![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
It's really bloody hot in my house.
... Which apparently triggers my brain to write fic for Warmakers (![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-userinfo.gif)
irishninja's game). Who knew.
Takes place during Episode 9, "Trained to Kill," wherein our heroes are interrupted on their train ride to Moscow on their way to continue their holy quest. My character, Sae, is usually very reticent during game sessions. So I made her talk a lot.
Compromises
Sae sighs a little, quietly, to herself when the train lurches to a stop. The other members of Team Alpha are tense, waiting; having identified the mysterious lights and noises as the signs of approaching helicopters, they all know that trouble is on the way. They’re definitely not going to reach Moscow on time, if it all.
She can’t deny the touch of excitement, though, the frisson that ripples through her as she pulls her bag down from the luggage compartment and checks her weapons - her UNARMED-issued short sword as well as her latest acquisition, the scimitar from Germany. They make her feel efficient, capable - and if "efficient" is an odd word for a fifteen year-old to use in conjunction with killing implements, well, her priorities have shifted since she was a normal student. Now the most important things on her mind aren't about exams and studying, but protecting Reika and herself. Efficiency is efficiency, no matter what the goal.
The other passengers let Team Alpha and their escorts leave the train without interfering, any potential protests or questions held back by the group's unspoken purposefulness. Sae enjoys this, too, the freedom they gain as other passengers silently let them pass and exit the train. Hours of enforced confinement leave her restless; unable to do anything towards her goal - getting Reika and herself safe, once and for all - she has nothing left to do but mull over her own worries. At least now there will be tangible obstacles to overcome.
And maybe some people to hit in the face.
Once outside, they split up - Miya goes to find a helicopter to create a diversion, while Gunnar goes to back her up, leaving Sae with the rest of the group as they try to hide in the underbrush. This means that she can return to being Reika's only protector, she thinks, relieved. Even if just for a little while. At the same time, she's worried - sometimes they can really use Gunnar's freakish strength, whether Sae likes to admit it or not. She looks at Gunnar, relief and worry grating against each other unpleasantly, and feels annoyed.
Gunnar blinks at her in confusion. Sae realizes she's glaring at him, and looks away, feeling a warm rush of embarassment. Why do their interactions always seem to end with her pissed off and him confused?
Task at hand, she reminds herself, as the group slinks into the darkness. There isn't much chance that they'll actually be able to sneak past the soldiers pouring from the helicopters, but they might as well try. And that means focusing. There is no need to be thinking about Gunnar right now, he doesn't matter - well, of course he does matter, since he's an inhumanly strong fighter and has saved their lives - Reika's, many times -
- not that Sae can't take care of Reika herself, but she does appreciate the assistance. And the sparring, which helps her become stronger and better able to face the threats to her sister - it's nice of Gunnar to do that, and she likes it -
- the sparring, of course, nothing else that she does with Gunnar - not talking, since they seem so bad at it, and certainly not "that," or whatever crazy talk Reika made in the hostel. She will not be doing "that" with Gunnar, or anything else for that matter -
- well, except for the sparring - but not anything else, with him or anybody, and Gunnar will not be doing anything with anyone, in fact no one will be doing anything with anybody, and she plans to tell her sister that -
Task at hand! her mind screams, and she wrenches her focus back to the battle before them. The soldiers are shouting, waving their guns at Team Alpha; but Nariko and Kyoko have already thrown spells at them to keep them at bay. Reika, too - Sae notices Reika's fingers waving in tandem with ghostly lights dancing in the distance, confusing the soldiers - of course she would come up with something like that, clever girl that she is.
Which leaves Sae free to take on the soldiers coming from their other side. Miya joins her quickly, abandoning the helicopter she had hijacked, and so does Gunnar - and, well, that's okay. Sae is moving, striking and weaving and - falling into shadow to disappear from her enemies' eyes, that's the best way she can describe it. Which means taking down the people who pose the most immediate threat to her and her sister - and that's about as close to happy as Sae gets, these days.
Unfortunately, the soldiers are bright enough to start targeting Team Alpha's Vatican escorts, who are much more vulnerable than the teenagers. Sae grits her teeth, seething at the soldiers for being such cowards, but holds her ground, unwilling to give up her advantageous position -
- until she thinks that Reika would be very unhappy if the nuns were killed, and moves. Positioning herself in front of one of the bleeding nuns, she waits. It makes her restless and frustrated to not move, but she waits.
Reika steps in front of her, and an angry protest rises to her lips before Sae realizes that Reika can't see her. She's still in shadow. They really need to figure out a way to coordinate their movements better, she thinks. Maybe hand signals or something. Assuming they survive long enough to even consider this problem.
They do, of course. The battle ends like their battles always seem to do - lots of bodies, Gunnar covered in blood, and the rest of Team Alpha banged up but alive. And, of course, fleeing the scene.
Their immediate future looks to consist of running from people who want to kill them, and figure out how the hell to get to Moscow on foot.
Another perfectly good plan shot to hell, again. Sae feels the urge to hit more things - then sighs, shoulders slumping. There's work to do - shelter to be found, food to be foraged. They'll get by, like they always do.
It's good enough.
... Which apparently triggers my brain to write fic for Warmakers (
irishninja's game). Who knew.Takes place during Episode 9, "Trained to Kill," wherein our heroes are interrupted on their train ride to Moscow on their way to continue their holy quest. My character, Sae, is usually very reticent during game sessions. So I made her talk a lot.
Compromises
Sae sighs a little, quietly, to herself when the train lurches to a stop. The other members of Team Alpha are tense, waiting; having identified the mysterious lights and noises as the signs of approaching helicopters, they all know that trouble is on the way. They’re definitely not going to reach Moscow on time, if it all.
She can’t deny the touch of excitement, though, the frisson that ripples through her as she pulls her bag down from the luggage compartment and checks her weapons - her UNARMED-issued short sword as well as her latest acquisition, the scimitar from Germany. They make her feel efficient, capable - and if "efficient" is an odd word for a fifteen year-old to use in conjunction with killing implements, well, her priorities have shifted since she was a normal student. Now the most important things on her mind aren't about exams and studying, but protecting Reika and herself. Efficiency is efficiency, no matter what the goal.
The other passengers let Team Alpha and their escorts leave the train without interfering, any potential protests or questions held back by the group's unspoken purposefulness. Sae enjoys this, too, the freedom they gain as other passengers silently let them pass and exit the train. Hours of enforced confinement leave her restless; unable to do anything towards her goal - getting Reika and herself safe, once and for all - she has nothing left to do but mull over her own worries. At least now there will be tangible obstacles to overcome.
And maybe some people to hit in the face.
Once outside, they split up - Miya goes to find a helicopter to create a diversion, while Gunnar goes to back her up, leaving Sae with the rest of the group as they try to hide in the underbrush. This means that she can return to being Reika's only protector, she thinks, relieved. Even if just for a little while. At the same time, she's worried - sometimes they can really use Gunnar's freakish strength, whether Sae likes to admit it or not. She looks at Gunnar, relief and worry grating against each other unpleasantly, and feels annoyed.
Gunnar blinks at her in confusion. Sae realizes she's glaring at him, and looks away, feeling a warm rush of embarassment. Why do their interactions always seem to end with her pissed off and him confused?
Task at hand, she reminds herself, as the group slinks into the darkness. There isn't much chance that they'll actually be able to sneak past the soldiers pouring from the helicopters, but they might as well try. And that means focusing. There is no need to be thinking about Gunnar right now, he doesn't matter - well, of course he does matter, since he's an inhumanly strong fighter and has saved their lives - Reika's, many times -
- not that Sae can't take care of Reika herself, but she does appreciate the assistance. And the sparring, which helps her become stronger and better able to face the threats to her sister - it's nice of Gunnar to do that, and she likes it -
- the sparring, of course, nothing else that she does with Gunnar - not talking, since they seem so bad at it, and certainly not "that," or whatever crazy talk Reika made in the hostel. She will not be doing "that" with Gunnar, or anything else for that matter -
- well, except for the sparring - but not anything else, with him or anybody, and Gunnar will not be doing anything with anyone, in fact no one will be doing anything with anybody, and she plans to tell her sister that -
Task at hand! her mind screams, and she wrenches her focus back to the battle before them. The soldiers are shouting, waving their guns at Team Alpha; but Nariko and Kyoko have already thrown spells at them to keep them at bay. Reika, too - Sae notices Reika's fingers waving in tandem with ghostly lights dancing in the distance, confusing the soldiers - of course she would come up with something like that, clever girl that she is.
Which leaves Sae free to take on the soldiers coming from their other side. Miya joins her quickly, abandoning the helicopter she had hijacked, and so does Gunnar - and, well, that's okay. Sae is moving, striking and weaving and - falling into shadow to disappear from her enemies' eyes, that's the best way she can describe it. Which means taking down the people who pose the most immediate threat to her and her sister - and that's about as close to happy as Sae gets, these days.
Unfortunately, the soldiers are bright enough to start targeting Team Alpha's Vatican escorts, who are much more vulnerable than the teenagers. Sae grits her teeth, seething at the soldiers for being such cowards, but holds her ground, unwilling to give up her advantageous position -
- until she thinks that Reika would be very unhappy if the nuns were killed, and moves. Positioning herself in front of one of the bleeding nuns, she waits. It makes her restless and frustrated to not move, but she waits.
Reika steps in front of her, and an angry protest rises to her lips before Sae realizes that Reika can't see her. She's still in shadow. They really need to figure out a way to coordinate their movements better, she thinks. Maybe hand signals or something. Assuming they survive long enough to even consider this problem.
They do, of course. The battle ends like their battles always seem to do - lots of bodies, Gunnar covered in blood, and the rest of Team Alpha banged up but alive. And, of course, fleeing the scene.
Their immediate future looks to consist of running from people who want to kill them, and figure out how the hell to get to Moscow on foot.
Another perfectly good plan shot to hell, again. Sae feels the urge to hit more things - then sighs, shoulders slumping. There's work to do - shelter to be found, food to be foraged. They'll get by, like they always do.
It's good enough.