first sortie.

[unbr8kable]

[Six hours previous, everything had been so much simpler. The Eta cohort had made it to live combat training, out in one of the few areas the Tenno had claimed back from the invaders. Xia had been vibrating the whole day, grinning wide as she suited up in the boring steel training mech (hers would be blue, she decided, or maybe black, with bold red stripes on the limbs) and deployed to the field, not even cracking on Wimperson, the Support (not his real name, but it may as well have been).

The Heralds didn't come up on radar until they were practically on top of the trainees. Maybe if there'd been more lead time, it would've been less of a shitshow, but who the hell knows.

The grimy details aren't important, but they aren't great. Damage to all suits, with two damaged beyond repair; the Leader froze under pressure, the Shadow couldn't keep up with the speedy Heralds. Wimperson actually came through. Johnson the Medic went down right there, in front of them.

Xia and Jacob have only just gotten out of their debriefing, another unexpected first for the day.

She and Jacob did good, Xia knows. They kept their heads, were barely hurt, they moved together well. "You'll make a good team," Corporal Kuwahara tells them before turning towards the medical ward to check on Johnson's surgery. "Go get some rest."

But no, rest is pretty much the opposite of what they need right now, Xia thinks. She turns to Jacob, giving her best attempt at a normal expression.]

Wanna get out of here?

Comments

[unbr8kable]

[nudges back against his shoulder, but not very hard]

Hah! Fair. ...Guess now I know where to go next time I get hungry.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Just keep in mind, if they're all gone I'm gonna know who took em. I don't share my chocolate secrets with just anyone.

[Finally, the east edge of the building! He leans forward on the wall that rings the rooftop and sets his elbows on it.]

[unbr8kable]

How do you know it's not just your sticky-fingered roommies creeping around?

[hands on her hips and eyes on the horizon, she stands beside him, maybe a little straighter than usual, probably something about being 'not just anyone' because even in regards to choco secrets it's pretty nice]

[the sky changes from blue to purple to orange, the sun finally peeking its way over the buildings to the east]

...Finally, this place looks like something worthy of us saving it!

[crossmyheartandhope]

Huh. Sunrise over flashy nightlife?

[He'd been squinting directly into the rising sun in what's probably a bad move, but he glances toward her at that, blinking back sunspots.]

Wouldn't have guessed it.

[unbr8kable]

[ducks her head, then catches herself and shrugs]

...I can like nature. It's really so surprising?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Fixes her with a thoughtful look.]

Not really.

Guess it's more, y'know. That there's not a whole lot of nature around to appreciate. Never really seen you seeing it.

[unbr8kable]

[her expression shifts, eventually landing on a more typical smirk]

...And that's not stalkery at all, watching me watch things.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Is he blushing? He might actually be blushing a little.]

[Goes in to elbow her in retaliation.]

Not what I meant.

[unbr8kable]

[completely fails to dodge and shoves at him instead, sticking out her tongue]

Definitely is what it sounds like, though!

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Yelps and laughs, recovering from the shove to come around and try and poke her in the ribs.]

Dude, I can't control how your mind decides to take things.

[unbr8kable]

[okay, now she actually tries to guard her sides and scoot away--not because she's ticklish or anything, just, for reasons,]

Try controlling where your mouth takes things! I'm just along for the ride!

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Is she ticklish? That is very interesting information. Veeeery interesting. Also 120% exploitable.]

[Which is to say, he's exploiting it right now.]

My mouth is so under control, you don't even know.

[unbr8kable]

[that assertion can be neither confirmed nor denied. however, she does retreat as he advances...at least, until she trips over something and kind of stumbles into a conveniently placed bag of stuff, convenient for him, anyway]

I know out of control when I see--eep! Wait--wait, quit that!

[sooo not laughing. at all]

[crossmyheartandhope]

I dunno. If I'm out of control, doesn't that mean I can't help it?

[He sounds SO GENUINELY THOUGHTFUL for someone who is tickliing so relentlessly.]

[unbr8kable]

[batting kind of helplessly at him--is she trying to tickle back? is she trying to smack him? is she just generally flailing due to laughing too hard? who knows]

Means you--need to--try--harder! --S-seriously, quit it, I'm gonna get--hiccups!

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Totally taking those flailing swings in stride. Sometimes colateral damage is necessary for VICTORY. Actual effective counter tickling probably would have worked, but this is very much not that.]

Seriously? Tickling gives you hiccups?

[unbr8kable]

It's the--the laughing--I-- *hic*

...Ugh!

[she shoves him with a little more heart this time, this is (hic) the worst. If only she had the presence of mind to tickle, alas, strategery is not her strong suit]

...You better not *hic* laugh!

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Too late.]

[He is laughing his ass off.]

[unbr8kable]

[shoves him over

...hiccuping loudly]

You're such a *hic* jerk!

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Topples over without too much trouble; he's laughing too hard to put up much of a fight. He gets one hand up to try and wave her off.]

Okay, okay... I'm done.

[He's not done.]

[unbr8kable]

Ugh *hic* you're the *hic*--

[just. buries her face in her hands, what'd she do to *hic* deserve this??]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Fiiinally pulls himself together, but he hasn't bothered to get up off the ground.]

Okay. Done for real this time.

[unbr8kable]

...*Hic*

[staying where she is! because gosh, how rude! she can't even get a good fuss on until this is over, talk about lost opportunities. also, the whatever it was she stumbled against before (sandbags?) is comfortable enough that it just feels terribly nice to just have her eyes closed for a sec okay]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Just gonna let her recover. :|b]

Man, I don't think I've ever met someone who laughed so much they hiccuped.

[unbr8kable]

[flushes more deeply, embarrassed]

Well, *hic* a lot of people do...probably...