shatterverse | (no subject)

Emil's feeling rather chipper.

There are up sides and down sides to being a supersoldier, and one of the up sides happens to be ridiculously fast recovery.

Roughly twenty-four hours ago, he had the large majority of the bones in his body broken.

Right now?

He's practically in mint condition.

And so, he's standing to the side of the entrance of the cave, leaning against the wall, hands tucked in his pockets.

It was once a very fine (if grimy) staircase leading down into a subway station.

Now it is sufficiently covered in rubble that climbing down requires a great deal of care and attention, if you are normal.

But these two aren't normal.

When she spots Emil she scrambles neatly down the wall and lands on her feet in front of him, offering an inquiring smile.

"On your feet already? That was quick."

Her tone is light with amused approval.

The smile now on his face is a wryer version of hers.

He glances up at the sky before looking back at her; it's nice to be out.

"Surprised?"

"Envious. I have fast recovery, but not that fast."

How and why is she talking shop with someone in a damn uniform?

Skip it. New world, new rules.

To tell the truth, Emil is actually rather surprised. He hadn't expected his metabolism to change this much, even with the serum.

"How's it look out there?"

"Slow day."

Easy shrug.

"It'll probably pick up tomorrow."

Emil looks back out at the city.

"Take me with you?"

It's said much less pathetically than it reads.

Comfortably: "You got it."

Following a satisfied of a smirk and a sigh, he takes a couple of steps back down the stairs.

He's too prideful to say thank you. Now, at least.

She follows him in; it's where she was headed, after all.

Silence is pleasant enough for her. She doesn't break it.

It's not so much that he enjoys silence as that he doesn't speak when he doesn't have to. Succinctness is a good thing.

And as they say, silence is golden.

...these two really are the perfect pair, aren't they.

Can't deny it.

Oddly enough.

Hey, if it works, it works.

If it were anyone else, we have little to no doubt that he would have shot them as soon as he'd regained control over his hand muscles.

DMG-A is glad he didn't! She quite likes him, and would hate to get shot so ignobly by such a... all right, we can't type 'nice fellow' with a straight face here, can we.

We would like to see you try.

But the liking is mutual, which is what counts.

:D.

♥

Tiwa really doesn't like the triffids and there are so many fighters around so she's spending most of her time in bird form.

So a little bird watching DMG-A, trying to figure out what she might do.

If she's going to be here, she's going to work. Devise a strategy, get some goals, make a plan.

...ha, yeah right.

But for right now, Rachel can pretend like she knows (or cares) how to do all that. Up above the lush green of the Triffids, a bald eagle is soaring, taking note of the spread and watching the plants below for any sign of weakness, any animals that go unnoticed.

...any humans that climb buildings and head for tunnels.

Huh.

DMG-A doesn't notice the bird.

Why would she?

People tend not to look up. Even supersoldiers.

She takes an easy grip on a windowsill with one hand and one foot, pauses to scan the street, and drops ten feet to the ground without taking apparent damage.

...iiiiiiinteresting.

Rachel lets her mind creep in a little over the eagle instincts. This person isn't watching, probably isn't a Yeerk. It's a chance she isn't willing to take.

Probably isn't definitely, a voice in her memory informs her.

Shut up, Marco, she immediately replies, tipping her wings to circle back toward DMG-A.

DMG-A walks down the street with her hands in her pockets and her feet in bizarre makeshift sock-glove-shoes, paying the sky no apparent attention.

Her tunnel is just around the corner. With nobody watching, she nevertheless keeps to one of her many stock feminine smiles for an expression of her attitude towards homecoming. Force of habit dictates that you never, ever drop your guard.

Smart. Very smart.

Rachel circles around again, curious. Lucy said everybody was living underground and she'll believe that this woman lives there, too - and she wants to see how she gets in and out.

Subway entrance.

Ruined all to shit.

She picks her way through the rubble with effortless grace and disappears inside.

...this calls for improvisation.

Sweet!

Swirling down to a landing, Rachel demorphs quickly, looking around. Only Triffids - nobody to watch. Which is good in a humanitarian way, not just a secrecy way.

No one should have to watch her go roach. Hell, Rachel shouldn't have to hear herself go roach. But if she's going in somewhere new and possibly dangerous, it's nice to have a morph that's basically impossible to kill.

What DMG-A does is fairly simple. Emil has vacated her bed, so she trots to the correct tunnel, finds it (a mattress on a slab of concrete) and flops down.

Boring, we know. Hey, patrol is tiring!

And boring, apparently! Just like crawling along a wall to watch a shadowy blob of human wander through hallways was boring to Rachel!

As soon as it's clear DMG-A isn't moving, Rachel moves on, skittering down the wall and deeper into the tunnels. She's got time - she can do some more exploring.

She's got company!

"Mud?" That is, if she does not mind company. Company can go away if company is not wanted. Company is OK with that. It is polite company.

"...hello to you too," she says, amused.

Yaaaaay she's being nice!

"Kip mud," it replies cheerily. In a scary place, friends are always good.

"If you say so."

DMG-A drops the last few feet to the ground and holds out a hand in greeting.

She is not immune to the cute, apparently.

"Mudkip!" It waves a... paw? Foot? Whatever. "Kip kip, mudkip?"

"I'm doin' all right," she guesses. "How're you, little guy? Mudkip, apparently?"

:D "Mudkip. Kip kip, mud kipmud kip," it explains. This place is scary, but seems sort of safer. Maybe. Hopefully. It's kind of worried about Laura, but she does seem stronger than it.

(Not that most of this is coming through a conversation of two syllables.)

Enough goes for the tone that she nods, having experience in this sort of conversation with Kern.

"Glad to hear it, kiddo."

"Mudkip kip." Yup.

Yeah, it's totally bonding with the local badasses. :D

Awesome.

Does it want headpets? 'Cause she's crouching down to get on its level and holding out her hand. :D

OH BOY HEADPETS THIS IS THE BEST!

That is, yes, pls.

"Kip!"

It can has headpets then!

Extra-long-fingered ones.

Hey, for all it knows, some humans just have extra finger joints or something. Or she's an evolved form. Either way!

Mudkip is a bit slimy, in the way that amphibians are. It is also happy.

DMG-A does not mind slimy!

She thinks Mudkip is adorable as hell.

So, I h-

nevermind.

...

:P