GBG Session 11.5: Midnight Interlude

<Darkling> The elevator doors attempt to close, and MAdeline hits the open button. "Let's not just stand there gawking. Get in and greet your guest."
<Darkling> Your guest waves. She's short, with black hair, and a wide, almost eerie smile gracing her face.
Rasia cocks her head, bristling just slightly. Her nose scrunches.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja exits the elevator, moving toward the guest. She salutes her, the smile immediately making her think of Ivy.
<Darkling> She offers a wave. "Hi!" In closer light, you might realize that it is indeed Ivy.
Rasia leans forward. Her lips twitch. Hmmn.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He steps out of the elevator, hands clasped behind his back.
<Corrin> "Ivy?" Corrin blurts, procedure forgotten.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Captain Ivy. As you can see we've brought the prisoner Corrin to you to submit to hugs and other forms of cruel and unusual punishment." Lahja attempts to keep a straight face as she says that. She fails miserably.
<Darkling> Ivy saunters up closer. "I see, and who is going to restrain him while he receives his punishment?" That grin never leaves her face.
Rasia bares her teeth, clicking them together. That attitude...
<Darkling> Madeline sighs and clomps past them. "When you children are finished greeting her, there are chores to be done. I want this place clean." She rolls her eyes at their display and heads to Lit's office.
Corrin actually ignores the Director. Shaking his head, he's grinning too now. "Pleading not guilty, Captain Hollander. How'd you get here, anyway? It's great to see you, but I thought you were at the UN dome."
<Darkling> "I was. I've been transferred here for some work, apprently with you!" She walks over and gives both Corrin and Lahja a hug, then turns to Wilhelm and Rasia. "Pleasure to meet you both!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He watches for a few moments longer, gaze lingering suspiciously over Ivy. Then he sighs and walks past the lot to see to the dictators chores.
Rasia doesn't reply, instead staring holes into the girl.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja returns the hug, a stunned look coming over her face. "Work... with us?"
<Darkling> "Yep!" She keeps her happy gaze fixed back at Rasia. "I'll be coming to the base with you tomorrow for some tests."
Rasia narrows her eyes. Something's off. Something like this...another predator?
<Darkling> "Anyways," She swings her arms a bit from side to side. "I should let you guys clean up so you don't get yelled at by Mrs. Grumpybottom."
<Corrin> "That's great news!" Corrin cheers. Rather loudly. "Don't mind Pilot Wilhelm. He's just..." Corrin waves a finger across his throat vaguely. "Really, this is great." he echoes. "It'll be just like Austin, except maybe I'll beat you this time." Corrin...joking?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "You're right... and welcome to the team, Ivy." Lahja says with a smile, though it's clear she's a little weirded out by this. "I'll work extra quick. In the meantime make yourself at home."
Rasia stalks past the girl to work on her room, though it's more like...hiding it better than Madeline can search.
<Darkling> "I will." She heads for the fridge to find something cold to drink. "Anyone else find it hot in here?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks from Ivy to Wilhelm, lofting a brow. Could she be a moon alien as well? She decides not to dwell on it. Best to focus on the work.
<Darkling> Ivy takes a seat on a couch and pulls up a tablet, not all too unsimilar to the pilots, and starts typing away on it.
<Darkling> Madeline soon emerges from the office to check on the Pilots, her eyes glowering over them.
<Rasia> Raz never passes up a chance to glare at both Madeline and Ivy, having worked up the courage to growl at both.
<Darkling> Madeline glares right back, her eyes might as well be hot coals burning at you. Ivy however is all smiles.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He ignores the lot of them, doing his chores in silence.
Corrin hastily starts working as the Director shows up, cheer disappearing and replaced by quiet focus on the work at hand. Doesn't stop him from grinning every once in a while, though.
<Darkling> Madeline starts checking off ticks on a clipboard, one for everything she's seeing done right. She rubs a finger on the counter in the kitchen checking it for dust. "Satisfactory. Dinner will be in one hour." She stomps back off.
Rasia growls in the back of her throat, pacing the living room.
<Corrin> "Yes, ma'am." Corrin calls as the Director disappears, to no avail. "She's a bit like the Commander." he explains to Ivy as he drops into one of the other seats.
<Darkling> "Really?" She asks looking to him. "I heard most of the people here were nice."
<Rasia> "Lit." Rasia barks as she walks another turn.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> After Madeline finds the work satisfactory, Lahja sits down on the couch. "It's been difficult over the past few weeks. But we're managing."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> A moments glance back toward Ivy and Wil disappears off to his room.
Corrin shrugs. "Well, you have the ones like Hunter and Smith, and there's the Captain, but you heard right, mostly. Captain Skaldbj...Skäldbjorn. Lit? He's definitely the nice sort."
<Darkling> "Oh.. I guess you didn't hear. Smith stepped on a land mine during training about a week after you left." Her smile lessens, but it's still there.
Rasia watches the boy go, freezing in place.
<Darkling> Soon enough, an hour passes, and Madeline is placing food out for eating. Another take out dinner, some knock-off looking chinese food this time. The overn hasn't been touched once since she took charge.
Rasia eats in the most pissed off manner possible. That teriyaki chicken may as well have pissed on her head for how she treats it. ...Not that there's any outward difference.
<Darkling> "So.." Ivy starts, still smiling, even when she chews. "I'm told I have to bunk with either Rasia or you Lahja."
Wilhelm_Faustus picks at his food, occasionally dropping something he doesn't like over on Rasia's plate.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> It would seem...he doesn't like green peppers.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja eats slowly. She doesn't seem to enjoy the food all that much. "It's best if you stay with me."
Rasia licks sauce from her plate, making no remark either way.
<Darkling> "Alright. I have an air mattress I will blow up later." She gets up, her plate of food mostly untouched and goes to the main hallway, grabbing her bags and trotting off to Lahja's room.
Corrin eats by rote, not even bothering to pause before taking the first bite. Sure it's not as good as the usual, but food doesn't really matter that much right now. Besides, it's not Austin-canteen level.
Rasia licks her teeth, sitting up from her plate, picked clean.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "So... what do you all think?"
Corrin 's grin answers for him. "This'll be great."
<Rasia> "Bite."
<Darkling> "I expect you all to act on your best behavior while Miss Hollander is here." Madeline glares from her perch in the kitchen.
Corrin looks askance at Rasia. "What's that supposed to mean?"
<Rasia> "..." She picks up her plate, to escape this table.
<Darkling> "And there shall be no biting." She wags a finger at Rasia. "Lest you want to sleep in a kennel and let her have your room."
<Rasia> "--" A shocked look at Madeline. It quickly sharpens to a white-hot glare.
Wilhelm_Faustus sighs, pulling a book from his pocket to hide behind.
<Rasia> "MINE!" She shouts at the woman, snapping her teeth.
<Darkling> "Watch your tone lady. I will not tolerate your insolence!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks every bit as shocked. She looks back and forth between Madeline and Rasia, then takes a bite out of her food.
<Rasia> The plate trembles in her hand, nails grinding against the material. With the care and focus of an acetalyne torch, she turns her back on Madeline, blood running out the corner of her mouth. Bite her. Bite her. Bite her. She's challenging you. Bite her. Turn away. She's in charge. Turn away. Bite her! Turn away! One foot rises...and takes the first step back to her room. The room cools slightly.
<Darkling> Happy with her dominance, Madeline goes back to eating while glaring at the other pilots.
Corrin hastily looks away, having been uncertainly watching the scene.
<Darkling> With dinner complete, she cleans up quickly, and heads back to her office, Ivy reappearing and taking a place on the couch again. "What was the yelling about?"
<Corrin> "Remember what Commander Ashley was like when we failed?" Corrin grimaces as he takes a seat.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja takes a seat as well. She seems relieved with Corrin's explanation.
Rasia breathes through her teeth after slamming her door.
<Darkling> "He got red faced and looked like a tomato." She giggles.
Corrin snorts despite himself. "Shouted a lot too."
<Darkling> "So what do you guys do for fun around here?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I should feed Nidhogg." He stands from the table and leaves for his room.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Sometimes we go out. Not so much anymore since the regime change." Lahja remarks, a bit glumly. "We've also got a little gym. But no guns."
<Corrin> "There's a forest around the Headquarters. An actual forest, with animals and everything. Not sure the Director'd let us go, though."
<Darkling> "OOh. That sounds nice, I've never been in a forest."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "We got to see real cows on a school field trip once."
<Darkling> It's getting a bit later in the evening, dark descending outside the apartment.
<Corrin> "Before it exploded." Corrin adds.
<Darkling> "Sounds exciting!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Something in the building. Not the cows. They didn't explode."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja takes a little glance at Ivy. Specifically, at a part of her shirt.
<Darkling> "Well that's still very exciting. We only get rumors at the UN dome of what goes on out here."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Maybe they'll let you see recordings of what we've done at the base." Lahja turns her gaze away from Ivy's shoulder and back to her face.
<Darkling> "I hope so. We're supposed to tour the base tomorrow and do some experiments or something like that."
<Darkling> She leans back, stretching herself out on the couch.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Experiments? I hope they're fun experiments and not just something routine."
<Ugolino> "Probably testing with the plugs again. At least at least there's a good reason for them" Corrin comments with a sigh. "Did they have those at the UN dome?"
<Darkling> "I can't actually say what was at the UN dome. You'll see tomorrow anyway!"
<Darkling> She yawns. "It's getting a bit late, and I traveled a lot today. I hope you two won't mind if I head to bed?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I don't mind. It's good seeing you again, Ivy. I think I'll try to sleep soon as well."
<Ugolino> "See you tomorrow. It's good to have you here, Ivy."
<Darkling> "I'll see you in there then." She gets up, another stretch, a little wave, and heads for your room Lahja.
<Darkling> ================================
<Darkling> It's sometime away midnight, at least you think it is. There's some racket coming from the living room, someone shuffling around unfamiliar with the layout of the apartment.
<Darkling> A door sliding open, metal ringing.
Rasia bolts from the bed, opening Wilhelm's door and slipping out. Where are you...
Wilhelm_Faustus sits up slowly, rubbing at one eye. "Hrn?"
<Darkling> Silence now.
Corrin stumbles out of his room, bleary-eyed. He stands at the doorway, still shaking off sleep.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ." Rasia has it covered. He lays back down.
Rasia grabs Corrin's arm, shushing him quietly. #5"Intruder."# She creeps into the living room.
<Darkling> The balcony door is wide open. Looks like a coffee table got kicked out of place too.
Corrin stumbles after her, confused but more wakeful after the shock. At the sight, he stops and stares.
Rasia sniffs. Any other doors open? Lahja's? Lit's?
<Darkling> Lahja's was as you passed, only by a crack.
<Corrin> "Who's there?" Corrin demands.
Rasia bristles, climbing out onto the balcony.
<Darkling> Only gusts of artificial winds reply Corrin.
Rasia up, up, up the ladder...
Corrin heads up after her.
<Darkling> Sitting up on the roof, legs pull up and wrapped in her arms is Ivy, staring up at the moon through the dome.
<Rasia> "..." Rasia scrambles up, giving Ivy a shove.
<Darkling> She falls over sideways, giving a surprised yelp as she hits the rooftop hard.
<Corrin> "Hey!" Corrin protests, still on the ladder. "Rasia, it's okay! It's Ivy!"
Rasia growls, sitting where Ivy was.
<Darkling> Ivy stands up, rubbing her elbow. "What was that for?"
Corrin clambers up the past few rungs and onto the roof. He doesn't come up here much, mostly because it's too cold. "You okay? Rasia, what was that for?"
Rasia hunches. If she could articulate, express herself, she'd probably rant about the new people, feeling her space had been invaded, a dozen other things. Instead, they get a #5"Wilhelm."# and a point at the ground.
<Darkling> "Wilhelm isn't there..." Ivy rubs her elbow some more, then takes a seat a few feet from Rasia.
<Corrin> "What about Pilot Wilhelm?" Corrin asks, then realizes a moment later. "Oh. Oh. I think you were in his spot, Ivy. Come on, Pilot Rasia. She has a point."
<Darkling> "I didn't mean to wake anybody anyways. I just couldn't sleep." She eyes Rasia sideways.
Rasia scowls in the dim moonlight.
<Darkling> She goes back to staring up at the moon.
<Rasia> "..." She growls low, and stalks off the roof. To Wilhelm's room.
Corrin nods, standing on the roof now. "It should be alright with the Director. We're not supposed to leave the apartment, though. Your ar..." He stops midword, blinking. "Ivy?"
<Darkling> She looks over her shoulder at you. "Why don't you sit Corrin, listen to the stars sing with me."
Corrin sits down nearby, a bit baffled. "If the Director wakes up, we'll both be in trouble." he warns, though without much spirit behind it.
Rasia gives Wilhelm a firm punch in the arm, if he's asleep.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He isn't. "...what as that for?"
<Darkling> "I'm sure that she is sound asleep."
<Rasia> "Intruder. Roof."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Everything alright?" He sits up, looking at her.
<Corrin> "Hope so." Corrin says, looking up now.
Rasia chews her lip, sitting down. She grabs his tablet, opening up Word. 'New girl. Light under skin.'
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Hm? Maybe a trick of the light."
<Darkling> "The sky was much clearer in the UN dome. You could see many more stars." She points to a blank space where the Black Moon occupies. "You could even make it out clearer."
<Rasia> 'Staring at moon. Wilhelm spot'
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Do you want me to go have a look?" He sighs, swinging his legs out of bed.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja wanders out of her room with a hair brush in hand, looking half asleep. Hardly an abnormal state of affairs. She carefully creeps down the hallway.
Corrin frowns. "It all looks so cold. Empty." he says absently. "Was it nice there? At the UN dome?"
Rasia stalks behind Wil, giving Lahja a glance.
<Darkling> "It was a lot nicer than here. It's all bleak and dreary and grey here." She actually frowns, but only for a moment. "But I think I'm going back there in a few weeks."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He smooths back his hair before stepping out onto the balcony and up the ladder.
<Corrin> "Oh." Corrin says, slumping a bit. "It's not that bad once you get outside. And I..." he stops at the clanging noise. "Damnit." he sighs, leaning forwards.
<Rasia> It isn't Rasia, at least. She waits by the ladder.
<Darkling> Ivy doesn't seem to notice.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Once up on the roof he peers at the two sitting there.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja seems less inclined to use her brush as a weapon after catching sight of the others. She keeps it in hand, just letting her arm drop to her side. She watches Wilhelm go up the ladder, then looks to Rasia. "Party on the rooftop?" she asks quietly.
<Corrin> "Pilot Wilhelm." Corrin greets curtly. "You're awake."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Observant, aren't we?" His gaze ends up lifting to the moon, staring.
<Darkling> "Oh!" She nudges Corrin. "They're singing again, can you hear them?"
Rasia looks up. Singing?
<Corrin> "Ivy?" Corrin asks, looking around. "I don't hear anyone."
<Darkling> She just smiles, transfixed by the silence.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...next time I suggest you sit someplace else, for your safety.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He heads back down the ladder.
Corrin looks at his best friend, concerned but staying silent. His head jerks around when Wilhelm speaks. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demands.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Back down on the balcony he frowns.
Rasia stares at Wilhelm, folding her arms.
<Darkling> "So beautiful. I wish you could hear them." She lowers her gaze finally.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...I don't like her."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Forget about her." He says to Rasia, then goes back inside.
Rasia pops her neck, following after him after giving one last growl up the ladder.
<Corrin> "Ivy?" Corrin says after a pause. There's nothing but silence in his ears. The dome above is black and cold. "You okay?"
<Darkling> "Of course! I'm told I'm a perfect picture of health. Are you okay?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "She's cold." Lahja quietly remarks to Wilhelm. "Did you know that?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He stops and looks back at Lahja. "What?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "She's cold. Physically. I felt it."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> His frown only deepens. "...thanks for the information." He continues to his room.
Corrin shrugs. "I guess so. Like I wrote on the tablet, it's not so bad here. We get to do our duty. Things are pretty good. Like you said, the people are nice. It's just..."
<Darkling> "Hmm?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja nods, then looks toward the balcony with a thoughtful expression.
<Rasia> "..."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He sits on the edge of his bed, looking up at Rasia. It couldn't be the same, could it?
<Rasia> She seems sure. Or she's still on edge from the fact Ivy exists. Who knows.
<Darkling> Ivy leans over a bit, resting her head on Corrin's shoulder. "Do you miss Austin?"
Corrin almost jerks at the sudden chill, but represses the movement. "Not Austin." he replies quietly. "The training, a bit. And...It's just not the same. Even if I always lost."
<Darkling> "You just let me win I'm sure."
<Darkling> There's a rumble in the distance, almost like thunder, and the building shakes enough that everyone can feel it.
Corrin shakes his head, and might have been about to speak when the roof shudders. "What was that?"
Rasia grabs the sheets, sitting up. Jotunn?
Wilhelm_Faustus groans, but doesn't bother getting up. He clings to Rasia instead.
<Darkling> No alarms going off, so not a Jotun that has been detected.
<Darkling> "Maybe an earthquake?"
<Corrin> "Can't be." Corrin says reflexively, a hand shooting to his pocket...which isn't there. And neither is his tablet. "Can it?"
<Darkling> She shrugs. "Probably nothing then."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja stumbles a bit, wondering what the point of that was. She quickly decides to go back to her room before Miss Piles is about.
<Corrin> "Yeah." Corrin agrees, looking unconvinced. "Probably nothing." He shivers, goosebumps raised along his arms. "Ivy?"
<Darkling> She lifts her head up, "Yeah?"
<Corrin> "It's nice to see you again." he says, slightly awkwardly. "Just...look out for land mines, okay?"
<Darkling> "Don't worry. I won't step on any." She grins just as another rumble  rocks the building. "I think I'm going to head to bed and try to sleep."
Rasia grrrrrowls.
<Corrin> "Yeah." Corrin grins back. "Good night, Recruit Hollander."
<Darkling> "Night Corrin." She gets up and descents the ladder in one swift moment, sliding down effortlessly and heads into the apartment.
<Darkling> Through the apartment, pausing at Wilhelms door a moment, then to Lahja's room, she opens the door slowly, seeing if Lahja was awake or not.
Corrin gets up a while later, rubbing his arms as he rises. It's not so cold now. His grin fades slowly, and he stands there for a moment before clambering down as well. Not quite silently despite his efforts. Clunk. Clunk.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja is there and awake, looking over a thick book. She waves at Ivy. "Quick! Before the rumbling wakes up you know who!" She says in a hushed tone.
<Rasia> "..." Rasia sits wide awake, probably for the rest of the night.
<Darkling> She steps in and closes the door with a click before climbing onto her air mattress.
<Darkling> "Wouldn't want to anger her." She lays down without any blankets or sheets, just a pillow.
Corrin picks his way back to his own room, gaze directed ahead at nothing in particular. The door's still open, and the blankets are strewn across the floor from when he stumbled out.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "The rumbling woke me up. It happens sometimes." Lahja stashes her book away.  She considers asking about a blanket, but remembers the chill and thinks otherwise.
<Darkling> "Does it? Kind of strange. I wonder what it is."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I wonder about a lot of things I encounter. May I ask an awkwardly personal question, Ivy?"
<Darkling> She turns on her mattress to face you better. "Of course!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Did my mother make you glow, or were you always like that?"
<Darkling> "Oh. Well, we don't know if it was your mom or not, just a side effect from some of the experiments I guess. Do you want to see?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja ponders that for a short while, then nods. "Sure."
<Darkling> She turns away, peeling up her shirt.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "That's an interesting design." Lahja remarks as she looks over what she sees. "I think I know what it means."
<Darkling> "Do you? I was told it had some meaning but no one would tell me."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "It's just a guess. But I think it's good and bad. You're cold, and the world is colder than it used to be. The lower body temperature probably means you can better survive in the new environment than others."
<Darkling> "Hmm.. I do find it unseemly hot in here." She pulls the shirt off the rest of the way and lies back down, the patterns on her back shinning a dull ice blue glow.
Corrin lies on his back, staring at the ceiling, gaze unmoving in the gloom. It's warm, but he can't quite relax.
<Corrin> "Singing..."
Corrin shakes his head and rolls onto his side. It doesn't help.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "The alternative is it's a beacon for moon aliens." Lahja says a bit nervously. Like she might actually believe in moon aliens. "We'll see what we can do about the temperature in here later, anyway."
<Darkling> "Moon aliens.." She giggles looking up at you from the mattress. "That'd be a sight."
<Darkling> ========================END========================