sadiebrin

[sadiebrin]

She'd returned with the blanket. That had been expected. What the soldier had not expected, was for her to come within arms' length, to drape the material over her shoulders rather than simply hand it to her, or place it beside her on the couch. She stiffened immediately, jaw set. Her uninjured hand had come to press against the couch cushion as soon as the woman came back into view, but now, as the woman's hands momentarily hovered on either side of her head, her fingers dug in. She could feel energy buzzing at their tips, threatening to burst out and launch the fabric up to wrap around the woman's wrists, before Mantis could attack.

Only she didn't attack.

It's okay.

Nothing was okay. A tentative nod met the thanks. The blanket was set down, soft on her skin, and blue eyes kept a careful, guarded watch as the woman moved to sit on the couch beside her. Why was she siting so close? Did it give her some kind of strategic advantage? If she was a mutant, maybe her ability required close proximity, or physical-

She jerked away as the woman's hand rose once again, briefly rubbing her shoulder with the blanket. Don't. Her jaw remained clenched. You can speak, now. You could tell her. But instead, her breathing quickened, eyes darting to the woman's hands, searching for a sign of lash out, her face for anger, or signs of an ability activating. Once again, nothing. But she maintained her tensed posture. If Mantis looked close, she'd see a subtle webbing of turquoise energy weaved into the couch fabric. Her fingers had dipped into it subconsciously, as easily as if it were mud. She was gripping hold of the material, ready to yank a strip up if she had to.

Was she injured? Her collarbone burned, but it had healed a bit already, and was largely easier for her to brush aside compared to her hand. The pain in the centre of her left palm demanded part of her focus at every moment. Help.

"How?" She asked, skeptically.

The woman's eyes flickered to the tea in Mantis's hands. Her own first move in the kitchen had been to turn on the tap, sip from the flowing water and quench some of the dehydration that had gripped her over the previous days. And then she'd gone for the cereal.

She'd already shovelled back half the slice of pie when the woman nodded. At least the answer seemed to appease her for the time being.

This house wasn't hers. Oh. Hearing more about the people who's home she'd broken into, from whom she'd stolen food, left a pang of guilt in her stomach. Even if this woman was truly as kind as she appeared, what were the others like? Were they home? Her eyes flickered towards the hallway, half expecting one of them to come around the corner at any moment.

She bobbed her head. A blanket felt undeservingly kind, and unnecessary, but the soldier didn't argue. She simply placed the pie plate to the side, and waited for Mantis to move into the other room before making her own way to the wall. Her hands shakily pressed against it, and turquoise energy weaved into the surface, the hole shifting closed within seconds. Only an almost invisible seam remained as evidence. She returned to her pie, and finished it in a couple more bites. Part of her was tempted to go... But where? Besides, given the woman's supposed lack of anger towards her arrival, maybe she could push her luck and request use of the bathroom, to patch herself up.

[sadiebrin]

"It's hard to imagine." She agreed. The idea of anyone so much as speaking harshly to this little one set her on edge.

Wade was a dog person. Interestingly, despite having numerous animals, Oline and Derek didn't have a dog. She'd seen a couple in town, but one of the memories that stood out in her mind was, unfortunately, of Dale. It stood out, because it was bewildering. It stood out, because it was unexpected, given his nature. He'd treated a shepherd with warmth. A rarity.

"Why exclusively?" She asked, curious. Had he had negative experiences with other animals? Or was it just that he was so fond of dogs, he couldn't imagine feeling the same way about another species? She looked to the kitten, murmuring, "You hear that? He might become a cat person, just for you." With a teasing lilt in her tone.

Once they stepped into the pet shop, she was grateful for Wade addressing the staff member. Her own eyes wandered the shop, taking in any other customers she could note, potential exits, signs of security cameras- And then the kitten started wriggling, and she focused back in on the nugget tucked in her arms. They hadn't lost a kitten. This little one wasn't theirs.

Her brows furrowed with the kitten's mew of complaint, stomach clenching subconsciously, but she kept her safe and sound in her hands, and then tucked her close again after the woman confirmed she was a female. "Thanks." Sadie followed up with a little nod.

Was she in the market for a kitten?

A part of her was already attached. She already cared so much for this sweet little life that had come to them. She didn't like the idea of entrusting her to some random person... But, she was also travelling. She had a mission goal. And she hadn't anticipated having a tiny, and very vulnerable companion to look after in her search. She was too far from Ohio to just pop back to the farm to request Derek and Oline's care, either. "I'd love to, it's just... complicated." It wasn't entirely the financial aspect- she had some savings, but it was meant to be for getting by, to use in her search for Rockland. It would go faster with another mouth to feed. And that might be okay, but she couldn't be sure how long everything would take. The more she thought about it, the more obstacles came to mind. It didn't seem fair for her little friend.

"Are you?" She returned, though even as she asked, the idea of handing the kitten over left a pang in her chest. She shrugged as Wade offered to pay for the supplies. "We can tag team, if you'd like." Since they hadn't settled on a plan for the little one, it seemed to make the most sense for the time being.

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 woman's eyes flickered to the tea in Mantis's hands. Her own first move in the kitchen had been to turn on the tap, sip from the flowing water and quench some of the dehydration that had gripped her over the previous days. And then she'd gone for the cereal.

She'd already shovelled back half the slice of pie when the woman nodded. At least the answer seemed to appease her for the time being.

This house wasn't hers. Oh. Hearing more about the people who's home she'd broken into, from whom she'd stolen food, left a pang of guilt in her stomach. Even if this woman was truly as kind as she appeared, what were the others like? Were they home? Her eyes flickered towards the hallway, half expecting one of them to come around the corner at any moment.

She bobbed her head. A blanket felt undeservingly kind, and unnecessary, but the soldier didn't argue. She simply placed the pie plate to the side, and waited for Mantis to move into the other room before making her own way to the wall. Her hands shakily pressed against it, and turquoise energy weaved into the surface, the hole shifting closed within seconds. Only an almost invisible seam remained as evidence. She returned to her pie, and finished it in a couple more bites. Part of her was tempted to go... But where? Besides, given the woman's supposed lack of anger towards her arrival, maybe she could push her luck and request use of the bathroom, to patch herself up.

Her question seemed to spark a reaction in the other woman. Mantis could feel her fear waxing and waning (even from a distance), and she experienced a twinge of guilt. But she was trying to understand S and what she had gone through, not only because the woman had somehow managed to break into the house, but also because she was clearly in need of help.

She gave the other time to answer, hands gently taking the cup of tea that had been made before she encountered S, and she took a sip, eyes closing to focus solely on the taste of the drink. Perhaps she could make some for the woman afterwards, Mantis thought as she rested the cup on her lap, slender fingers still wrapped around it.

S seemed to be fond of the fruit pie, to Mantis' relief. The woman was exhausted and she needed to eat – actually eat – something other than cereal. The empath was happy to provide comfort, for the absence of it could do a lot of damage.

Her antennae twitched at the other's response, and Mantis nodded slowly. She could tell that much, and she assumed S simply did not remember the details. A warm, gentle smile appeared on her face when S offered to fix the hole in the wall.

"Could you? I would appreciate that, because this house isn't mine. My brother lives here with his grandfather and his step-grandmother." She lifted the cup of green tea to her lips and sipped it once again before placing it on the table. Mantis rose from her seat, hands clasped in front of her body. "I will get you a blanket while you do so, okay?" With that she left the room to search for one, leaving S alone with the fruit pie and the chance to escape if she wished.

[sadiebrin]

“You were crying in your sleep.” 

The statement catches her off guard. The soldier's muscles tense. Sleep has long since been fickle, but she's not used to others being around to witness her struggles, or at least not anyone who cares.

Early into the morning hours, she'd finally managed to doze off, but as Mantis pointed out, she was less than well rested.

"I just had a bad dream." She shrugs, cheeks rosy, eyes cast down towards her bowl of cereal. Her right hand pushes wheat squares about in the milk. Her tone isn't harsh, just inured and not eager to dwell. There's a vulnerability there, too. Discomfort. "Did you sleep well?"

[sadiebrin]

"... I see." That made sense. The carnival would likely loose it's charm if it settled in one place long term. It was a place, while enjoyable, she doubted most would attend on the daily, or even weekly.

She knew the judgement, and risk that could come with living differently. People could be rigid. Between her past, being a mutant, and even her living situation with Dustfinger, there wasn't much most would consider normal in her day to day life. "People can be quite fixated on their own way of doing things." She agreed.

The soldier observed some nearby games. Some people... fished for rubber ducks? Her attention jolted to another, as a loud bang resounded through the air. She watched a teen toss baseballs at a stack of what appeared to be milk jugs. He seemed to be struggling with both accuracy and power, though he had succeeded at knocking one down. "Are they rigged?" She nodded towards the game, curious.

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.

[sadiebrin]

Maybe it was less an allergy, and more of a restricted diet. Or some kind of anxiety, given how tense he seemed to get around the topic? "I see."

Not important. Yeah, he was hiding something. She was almost certain of it. The question was what? Anything she should be concerned about? Or was her earlier theory of him being a mutant correct, and he simply didn't feel comfortable discussing it? Not to mention they were in public. She stayed quiet, simply nodding her tentative understanding.

"He can use it against us all he'd like." Sadie murmured gently, hand coursing through the kitten's now only slightly damp fur, eyes cast down upon him. Bee. "Cute." She agreed, features flickering up to Wade with amusement. "Lilla Humlan, hm?" The soldier cooed, finger nuzzling the kitten's head.

She was grateful his truck wasn't too far. Her backpack wasn't entirely rain proof, and she'd rather her bread not get soggy in the showers. Settled in the vehicle, her hand rested on the kitten's back, keeping her steady, while her eyes scanned the environment, and flickered to the GPS with every turn, light, and sign. Spotting a traffic camera up ahead, she tucked her head down towards her chest in an attempt to hide her face, more or less, focusing on the kitten once more. They let out a tiny mew with the renewed scritches over their cheek. And then they were in front of the pet shop. What would they do if this wasn't where the kitten had originated? And what if it was? How did the darling get loose to begin with? Could the shop be trusted to look after them? Nerves swirled about in Sadie's stomach as she got out of the car. The kitten was cradled in her arms, a little wriggly, but she kept them safe and sound as they entered the shop.

The smell of pet food, and bedding wafted over her. A parrot dung a bell in a nearby enclosure. A pair of staff members stood at a counter, checking out customers, one of which was accompanied by a large mastiff.

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]

PROMPTS FOR COMFORTABLE INTIMACY *  adjust as necessary, send 'reverse' for the reversal of the prompt

[ settle ] sender sits on receiver's lap and gets comfortable

[ sling ] sender slings an arm around receiver's shoulder

[ pinch ] sender affectionately pinches receiver's cheek

[ ruffle ] sender ruffles receiver's hair

[ recline ] sender joins receiver on their chair and snuggles against them

[ hand ] sender takes receiver's hand while driving

[ knee ] sender lays a hand on receiver's leg while driving

[ clean ] sender reaches up to wipe something off receiver's face

[ tie ] sender adjusts receiver's tie

[ collar ] sender smooths out receiver's collar

[ tickle ] sender starts tickling receiver

[ piggyback ] sender gives receiver a piggyback ride

[ pick up ] sender scoops receiver up into their arms and holds them as they walk

[ guide ] sender places a hand on receiver's hip and guides them through a crowded room

[ smudge ] sender cleans lipstick off receiver's face

[ gun ] in the midst of a stand-off, sender reaches over and gently guides receiver's gun down, making them lower it

[ behind ] sender comes up to receiver from behind and wraps their arms around their waist

[ nuzzle ] sender leans in and nuzzles their face into receiver's neck

[ relax ] sender rests their head on receiver's shoulder while they talk

[ arms ] sender hooks their arm with receiver's as they walk

[ itch ] sender assists receiver with an itch they can't reach

[ catch ] receiver starts to fall, so sender reaches out and catches them

[ calm down ] sender pets receiver's hair and tries to soothe them after a scary situation

[ check ] sender checks receiver's temperature by placing the back of their hand against receiver's forehead, trying to see if they're sick

[ tuck ] sender tucks receiver into bed

[ feed ] sender offers a forkful of food out to receiver, helping them eat

[ undress ] sender helps receiver undress

[ shoes ] sender helps receiver put on their shoes

[ intent ] sender leans their forehead against receiver's

[ bathe ] sender helps receiver wash themselves in a bath

[ shower ] sender helps receiver wash themselves in a shower

[ assist ] sender finds receiver has fallen down, so they rush to their aid and help them stand again

[ bed ] sender helps receiver into bed

[ greet ] sender greets receiver with quick kisses to each of their cheeks

[ high five ] sender gives receiver a congratulatory high five

[ makeup ] sender helps receiver apply makeup

[ injury ] sender cleans receiver's wound and patches it up

[ seek ] sender reaches for receiver's hand and laces their fingers

[ surprise ] sender sneaks up behind receiver and places their hands over their eyes, wanting them to guess who it is

[ walk ] sender helps receiver walk by staying by their side and holding onto them

[sadiebrin]

Alright, the huff was some kind of confirmation at least.

After what felt like ages trekking across the grass, they finally arrived at the road. She could smell the pine of the forest ahead. Sadie's hand instinctually flew out in front of Dustfinger as a car approached. A glare reflected off of the windshield, but as it dissipated, her eyes locked on the people within... An adult and child. Not likely Hydra.

The car passed by with little hesitation. Another drew up in the distance. Should be fine. The soldier waved Dustfinger across and hurried alongside him.

Branches and leaves crackled beneath her feet, as the forest enveloped them. Home.

The sense of comfort that this place had brought was shaken, however. The evidence of what had transpired, both in she and Dustfinger's escape, and the fight after she returned, was scattered across the terrain. Occasional red smears on scuffed tree bark, on the soil imprinted with footprints, on crunched up leaves. She could see the makeshift wall she'd constructed in the distance. She could smooth it out later, she didn't have the energy for that yet.

Her legs felt heavy with exhaustion; she tripped over a root and barely caught herself before she fell. The brush looked far softer than she knew it to be. She needed a nap, although she doubted one would come easily with her adrenaline still wearing off, and her senses on high alert.

"Nearly there." She mumbled, half to her companion and half to herself. She could hear the stream, now. Where had Gwin run off to, in all of the chaos?

She was already scouting out the fastest way, as his question met her ears. The path before them was an obstacle course.

Soldat, you must find the most efficient way to complete your mission. No wasted time. Every second is an opportunity to succeed. If you fail, the consequences will be severe.

Mission: Protect him. Get home.

But explain, too. Don't just go. You can speak.

She spoke under her breath "There. Reasonable coverage, fairly straight forward. We can cross the street past the trees and dive back into the forest edge." With that, she set off. They didn't have time to waste. Besides, Hydra would've seen her send Dustfinger off in the direction of the hospital. Any witnesses to them leaving could give them intel if they came asking questions. Maybe she should've constructed a hood, and a hat, prior to them heading off. Something to mask their appearance, somewhat. Oh well.

They were out in the open, now. The soldier wanted to quicken her pace between trees, but stayed close to her companion. She knew Dustfinger was struggling, as much as he tried to hide it. She was used to having to push past pain. Her ear throbbed, the exhaustion bore down upon her with every step, but she'd have to sit with it later. But he was walking on a freshly wounded leg. She didn't want him to over exert himself. "Tell me if you need something." She found herself murmuring, though her eyes failed to connect with his, too busy keeping up a rapid assessment of their surroundings.

She didn't want him collapsing out of stubbornness. And she didn't want him scared to talk to her.

[sadiebrin]

She had no idea, the effect her words had on him. She'd simply meant she didn't want others to feel a need to dote upon her, not that he should feel stuck with her. Sadie could look after herself. As much as she enjoyed his company, she'd never want him to come with her if it meant sacrificing his own wellbeing.

He understood. There was no hesitation in his voice when it came to her need to see her boy. To ensure his safety.

As for how long she'd known? She looks down at the soil, at the sprouts growing. There's a slight pink to her cheeks, a distant fear of judgement; whether for withholding the knowledge for as long as she had, or for how long it had taken her to act on her search. There'd been an initial recovery period, and then research had taken time. She still wasn't certain where Rockland was, unfortunately. Her best guess stemmed from the missing posts she'd found online, regarding her disappearance. She'd been living in Ohio at the time, though she'd been captured in Colorado.

"Since I escaped." Her eyes flicker up to his, "Mike said his name... Rockland. He was what woke me up."

They were a good team. She'd grown to appreciate his company, and their mutual respect for one another. The idea of people being even much kinder towards her, however?

It was as though she was clinging to the rough stone of a mountainside, while he encouraged her to pry her fingers from the ledge and fall an unknowable distance into a pit of pillows. How was she supposed to tell him she felt more comfortable on the ledge? And besides that, the rock had imbedded itself into her skin. She'd become sharp and jagged and her fall could cause more damage than good. I'm not worth that. He had no idea how many people she'd hurt, she didn't- "I don't... want that."

Her family. She nodded, practically watching the cogs wheel about in his brain. She could see the hesitation in his features. The contemplation. It was a big ask, she knew that. She'd only wanted to outstretch the offer.

"It's alright if you don't want to. If you think you'll regret it, don't come. I just..." She swallowed, hesitated. "I have a son." Please. Please don't let me regret telling you. Sadie could already feel anxiety, dread, wringing at her stomach, and sprouting sweat over her hands. "And I have to make sure he's okay."

As much as she felt some semblance of peace at the life they'd been living together, Rockland had been on her thoughts every day since her escape. She'd needed time to recover, to get used to life again, but the longer she'd waited, the more she'd felt the need to go to him. She'd be content to have Dustfinger by her side, if he wanted to join in the journey, but it was something she needed to do either way.

[sadiebrin]

🫂 ♾️ ✨

🫂 - My character's response to someone assuming our characters are dating.

"... He's my companion."

♾️ - A random headcanon about our characters' relationship.

I don't know how much of it is a headcanon vs. just kind of pulling from little bits that we've sort of nodded at in various threads, but I like the idea that after a little while of adjusting to having one another around, they've sort of developed a way to largely intuitively understand one another through body language and expressions and such? Just like a sweet, vibing on the same wavelength kind of mutual sense of understanding.

Also kind of a similar vibe to their moment with the fireflies, but I like the concept of them stargazing sometimes at night, and maybe coming up with stories based on the shapes they see or something, from time to time?

Bonus: I like the idea that Sadie's gotten Gwin to warm up to her, at least as much as a cranky little lad like him is capable XD

✨ - One assumption my character has about your character.

I figure so far, given how little he's talked about his own past in our threads, Sadie kind of assumes Dustfinger worked in the travelling circus and has basically since lived out in the woods on his own from young adulthood? And probably that he might've had a bit of a rough upbringing, given how little he's spoken of his own family.

[sadiebrin]

They were a good team. She'd grown to appreciate his company, and their mutual respect for one another. The idea of people being even much kinder towards her, however?

It was as though she was clinging to the rough stone of a mountainside, while he encouraged her to pry her fingers from the ledge and fall an unknowable distance into a pit of pillows. How was she supposed to tell him she felt more comfortable on the ledge? And besides that, the rock had imbedded itself into her skin. She'd become sharp and jagged and her fall could cause more damage than good. I'm not worth that. He had no idea how many people she'd hurt, she didn't- "I don't... want that."

Her family. She nodded, practically watching the cogs wheel about in his brain. She could see the hesitation in his features. The contemplation. It was a big ask, she knew that. She'd only wanted to outstretch the offer.

"It's alright if you don't want to. If you think you'll regret it, don't come. I just..." She swallowed, hesitated. "I have a son." Please. Please don't let me regret telling you. Sadie could already feel anxiety, dread, wringing at her stomach, and sprouting sweat over her hands. "And I have to make sure he's okay."

As much as she felt some semblance of peace at the life they'd been living together, Rockland had been on her thoughts every day since her escape. She'd needed time to recover, to get used to life again, but the longer she'd waited, the more she'd felt the need to go to him. She'd be content to have Dustfinger by her side, if he wanted to join in the journey, but it was something she needed to do either way.

"You're not kind?" She called him out, tone warm. She may not have much experience socializing, but she did know that he'd respected her boundaries, he'd offered to share what little he had, he'd been forgiving of her mistakes and he'd been far gentler when tending to her wounds than she recalled any of the white coats at Hydra being. If that wasn't kindness, she didn't know what was.

Unless he had some secret plan he'd been harbouring this whole time, and he'd been manipulating her, which she sincerely doubted. "You speak like I deserve something amazing. I don't. This is better than I could've asked for." But maybe this was his gentle way of saying he didn't want her around any more. That he wanted her on her way. She couldn't fault him for that. She was the reason he'd gotten hurt.

Plenty of people would make your life better too.

Rockland.

A missing poster with a blurry photo, on the library computer. Her family. She needed to know whether they were okay. Would she make contact, if she found them? That she wasn't sure on. But there was a longing in her chest that she couldn't ignore. And it was her responsibility to make sure at least Rockland was alright, before she decided on what came next for her.

"I found a lead on-on my family... I've been thinking of heading towards Ohio." It showed how much she'd grown to trust him, that she was telling him this much. "Would you want to come with me?" There was his opening, if he wanted to take it. It was his choice.

[sadiebrin]

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[sadiebrin]

The soldier followed as Anya waved her inside. Her hands were pressed to the floor as she crawled beneath the glass panel, her eyes fixated on the doorway. Her eyes remained fixed on the doorway, even as she saw Anya in her peripheral vision. As she noted her moving towards the desk chair. What was the draw? A trap? Keys? A device left behind? No. The girl proceeded to sit in it. To spin. To make noise. Why? How could she be so reckless? She was supposed to be standing guard. Keeping watch. Strategizing. Instead? She was becoming intentionally vulnerable. Reckless.

The soldier got to her feet, palms moving to rest on the desk top. Listening carefully for any sign of movement, she turned a brief, stern look toward her partner just in time for her to leap up from the chair as if stung. She said nothing of the behaviour; Anya was clearly well aware that it was a mistake, and silence could be just as telling as words.

No more wasting time, they had to go. Anya's distraction would only last so long. With that, she made her way to the doorway, peeking out with one hand pressed to the wall. One person. A security guard, most likely. Lucky for him, he was in the distance, and walking in the opposite direction. If they both played their cards right, he might be able to get out of this alive... The soldier raised one finger from behind the wall, to alert Anya, and then outstretched her arm in his direction, to represent his approximate location. Their target was upstairs, based on their intel, and the staircase was placed before him in their path. The other direction appeared clear.

They'd have to be quiet, or this could get messy.

It took a moment, but the girl seemed to recognize the problem. Her eyes drift to her hands. The soldier had been briefed on her ability, and she had little doubt the other was strategizing it's uses in these circumstances. That's what she was doing; considering the thickness of the walls, various strategies she could use to take the person down from their current position. The main problem was noise, and not having a specific headcount inside the building. One person could quickly become several, and that meant more variables. More violence that could yet be avoided.

A finger rose into the air, and the girl disappeared around a corner a moment later. The soldier waited, keeping tabs on all she could. And then a flash of red hair veered back around the corner. A raise of Second's brows, questioning. More fingers. A countdown. A call.

The soldier nodded, and watched as at first the person slumped back in their chair, apparently inconvenienced. For a moment she thought they might brush off the call for assistance, too busy on the phone. More people were confirmed inside as they rushed past the office door. Finally the occupant hung up their call and sauntered out. Good. Once the building seemed to have grown quiet, Second pressed her hands to the window and turquoise energy seeped into the glass, allowing it to roll back like parchment. The gap was big enough for them to crawl through, while still being relatively subtle to the average passerby.

She moved her head towards the window, gesturing for the girl to go in first. She could keep guard while she did so.

[sadiebrin]

She was already scouting out the fastest way, as his question met her ears. The path before them was an obstacle course.

Soldat, you must find the most efficient way to complete your mission. No wasted time. Every second is an opportunity to succeed. If you fail, the consequences will be severe.

Mission: Protect him. Get home.

But explain, too. Don't just go. You can speak.

She spoke under her breath "There. Reasonable coverage, fairly straight forward. We can cross the street past the trees and dive back into the forest edge." With that, she set off. They didn't have time to waste. Besides, Hydra would've seen her send Dustfinger off in the direction of the hospital. Any witnesses to them leaving could give them intel if they came asking questions. Maybe she should've constructed a hood, and a hat, prior to them heading off. Something to mask their appearance, somewhat. Oh well.

They were out in the open, now. The soldier wanted to quicken her pace between trees, but stayed close to her companion. She knew Dustfinger was struggling, as much as he tried to hide it. She was used to having to push past pain. Her ear throbbed, the exhaustion bore down upon her with every step, but she'd have to sit with it later. But he was walking on a freshly wounded leg. She didn't want him to over exert himself. "Tell me if you need something." She found herself murmuring, though her eyes failed to connect with his, too busy keeping up a rapid assessment of their surroundings.

She didn't want him collapsing out of stubbornness. And she didn't want him scared to talk to her.

No hand needed, then. Did he feel he was holding onto pride, by pressing ahead without assistance? Maybe he was testing his limits. Maybe there was another reason, outside of thinking her a monster for her ability, or resentment, for what had happened, earlier that day. She couldn't fault him for the latter.

Besides, he didn't know... pretty much anything about her ability, thanks to her, and her secrecy. For all he knew, maybe she could manipulate people as well as objects, maybe he was scared.

She'd explain, once they were out. Once they were more settled. She'd invite questions, as much as she was wary of them. For now? She had to focus. The soldier closed up the gap in the wall, and was quick to catch up with Dustfinger, to walk beside him. With every step, she searched their environment. Her ear was slightly muffled with bandages. Between that and her exhaustion, it made her feel more vulnerable.

"Keep an eye out, if you can? Anyone who seems suspicious, alert me immediately, yes?" It was growing dusk, at least, soon they'd have a blanket of darkness on their side. Of course, that brought it's own challenges when it came to travelling.

[sadiebrin]

That was an invite. An invite, not an order. A part of her felt confident about that, and yet another part of her gripped hold of the trace of doubt. She stood, posed for the follow up. For the demand. If she didn't sit, would this woman become angry with her? Was this a trap?

You need to rest at some point. She was already shaky with exhaustion. She'd lost track of how long she'd walked for, run for, but it had been days. Almost non-stop, outside of collapsing, and her body fighting off the effects of the meds they'd had her on. But that flared her nerves, too. She wasn't on her a-game. She was vulnerable.

Still, she only held off a moment before finding her legs trudging forward. She kept the woman in the corner of her eyes with every step. And then she perched on the edge of the couch, plate coming to rest on her lap.

She didn't hesitate to shovel the pie into her mouth. She was bringing a third spoonful to her mouth by the time she began considering the flavour. The cereal had been nice, but this was delicious. Far better than the few meals she could actually remember eating under Hydra's thumb.

Her eyes routinely flickered up to the woman- Mantis, right. Mantis. While she ate. Her features looked... sad? Concerned. Understandable, given that she'd come across a cereal thief in her home. The title was almost laughable, given her status. Mantis had far more concerns with the soldier's presence alone, between the unpredictability of her own mind, and Hydra's likely search for her.

Do you think you could tell me-

Why you broke into my home?

That was the follow up she expected. Not what followed.

About what happened to you?

What a broad question.

Frigid breaths crackled out into the air as the glass tube lifted. Arms yanked over armoured shoulders, everything hurt. Her muscles ached. Her eyes burned. There was time in the cell; Heavy gauntlets removed for a breakfast of mush and meds, and locked back in place upon finishing. Granola bar breath in the van. And then there was the mission. Warm brown eyes behind glasses. Her old friend. A mouth forming her name. Her name...

And then Rockland's ignited the fire in her chest. They'd fought their way out. He'd wanted her to go with him, and his partner, but... They were with Shield. She knew Hydra had whittled it's way into their ranks in the past, and she was terrified. So she'd run.

Before that day? Things were even more of a blur. There were fragments... But she didn't want to talk about them.

What was she comfortable telling this stranger? Part of her just wanted to shake her head. Mantis could have connections to Hydra for all she knew. Or maybe she was trying to figure out whether to report her... But she doubted silence would help matters. Neither would simply saying she got into a fight.

She stuffed another spoonful of pie into her mouth, to stall, and finally decided on starting with,

"I got out of a... a bad situation." There. Vague, but honest. A slight draft wafted in, and her eyes landed on the hole in the wall. She might not be able to return the cereal she took, but, "I can fix that. I'm sorry."

Mantis was not afraid of the woman, not really. If she wanted to steal something, she would've gone for more valuable items and not a box of cereal. However, Mantis didn't relax either – her expression betraying a faint hint of confusion and concern, though not enough to neutralize her welcoming disposition.

She ushered S to the living room, forgoing her cup of green tea for now. It was hot, it could wait. Mantis settled on one of the seats, away from the couch in order to give S the space she needed. The woman appeared to hesitate, and Mantis gestured lightly with a hand.

"Sit down, please." Her voice was still gentle and soothing. As much as she wanted to wrap a blanket around the other and inspect her injured hand, she waited. S did not trust her. In fact, she appeared to trust no one.

Her hands wrung on her lap and she waited for S to take a few bites before speaking again.

"S... Do you think you could tell me about what happened to you?"

[sadiebrin]

It was hard to tell whether he was talking about real cookies or symbolic cookies, now. Regardless, the topic soon turned to raisin goodies. "They might... Maybe I'll order something for later." Given her grocery venture had gone awry, she would need more to eat later. Raisin bread could last alright in her bag, at least, and if it came as an entire loaf, it could last a little while, too. Chocolate was quite nice. Wait- one of the things he missed? A flicker of empathy traced her features. "No chocolate, either?"

A shrug met the dismissal of his past fashion choices, "Wear whatever you like." She encouraged, nodding as he clung to his leather jacket. "They can be quite comfortable." From an objective standpoint.

Not anymore? That was an interesting choice of words... The soldier's brows furrowed, eyes searching for his, instinctively. There was an element of concern behind them, silently asking what he meant by that. Her mind drifted in a myriad of directions, but one theory she kept to herself for the time being was a mutation. Had his aging halted, somehow? Or slowed drastically? Ice. Tight muscles woken in harsh jolts. Her body heavy and hardly responsive, like trudging through snow up to her waist. And then deep, uncontrollable shivers.

A bounty hunter. Leather jackets. No- that was probably irrelevant. Stop. It could just be a mutation, or something else of concern, or even a slip of the tongue. Still, her expression showed an interest in elaboration, if he was comfortable, but didn't push if not. It wasn't as though she were particularly overt about her own mutation among strangers, most of the time.

She felt the tiny pads of the kitten's paws on her leg. Sharp little nails piercing through her pants, not in an act of aggression, but contentment. And then they snuggled in. She was honoured to have gained the little one's trust. "So adorable." She agreed, softly. A snort met the name suggestion, "Buzzy Bumblebee?" Came her counter, not entirely realizing that he'd been joking. Bumble could be a cute variation. "Stormy is sweet, too." And certainly fitting.

Once they'd finished up with their snacks, she passed the kitten back to Wade as subtly as she could to hide beneath his jacket while she went to check out their selection of loaves behind the counter. They did have some raisin bread, so she ordered a loaf and tucked it away into her backpack before paying for her food.

Back in the rain she followed Wade to his truck, walking close to the building walls as long as she could, and hesitating only for a moment outside of the vehicle before sliding into the passenger seat. Her eyes scanned the back section, subtly. She already had multiple escape routes in mind if need be. She could blow the door off of it's hinges, or rip the steering wheel out of place if she had to. Her hands were free, and had easy access to the front dash. Of course, she had the kitten to account for as well, now. But she'd protected beings before, and they were in her lap, for easy shielding. She could even make a quick pouch out of the bottom of her shirt if she had to.

Being able to see the route was certainly appreciated, as was the confirmation that she was still up for it. "Sure." It was a quick pitstop, and she was staying the night in town, anyways.

I'm sorry my bebis, a little longer. I'm on my way to you.

She rubbed the kitten's back, distantly, a soft smile tracing her lips with the enthusiastic mew.

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]

Grab a marker and write something on my muse! (Anywhere on their body)