[open thread] la la la la london.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

Characters: Laura, you.
Setting: The hotel lobby in London.
Content: People run into Laura? Thread-jacking okay.
Status: Open and incomplete.


[Laura is sitting quietly in the hotel lobby, looking through a travel guide pamphlet placed on one of the tables nearby. She might be waiting for someone. Or maybe she's just reading up on what there is to see besides the major landmarks she already knows.]

Comments

I. LOVE. THEM. Smooth moves, Joshie!

[never-too-cold.livejournal.com]

[Josh finally says "Got it!" Bobby takes his sweet time moving away from Laura. He turns around and looks out over London.]

Hey Laura, there's the National Gallery. We still going to explore it?

OH JOSH WHAT A MATCHMAKER :P

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[Laura calculates the time it times him to step away. Five-point-six seconds, approximately. At his question, she looks blankly from the tiny museum to Josh. She knows she had came with him today to thank him for what he did for her, what he did to Kimura. But she feels a pull towards Bobby's suggestion all the same. She can steal a moment with Josh at some point, she's sure.]

Yes. I would like that.

[never-too-cold.livejournal.com]

[He smiles at her.] Cool.

[Now he turns to Josh, who's still snapping photos of the view.]

Hey Josh, Laura and I were thinking of going to the National Gallery at some point. You wanna join us?

[Stupid, stupid Bobby.]

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, Bobby. There is no one stupider than you. Laura feels the disappointment of not going with just Bobby immediately, that he would invite Josh at all, like something heavy is in her gut. Still, she merely blinks in Josh's direction, waits for his response.

There is no reason to be disappointed.]

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

Nah, what is that, just art? Not really my thing. You guys go ahead. I'll go find something else to look at.

[never-too-cold.livejournal.com]

[If Josh feels like a third wheel, then Bobby isn't even aware that he is a wheel. But that's just because he's ignoring the way his pulse quickened slightly when Laura's arm slid around his waist. The three of them go back to admiring the view as they are slowly returned to ground level.]

It would be so awesome to build a miniature of this city on the fountain back home.

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

Use my pictures and make one.



Well, I'm... going to go find some more touristy things to do. You guys have fun!

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[Laura blinks a few times at Josh as Bobby tells him their goodbyes, at the last second her hand shooting out to curl a firm, vice-like grip on his forearm. She feels the urgency to thank him now, for some reason she cannot fully understand. Perhaps it's been long enough, but she feels unease about letting him leave without it.

She looks over to Bobby, not really meeting his eyes for long, her voice measured and quiet.]

I need to talk to Josh.

[Then she starts walking, taking Josh with her enough paces away so that Bobby does not overhear.]

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

Uh-oh. Did I do something? Am I in trouble?

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

No. [She stops, her head bowed slightly as she looks up at him. Her features are blank besides a faint emotion, some softness to them.]

Thank you. You killed Kimura.

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh, right... that.

You... think there might be any consequences for that? Like, legally, I mean? Am I going to jail?

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

No. The Facility operates in secret. [She breaks off his gaze now, looks slightly off the the side, her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets.] They have many bases, many agents. Kimura was one. But she was my handler. Without her, reacquiring me will be difficult, if they choose to try again. [She leaves out the important part--that Kimura all but tortured her, abused her as much if not more than Rice did. Josh has done more than made the Facility's life difficult. He's given Laura some peace of mind, however small. She is unsure how to communicate that, so she doesn't.]

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

Oh.



Sorry. I mean, so not about me, right? Heh. This is... it must be a tough topic for you.



I just thought it was the only way.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[At this, Laura's penetrating stare rises back to him.]

You were correct. You are correct. You were right to kill her. She deserved to die.

[She says this with absolute certainty, with as much of a passion as Laura can.]

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

I wasn't really think about who deserves what. I just was thinking about protecting my teammates. And you're my teammate.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[She nods, looking down to his chest for a moment. He doesn't understand about wanting someone to die. Knowing the world would be better off without them. Or she doesn't think he does.]

You are my teammate.

[She says this and looks back up to him, her features setting firmly.]

Teammates protect each other. I will do what I can to protect you, Josh.

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

And me, you. But you knew that already.

And... and, just because I was thinking about it this time - nothing personal between me and Kimura, you know - doesn't mean I haven't thought of that before. I know it's two completely different situations, but I've felt that before. Just... that sure, set way that you said 'She deserved to die'? I've been there.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[It's hard to surprise Laura, and to be clear, she's not necessarily surprised--just interested. Curious. It's one of those moments she feels emotionally vulnerable, and it takes her a moment to respond--through his friendly, comforting gesture, his reassuring words.]

You have killed before. You... took comfort in killing. You wanted it done.

[She says the words, half-factually, half-questioningly. She's trying to understand. Hoping he understands her. So few people do.]

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

An act of revenge, Laura. He'd killed my girlfriend, right in front of me. She was alive one second, dead the next, too fast for my powers to be any use at all. I sometimes wonder if... I'd do it again given the chance. I think my answer depends on the day.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[Laura's eyes want to stray to Bobby a distance away, but they don't. She keeps them fixed on the emotions running across Josh's face--the anger, the helplessness. She thinks about Rice and leaving him to die. She thinks about all the people she slaughtered on the way out of the Facility. Of her pimp.

She decides they do. They understand each other. Someone who is not Logan, someone who is her own age, understands.]

You were right to kill him. Someone like that doesn't feel remorse for their actions. They do not understand what is right and what is wrong.

[It takes her a moment to express this. The idea is foreign to her, the 'we' part.] ...we understand.

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

I have an idea. You just forget about that for today and go have fun with Bobby, okay? I'm going to pick up our picture before I forget...



I'll get you guys copies.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[The hug is another surprise, a real one this time. She doesn't stiffen at it, but it confuses her, like all physical gestures do. After a moment, one of her arms lifts up to rest on his back, and she steps back when he does.

She's not smiling, but there is relief in her eyes. She is, if anything, content.]

Okay. [pause] Thank you, Josh. We are... friends?

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

Of course!

But... just friends, is what you'll tell Bobby, right?

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[Laura's expression... is wiped to its usual clean, guarded slate. Besides the slight furrowing of her brow, the way she perked just barely at Bobby's name. Her reaction would be so subtle most people wouldn't pick up on it, but apparently Josh can.]

I don't understand. Do you want to be more than friends?

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

N-no, no, that's not what I meant. I mean, we are just friends. Right? Meaning... you and I are both... completely free to be more than friends with others.