[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

[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.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

Yes. [She answers without hesitation. But if Laura could blush, she might be blushing. But Laura doesn't blush.] I do not like you as more than a friend. [She says this factually and not in a way to offend, but she's also perfectly blunt, because that's her way.] You... are implying Bobby and I are not just friends?

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

Nope. Not at all. But... you guys go have fun at the art museum or whatever the heck that is. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[Luckily for Josh, they are friends, and saying strange, confusing things does not give Laura a prerogative to slice him open. That or she's too baffled.]

Bobby and I are just friends.

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

I know.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[Laura stares. She's good at staring when she doesn't know what to say. But she knows something else now. Oh, she does know what's going on.

Then, because she can, a 'snikt sounds, one of her claws extending to the ground between them.]

If there's something in your eye, I can get it out.

[golden-elixir.livejournal.com]

Really? Because I think maybe we should save the impromptu surgeries for when we're not in public.

You guys want to meet for dinner after the museum? We could split up and hook back up again.

[trainedweapon.livejournal.com]

[Her eyes narrow slightly, and she retracts her claw with a 'slikt.]

Yes. That will be fine.

OOC

[never-too-cold.livejournal.com]

GUYS. GUYS. I just had to tell you that I've been following this thread at work and it took SO MUCH EFFORT not to snort/giggle/squee out loud. SERIOUSLY. YOU GUYS. YOU'RE AMAZING. XD

P.S. opening up the musem thread in a new comment because THIS THREAD IS SO LONG ALREADYYYY

Re: OOC

[sleepall-day.livejournal.com]

AWWW! I'm so glad you're here now!! :D Or... well.. sort of, hahah. I don't see you online. But anyway.