're soft." Well, that was far too mushy for her comfort, especially with someone who was practically a stranger. She took a quick sip of her tea, savouring the warmth it brought her. "A baseball cap could also help, but I love the creativity." The corners of her lips quirked up, "At least with it being so short it should be quick to dry."

He was about as bad at accepting praise as she was. "Well, you can fix the next one." Her brows furrowed in alarm with Wade's exclamation, immediately scooting her chair back as he looked beneath the table. Dude? Who was he referring to as dude? A mouse? A rat? A- Her hand had gripped the metal of her chair without a second thought, and she moved to check out the situation herself just as Wade was coming back up into view... A tiny sound she recognized as a mew. She melted.

"Ohhh, en liten bebis!" Her voice was soft, knowing that animals were not typically welcomed into cafes, but rang with warmth and care. The tiny love was shivering, and damp. They'd been out in this weather? So young, where was their mama?

A flicker of blue eyes, chubby cheeks. A tuft of hair, so soft.

Her heart panged, and she felt her eyes prickle. Wade was quick to dab the little one off, she slid some of her extra napkins across the table in offer, although the shirt would be softer. She reached out to give the kitten's tiny cheek a rub with her finger. Singular, because they were that small. She wanted to protect this little being.

You can't have that. As if the kitten was nothing but an object.

Asset.

Weapon.

Sadie seemed to deflate, as the debate continued. The way Wade defended their new friend definitely eased her mind a little, when it came to him. Just a little. But that was still something. Regardless, it seemed the woman was holding firm for a moment, and the soldier was preparing next steps. What was around? Where could they go, that was either indoors, and pet friendly, or at the very least offered shelter from the storm? Wade had mentioned a truck. She supposed that would work- Another tiny mew, and Sadie's attention was drawn back to the present. She watched the woman's features soften.

Maybe they had a chance.

She didn't love that it fell to bribing. But, I won't rat you out. "Neither will I." She agreed, voice hollow, eyes focused on the kitten.

She agreed. For the time being, at least. Sadie didn't know how she expected them to keep a kitten quiet, but they could leave if they had to.

A fish sandwich. Okay, that helped lift her spirits. She snorted, "Very subtle..." A pause, as she watched Wade dote upon the little one, features softening. "Do you think they're old enough for that? Fish, I mean?" Was there a minimum age for kittens to eat... solid food? She wasn't sure, though she did know they drank their mamas milk for a while.

A smile met his question, "I had no idea. I wonder if there are any pet stores around here."

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[sadiebrin]

His agreement was a relief. She really didn't feel like dealing with more people, as kind as the staff had been. She could safely assume she and Dustfinger were both in pain; her ear and arm were certainly throbbing beneath their bandages, and she otherwise ached with bruises and scrapes gained in the fight. She was exhausted, and now that the stress was starting to taper off, a ravenous hunger was starting to take root as well.

A nod, and she was making her way towards the wall, crouched slightly so as to hide from view outside the window. As soon as she was close enough, her palm had come to rest on the wall. And then she peaked out, carefully. No sign of Hydra.

Eyes still fixed outside, she waved Dustfinger forwards. And then a subtle turquoise energy seeped from her finger tips, weaved into the wall. A crack sprouted up from between the material and drew outwards, and carved out a slab, before the wall curled back as though made from a thick scroll of parchment. A breeze rustled the soldier's hair, as she once again scanned the perimeter, and then turned briefly to her companion. "Want a hand?"

"Yes." She agreed simply, blinking at him for a moment before wondering if he'd maybe forgotten about her ability in the midst of everything. It would be understandable, he'd likely been running on adrenaline when she'd used it earlier, and amongst the stress and trauma of the day, maybe his mind had blocked it out? Or maybe it was more a matter of him not understanding how it worked. That could very well be all it was.

He was also on meds. That was a factor.

"My ability. It's um, it's a mutation. I could open up a hole in the wall, akin to a doorway, and then close it once we're out." She explained gently. "It just... may avoid any further questions or objections from the staff, but if the idea is overwhelming, we can face them." She didn't know what the check out process typically entailed, and she was hesitant to confront it, but willing if necessary.

[sadiebrin]

One hundred and seventy paces across the field. A right at the driveway across the opposing street. There was an office on the Eastern side. She was to make an opening in the wall, and they would go in from there.

In the meantime, twenty-three steps down, one-hundred and forty-seven to go. The snow gathered around her boots, a steady path carved by the soldier's shuffled steps. The pair trekked in relative silence. There was nothing to say, they'd sat through the plan, and Hydra didn't encourage idle chat. They had to stay focused. Distraction meant more people got hurt.

As they neared the building, the soldier's pace grew brisk. She made an effort to keep out of sight of anyone inside peering out, and crouched down once they neared the office window, keeping an eye on the girl to ensure she did the same. She was new to missions, from what she'd gathered. Hydra wouldn't have let her come if they didn't feel she was ready, but people were unpredictable.

Speaking of which, there was someone in the office. Their assigned entry space. She could hear muffled chatter through the glass. The soldier looked to the girl, brows furrowed as she ran through their options in her mind.

The faces in the van had long since blurred. The only one she recognized was Dale. Red hair. Green eyes. Crinkling protein bar in hand, on breath. Once they pulled to a stop, he reached over, fingers easily finding the button on each of the gauntlets, releasing them from her wrists with a clang that rattled the floor as they dropped. Her hands were freed from the barrier.

"Listen up." He went over the mission details once again. Retrieve the device, neutralize any witnesses. And the girl was joining in. The soldier had hardly noticed her presence on the drive. She was young. There was a fire in her eyes. For the briefest moment, the soldier's mind flickered to the dream she'd been yanked from that morning; the warm weight on her chest. And then she focused back in on Dale's instruction.

Sunlight broke through the doors to the van, and she stepped into the cold. If it wasn't for the armoured mask, her breath would rise visibly through the air. Blue eyes squinted as she adjusted to the new environment; snow was layered up upon the field, blinding bright. Once they were properly equipped, she and the girl were directed to head off. Dale would stay in contact over comms. Otherwise they'd maintain position in the vehicle, as long as everything went according to plan.

[sadiebrin]

The way he spoke of the circus was almost like that of a astronomical event. Or something that sprouted naturally from the ground and simply was for a little while. Something rare, of seemingly spontaneous occurrence. On your own? She considered asking. It felt as though he'd spent some time amongst these environments, had he taken other companions? Or perhaps gotten to know anyone amongst the crowds? Or maybe he'd simply found himself drawn forward to observe, taken in the wonder from afar.

Her thoughts also drifted to the supplies she'd noticed in his bag. Could they be connected to all this?

Her question was largely answered as he continued. A subtle warmth lit in her chest, grateful to be gifted another puzzle piece of history from his life. "Why not?" Her tone wasn't one of judgement, just curiosity. She could understand the draw to roaming, given her own life's experiences, but she roamed to flee. Did the people in places like this roam simply because they wanted to explore? She supposed there was likely a multitude of reasons, but she wondered what Dustfinger's perspective was on the matter.

It was admittedly a little overwhelming. The lights were bright, and appeared to be brightening still as the backdrop of the night grew ever darker, the crowds were bustling, and the sounds were amplified to her ears, especially vivid compared to the quiet rustle of the forest she'd grown accommodated to. However,

"I'm alright... it's a lot, but also quite beautiful, isn't it? In it's own way." If she took a step back, tried to observe from outside of her own natural tension in environments like this, she could see the warmth. The playfulness, to it all, even if it felt distant to her, personally. Families roamed about with their kids, who yanked excitedly on arms, desperate to take it all in. The sight left a little bit of a pang in her chest, but it gave her comfort, too. There was a gentleness to it. This was a place built with the purpose to bring joy. The lights seemed to illuminate in the eyes of those around them, Dustfinger's included.

Despite his typically fairly reserved nature, he seemed surprisingly... at home? In it all. There was an ease to his posture. A gentle smile, "Have you been here before?"

[sadiebrin]

"Yes." She agreed simply, blinking at him for a moment before wondering if he'd maybe forgotten about her ability in the midst of everything. It would be understandable, he'd likely been running on adrenaline when she'd used it earlier, and amongst the stress and trauma of the day, maybe his mind had blocked it out? Or maybe it was more a matter of him not understanding how it worked. That could very well be all it was.

He was also on meds. That was a factor.

"My ability. It's um, it's a mutation. I could open up a hole in the wall, akin to a doorway, and then close it once we're out." She explained gently. "It just... may avoid any further questions or objections from the staff, but if the idea is overwhelming, we can face them." She didn't know what the check out process typically entailed, and she was hesitant to confront it, but willing if necessary.

"It's busy out there." Which was doing them a favour, it made for a good distraction. She held her hands out instinctively, as Dustfinger swung his legs from the bed, brows furrowed with concern. "Do you-"

He seemed determined to walk for himself, this time, so she just grit her teeth and stayed near. A nod of agreement met his suggestion. Blue eyes instinctively moved towards his arm as he directed her attention to it, and the IV taped to it...

Restraints.

Rubber between her teeth.

Bright shocks of electricity nearing out of the corner of her eyes-

She'd yanked more than one of those out of her own arm, she was sure.

"... I can do it." The soldier murmured, distantly. Her stomach swirled with unease, feet stepping forward. She subconsciously worked to steady her breath; calm her nerves so as to calm her mutation as well. And in a blur, he was free of it. She could hardly recall the motions that lead to the point, but it was done all the same.

"We can go out through the wall, mitigate the risk of attention?" She suggested, grateful they were on the first floor. She'd have been able to figure something out if they were higher up, but given their injuries, it wouldn't have been ideal. She'd have considered taking their chances with the people. Still, she waited for his thoughts on the idea, wanting to give him a say.

[sadiebrin]

Send brutal anons to my muse(s) criticizing/negating their relationships in canon or with someone they interact with on this blog!!!

Be a Disney villain! Go wild! They can defend themselves or agree, but tear into them! Please specify muse(s) for multimuses.

[sadiebrin]

Bored. Sadie couldn't help but snort at that; a tired, huff of a laugh. "Wow, tell me what you really think." Despite teasing, she did oh.Y Yeah, that was relatable. "I get it. Free time- you might as well set your thoughts loose in a storm." She'd stayed busy on the farm, as best her body would allow her, at least. Since setting off to find Rockland, she'd kept moving, hardly slept. It was a mistake. She knew that. She'd pushed herself on missions before, but that was as the soldier. And that was on meds. Still, she dreaded sleep when she had access to a comfortable bed, and a familiar space. It was even harder to grasp while trekking across states. So, when the wind picked up and threatened to steal her symbolic umbrella? She'd continued on her way. The longer she lingered, the more she hesitated, doubted herself.

When it came to the waffles, well, his tone was far from convincing, but she wasn't about to push. She just shrugged in return.

The prison system ignoring a medical condition, however? Brushing it aside as if his worth was decided on it? That left her simmering. She was almost relieved by the rain, it distracted her, cooled her anger. There was a sort of weight in the air, like she could feel Wade's questions, dangling in the air. Unspoken, but there. A grateful look was cast towards the waitress as she placed fresh cups down alongside the napkins, steaming drinks sloshing gently from side to side. And then she turned to Wade once again, considering. The cafe was probably not the place to announce her mutant status. She didn't feel like dealing with the added attention it might bring in a public place, negative or otherwise.

Taking the offered napkins with a nod, she got to work dabbing at her hair, the back of her neck, and face. An amused smirk met the gutter visual. "That would be very fashion forward." A pause, "A hat might help?" At least the fabric could absorb some of the moisture, or even create the gutter effect he seemed keen on leaning into, depending on the style.

"Well, you were still going to, I just beat you to it."

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[sadiebrin]

"You're not, it's okay." She reassured, "Are you... feeling overwhelmed at all?" Was that a silly question, given the circumstances? No. She didn't think so; she was just checking in, and despite not showing outward signs of being overwhelmed with the current environment, it's not as though she could read his mind.

Don't want to waste them? Interesting. He explained further, and she nodded, a little confused, but going on the assumption it was some kind of digestive condition she wasn't aware of. "I see. If you still enjoy the flavour, and it doesn't do you any harm, I don't think it's anymore wasteful than, say, a hobby that takes up resources. But if you're only trying to use what you need, I understand that." She wouldn't doubt if that mindset came from struggling with what he felt he deserved, that's what hers stemmed from, at least.

A council of people deciding on what words would be incorporated into every language was quite an amusing thought. "Maybe. We could look into it, go and make our case." She was joking around, of course.

A nod met his sympathetic inquiry into her cards. "Yeah, it's... quite a complicated process." For her, especially, but she wasn't about to lean into that can of worms. She wasn't on his list yet, but maybe he'd add her, if he found out too much. She was relieved he didn't pry into the how. She couldn't actually recall at what point they'd been taken, likely either during the initial attack, or within the first day.

When it came to the prison talk, disgust was clearly growing in her features, a bitter resentfulness. Those people sounded far too familiar. "That's no excuse. They could look into it... fuc-" She grumbled under her breath, "-ing assholes, no respect for life... that's just awful, and inhumane." She grumbled, glowering at the salt shaker. Surely the staff would have access to computers, phones, books, something that would allow them to look into medical conditions so that they could make an effort to keep their prisoners alive...

And then came the umbrella man, and good. An excuse to get up and blow off some steam. To take a breather. Wade's voice called after her,

"I've got it." She assured, though he insisted on following behind. So much for subtlety. Maybe he wouldn't notice...

Neat trick.

Never mind.

"Thank you." She replied simply, as the waitress returned. Water droplets dripped from her hair, down the back of her neck. Another round of tea... she bit at her cheek, but said nothing. She wasn't opposed to the idea, there were just factors to account for. Napkins were a good idea, though.

"It's a mess out there, and it was something I could fix. You did the same." Well, offered to, and accompanied.

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[sadiebrin]

It was admittedly a little overwhelming. The lights were bright, and appeared to be brightening still as the backdrop of the night grew ever darker, the crowds were bustling, and the sounds were amplified to her ears, especially vivid compared to the quiet rustle of the forest she'd grown accommodated to. However,

"I'm alright... it's a lot, but also quite beautiful, isn't it? In it's own way." If she took a step back, tried to observe from outside of her own natural tension in environments like this, she could see the warmth. The playfulness, to it all, even if it felt distant to her, personally. Families roamed about with their kids, who yanked excitedly on arms, desperate to take it all in. The sight left a little bit of a pang in her chest, but it gave her comfort, too. There was a gentleness to it. This was a place built with the purpose to bring joy. The lights seemed to illuminate in the eyes of those around them, Dustfinger's included.

Despite his typically fairly reserved nature, he seemed surprisingly... at home? In it all. There was an ease to his posture. A gentle smile, "Have you been here before?"

🎡 -Sadie

send 🎡 or [carnival] to take my muse(s) to the local carnival @sadiebrin

Everything about the carnival should have repulsed Dustfinger. It was bright, crowded, and noisy. Most of the food was brightly colored, and Dustfinger would have to be bodily restrained before he'd ever find himself on any of the rides.

But there was a familiarity to the atmosphere that actually attracted him. He understood these people, both those in attendance and those running the fried food stands and games of chance. He understood how bright lights and hypnotic music could be used to excite the senses of people looking for an escape from the monotony of their everyday lives. He understood the pull to just live in a world like this for a while, to forget time and reality in the grandeur and simplicity of the carnival.

He wondered what Sadie thought of it all. She was still difficult for him to read at times. This wasn't his first visit to a place like this, but it might be hers, for all he knew.

"How are you feeling?"

He nudged her slightly to get her attention away from the bright lights and flashing colors illuminating the steadily darkening evening around them.

[sadiebrin]

Had she come off as annoyed, without intending to? "No, no, you're alright. I'm not grading you." She turned his earlier quote back on him with a trace of a playful smile, a tug of her lips. "Talk all you'd like. I just didn't want to taunt you with the pancakes, in case you couldn't have them either." A shrug.

"It definitely should." She agreed, "How are words created, anyways? Maybe we could be it's proponents." This was definitely a silly conversation, but she didn't mind. It was kind of nice, talking about something with so little weight to it.

You seem okay to me. Oh, little did he know. She snorted softly. Sure, it wasn't like she was incapable of working at all. She'd been a farmhand at Derek and Oline's, but that wasn't an official position. Not winning any charm awards. Pfft. "Yeah, you're very repellent." There was clearly a tone of teasing sarcasm there. As for screwing up, she stayed silent, just watching him with an expression of neutral understanding.

Her expression softened at the return of the new found word. "Very useful. Good call, they're missing out. But as much as I appreciate the sentiment, amongst other issues, I lost my ID and social security cards." Could she contact Shield, see if they could help? Potentially. But that would open a whole other can of worms.

A nod met his explanation, that added up. His phrasing, however, was interesting. What would make prison not good for him specifically? Did he have enemies within the walls, given his job? Oh. A medical condition. Her brows furrowed with concern.

"... if we don't get these under control... no use to Hydra." White coats, faces blurred, clip boards in hand.

She expected it would be bad, but was prison like them?

"They wouldn't take that into consideration?" Her eyes flickered from the scene outside the window, to Wade, and back again. She watched the struggle with the umbrella, grimacing as it flipped inside out. "He should walk with the top facing-." Sadie gestured with her hands, tips of her fingers pressed together. She trailed off, gaze still fixated on the man in the distance, because not only had the umbrella flipped, but one of the metal prongs had detached from the fabric.

"Shi-" She swore under her breath. Another, quick sip of tea, and the soldier was up from the table. Without another word, her legs had carried her out the door. The rain pounded down upon her head, and she squinted down the sidewalk, "Hey!" The sodden man turned towards her, evidently at a loss. "I can fix it, here." She gestured for him to pass it over, and he did so with some effort. The wind seemed eager to keep the umbrella for itself. The soldier placed the handle between her knees, one hand grabbing hold of the metal prong, the other coming to rest on the outer fabric. Bringing the pair together, a faint turquoise energy weaved into the material; easily dismissed as a trick of the light. A moment later she'd handed the umbrella back over, right side out. "Try walking with the top facing the rain, minimize the wind resistance."

"How did you do that?" The man asked, bewildered, as he raised it back over his head, slightly tilted in the direction of the wind as she'd suggested.

"Trick of the trade. Okay, bye." An awkward nod of the head, and she darted back inside. He watched after her a moment, before shrugging and continuing on his way, a little more chipper. Water droplets dripped down her face, had soaked into her clothes, leaving her chilled within just the few minutes she'd been out there. Her shoes squeaked on the cafe floor. "Storm's gotten worse." She announced, obviously, as she sat back down at the table, wiping at her face.

The soldier bunched herself up under the desk, palms pressed to her ears with enough pressure that she could hear the squeak of her joints. She was trying to block out the noise. The angry shouts as she disobeyed direct orders. When had she entered the office? One minute she'd been searching the aisles...

well,

Shallow breaths

A tap on her shoulder, sending her jolting alongside her racing heart, wide eyes searching for the source- an elderly woman with a light laugh, and an apology for startling her. She was only reaching for the milk

Bright, fluorescent lights

Constant chatter and clanging and beeping that was not, in fact, a heart rate monitor, and was instead the tills as the cashiers scanned various items

Too many options

kind of.

At some point she'd passed the bakery, and a small child in a cart had wheeled by, holding a...

And then she'd found herself in the office. The door was locked from the inside. The desk had the indent of fingers on the edge of it's surface, as though imprinted in wet cement. One of it's legs wiggled like a snake. Both still gleaned with the sweat of her hands.

The manager kept slamming on the door, shouting and raving about calling the police, and company files and trespassing. And yet she was frozen in place. - For Wade, sadiebrin

@sadiebrin

"Donuts or muffins?" Wade muttered to himself as he looked around the bakery section. His head tilted to one side, then the other. "Eh, they each have their good points..."

It was supposed to rain today. Not just rain, thunderstorm. So far, though, the sky had gone dark for a couple hours and it had gotten rather windy, but so far... no rain or thunder. Perfect weather for Wade to do a little shopping during normal human hours without fear of getting too impaired by the sun. He'd felt a mild tingling on his skin when he stepped outside, but... not too bad. And really, he just had to go from his apartment building to his SUV, and then from there into the store. He could do that standing on his head, so... time to shop.

Being a vampire sucked, pun intended. Needing blood all the time was not only unappealing to Wade, but it was massively inconvenient with his schedule and lifestyle. And he refused to give up the foods he loved, even if they did nothing for him nowadays. At least he could eat whatever he wanted without fear of getting fat or developing heart disease, since whatever made him a vampire seemed to regulate his body to keep it in tip-top shape without him having to do much of anything.

His deliberations on exactly what kind of indulgent human food to buy were interrupted by a very distressed woman staggering from near where he was toward the back of the store. Confections could wait. Wade followed her, sensing that something was very wrong. When she went inside an office and slammed the door, Wade stopped and watched as the manager began pounding on the door like a child throwing a tantrum. "Really?" Wade mumbled to himself.

Making his way to the door, Wade laid his hand on the manager's shoulder. "Take a breath, okay? I think she's havin' some kinda problem." The manager was taking too many breaths, as it were, and spouting more boisterous nonsense about how she wasn't allowed in there, and if she didn't come out right this instant he was going to called the cops!

With an irritated smirk, Wade reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Dude, relax, I am the cops," he said, flashing his badge just fast enough for the manager to see something that looked official but not long enough for him to actually read that it only said government licensed bounty hunter on it. It worked, and the manager took a step back from the door. Only one. Wade looked at him like, you gotta be kiddin' me with this bullshit. "Yeah, you wanna gimme some time here, man? I'll handle it, don't worry." With that, the manager huffed and left to deal with an irate woman who couldn't find the type of cheese she wanted and was making it everyone else's problem.

"Hey... miss?" he called through the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?" He was trying to get through to the woman but also sound as non-threatening as he could manage.

[sadiebrin]

"It's busy out there." Which was doing them a favour, it made for a good distraction. She held her hands out instinctively, as Dustfinger swung his legs from the bed, brows furrowed with concern. "Do you-"

He seemed determined to walk for himself, this time, so she just grit her teeth and stayed near. A nod of agreement met his suggestion. Blue eyes instinctively moved towards his arm as he directed her attention to it, and the IV taped to it...

Restraints.

Rubber between her teeth.

Bright shocks of electricity nearing out of the corner of her eyes-

She'd yanked more than one of those out of her own arm, she was sure.

"... I can do it." The soldier murmured, distantly. Her stomach swirled with unease, feet stepping forward. She subconsciously worked to steady her breath; calm her nerves so as to calm her mutation as well. And in a blur, he was free of it. She could hardly recall the motions that lead to the point, but it was done all the same.

"We can go out through the wall, mitigate the risk of attention?" She suggested, grateful they were on the first floor. She'd have been able to figure something out if they were higher up, but given their injuries, it wouldn't have been ideal. She'd have considered taking their chances with the people. Still, she waited for his thoughts on the idea, wanting to give him a say.

"I don't, either." She agreed immediately, empathetically. But. And that was the operative word. To check now. To get it done with. Would she be able to will herself back to this place anytime soon, if not now? Or would she procrastinate? Focus on looking after Dustfinger, and then the area she'd torn up in their escape, and then and then and then... Pushing away the object of her fears? How was she even supposed to approach the topic with the nurses, without alarm, or worse, them thinking she was creating the story in her own mind? Would she even be able to get the words out, or would she sink into herself?

Maybe she could simplify, tell them she believed she may have an object fragment under her skin from an injury years before, ask for a scan to check? Of course, that wouldn't get across the urgency... A flash of metal, shadowed eyes. She'd come across Winter, James' story, in her searches at the local library. In her attempts to find information on herself, on her history. Their stories had been weaved together. And his was broadly known. Maybe some level of honesty was her best bet.

Her brows had furrowed in thought. Her ear throbbed beneath the bandages once again pressed to it. Finally, she focused back on her Dustfinger. "One hour, hm? I'll see if they can scan me, remove the tracker, if one's there, within the hour, and if not-if not I'll return another time..." As long as Hydra didn't find them before then.

With his agreement, she stood, vision weaving as she did. She held the chair arm for a moment, steadying herself. Once her balance straightened out, somewhat, she reached out towards him. A gentle squeeze of his arm. "I'll hurry back. And then we'll go." It made her nervous, after the day's events, leaving him on his own.

But she stepped out, into the wilds of the hall. Blue eyes flickered restlessly, landed on a nearby clock and noted the time. And the search was on.

She didn't need to look for long. A nurse froze mid step, taking in the sight of her ear, the waver to her posture. "Hi, can I help you? Would you like a chair?"

"..." Speak. Tell her. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably, and the soldier felt strange, almost as though she was floating off the ground. The words left her lips, though, even if they felt separated from her, "My name is Sadie." She just went into the basics; she'd been captured. She'd escaped. She had reason to believe she might have a tracking device on her person. She watched the nurse's body language carefully. Concern, alarm, maybe a little apprehensive, but leaning into empathy. Everything sort of blurred, once they were on the move. The staff were incredibly patient with her. It took longer than she'd hoped, to sort everything out.

Her fears were confirmed. She did have a tracker. In her forearm. Feelings on the matter were surprisingly unobserved, though evident amongst the staff. It took a while for them to work out options that would work for her metabolism, but they incorporated her into the decision making process, which came as a pleasant surprise, greeted by apprehension. As soon as the device was in sight, she wanted to destroy it. To disintegrate it beneath the pads of her fingers. But Hydra could be watching. And she didn't want to lead them to the hospital, knowing this was where it was destroyed. So she pulled up a name in her memory. "Call Shield. An agent named Mike. Ask him to come." He was the one who'd brought her back to herself. He wasn't Hydra. He was an old friend. He'd know what to do. He could fly it somewhere, drop it off in a random, isolated environment. Send Hydra on a goose chase. He could take it far away.

Fresh bandages wrapped around her arm, and over her ear, so she didn't have to constantly hold the gauze up to it, and Sadie returned to Dustfinger's room. The exhausted relief was evident in her face, as she stepped up beside him. "Okay. Let's go home."