SECRET.

[secretsforged]

#𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚍   -   indie, private, selective, and 21+ roleplay blog for JOELLE PARK. A fandomless spy oc with various verses.   written by annika.  welcome to another one of my blogs.   this will be low activity and run on a queue.  i’ll pop on when i have time and respond to threads and messages.   plotted threads are preferable && memes are a great way to break the ice.   feel free to send them in!

GUIDELINES   /   TIMELINE

MAIN BLOG: @spectresdaughter​, @vegeancefocused

[stardustprompts]

the burning god -  r.f kuang   sentence starters change tenses/pronouns as needed !!  some lines have been edited for clarity / length / ease of roleplaying tw :   ptsd ,  addiction , death , murder , nsfw  , language 

‘do you think I’d ever let anything happen to you?’

‘you’re terrified. that’s why you’re fidgeting. you’re scared.’

‘soldiers are worth more than civilians, it’s just math.’

‘don’t cut off the head of the snake if you can tame it.’

‘none of this— our villages, our people, our freedom— will survive under their intended world order’

‘i’m the least terrible option you’ve got.’

‘I don’t mean to call you stupid, because I love you, but that plan is so stupid.’

‘i’m not sorry for this. you shouldn’t have gotten in my way.’

‘that wasn’t an insult. just being frank.’

‘they’re bullies. weakness is what they want to see.’

‘bad moral is a big weapon. don’t underestimate it.’

‘i’ve gotten you this far. trust me just a little longer.’

‘i’m not crazy right? this is clearly a trap?’

‘how do you think history will judge me if I throw away it’s fate for one person?’

‘it felt like you’d put the universe back in place. like you were balancing the scales. didn’t it?’

‘you don’t fix hurts by pretending they never happened. you treat them like infected wounds and then, maybe, you have a chance to heal.’

‘it’s not justice, it’s chaos.’

‘this is a revolution. it’s not a fucking tea party.’

‘cut me a fucking break. i’ve been fleeing for my life.’

‘I shouldn’t have counted on his virtue. but he didn’t count on my survival.’

‘they’re never gone. do you understand? they still come for you in your sleep. only this time they’re dream-wraiths, not real, and there’s no escape from them because they’re living in your own mind.’

‘your pain will always be mine.’

‘i’m not living my whole life like a beast on a leash.’

‘I should kill you. why can’t I kill you?’

‘you don’t behave rationally around her, you never do.’

‘’all right’ is not a term anyone would use to describe you.’

‘I used to hate myself for living, too. I didn’t think it was fair that I’d survived. that others had died in my place.’

‘it’s not fair. I should be in the ground with them.’

‘it doesn’t go away. It never will. but when it hurts, lean into it.’

‘this life you’ve chosen, you won’t get many moments like this again. but it’s the nights like this that keep you alive.’

‘give up, darling. trust me, this is easier. this is so much easier.’

‘you know, I think I’ve figured out where you get all that self - righteousness.’

‘their blood is on you. you killed them.’

‘I hate you. I wish we were all dead.’

‘do you think he loved you? do you think he ever loved you?’

‘this story will end. the way it was always meant to.’

‘I just want to sit for a second. in peace. can I do that?’

‘I don’t know, I thought maybe— maybe they’d realize that they need me.’

‘you are so bad at this. it’s cute.’

‘people are attracted to power, darling. they can’t help themselves. power seduces. exert it, make a show of it, and they’ll follow you.’

‘I killed him. and I don’t feel bad about it.’

‘stop pretending to care about ethics, it’s embarrassing.’

‘at some point, you’ll have to convince yourself that you’re above right and wrong. morality doesn’t apply to you.’

‘fear turns into despair, despair to panic, and then panic into utter submission. it’s incredible, the power of psychological warfare.’

‘knowing what I’ve done? yes, it hurts. unlike anything you could ever imagine.’

‘they want to erase us. they want to make us better, to improve us, by turning us into a mirror of themselves.’

‘any culture or state that diverges is necessarily inferior. we are inferior, until we speak, dress, act, and worship just like them.’

‘people pay you less attention when you don’t leave a trail of bodies in your wake.’

‘i’m just telling you what’s right in front of you. you know I’m right.’

‘you seem to have mistaken me for a dullard.’

‘it’s a tragedy we’re on different sides. you know that. we would have been so good united.’

‘he’s tried a million different things to break me. but he should have remembered he never figured out how.’

‘lost my mind for a bit. just starting to get it back now.’

‘you think we should just surrender. that we’d be better off under their rule.’

‘that’s the implication of your logic. and I won’t accept that. I can’t.’

‘i’m sure you said whatever you needed to to get them off your back. I don’t care about that.’

‘everything you do convinces them you should not exist.’

‘I did what I had to do to give him the only chance at peace he’d ever get.’

‘you are the worst thing to happen to this country. these people deserve better than you.’

‘you were only ever fighting to survive. I was fighting to win.’

‘we don’t need peace right now. we need blood.’

‘I don’t know what’s insane anymore. I just hope you know what you’re doing.’

‘there is no turning back. i’ve waited too long for this.’

‘I can’t take that from him. not even if he’s happier like this.’

‘there’s more, there’s something you’re not telling me, I deserve to know.’

‘let go of the man you remember. you’re never going to get him back.’

‘in times like these, you can’t let sleeping threats lie.’

‘if we ever feared him, it was because he was great, and great rulers always inspire fear in the hearts of the weak.’

‘you don’t get to forget. whatever you did, you don’t deserve to forget.’

‘she’s not a person anymore. she’s rage.’

‘it’s not just about the enemy. it’s about what the world looks like after.’

‘you’re trying to protect your people. I understand that. but I’m trying to protect mine.’

‘i’m not crawling into oblivion with a whimper, and you should have known that before you came here.’

‘I don’t care what else happens up there. but you come back to me.’

‘what’s this? finally developing a conscience?’

‘I know what you did. I know everything. and I don’t care. the past doesn’t matter. ____ is in danger now, and I need you.’

‘nature can’t be altered. only held at bay.’

‘don’t take on the burden of an entire nation. it’s too heavy. and you aren’t strong enough.’

‘you should know by now that when you leave your enemies alive, wars don’t end.’

‘she told me I’ll never be afraid again.’

‘that’s power. and you’re not giving that up. I know you. you’re me.’

‘I know how humiliation feels. keep your secrets if you want. but there’s nothing you can say that will make me think any less of you.’

‘i’m not going to survive this war.’

‘do you want me to say I’m sorry?’

‘what did I tell you? you were never meant to serve.’

‘if you try that shit, I will kill you.’

‘good luck. don’t do anything stupid.’

‘keep down. and when you get the chance, run.’

‘you never want to hurt them. but you have to. you have to put them through hell, because that’s the only way anyone else will survive.’

‘I would have spared them if I could have.’

‘I wasn’t a person to you, I was a weapon, and you needed me to work.’

‘it’ll never stop hurting.’

‘you love them like your own family, and a knife twists in your heart every time you watch one of them die.’

‘see this through to the end. that’s the least you own to the dead.’

‘I wish things had been different.’

‘I so hate when you’re right.’

‘you kill me and you accomplish nothing. your world as you know it will end.’

‘i’m not going to kill you. you don’t deserve that.’

‘why does everyone think this war is over. am I the only one with eyes?’

‘it’s hard to prioritize the enemy that you can’t see.’

‘don’t call me crazy.’

‘you are being crazy. you’re acting like a fucking maniac. shut up for a moment and face the fucking facts.’

‘they can’t do this to me. I was supposed to win.’

‘we built an entire nation. we don’t have to let it collapse.’

‘what he wants is what we all want, which is to stop killing our own people.’

‘we’re about to have the world we fought for. can’t you see it? it’s so close, it’s just over the horizon.’

‘you can come back. I’ll bring you back. we’re in this together.’

‘we’re trying to broker a peace here. let’s not start off with death threats, shall we?’

‘i’m just trying to make this less painful for everyone involved.’

‘you can’t do this for me. I won’t let you.’

‘it’s not for you. it’s not a favor. it’s the cruelest thing I could do.’

[secretsforged]

JOELLE THOUGHT THE WORLD OF HER MOTHER. She always enjoyed playing her games,  learning secret phrases, discovering just how big the world was, and having the knowledge that most kids her age, didn’t. Joelle felt empowered. Strong. Her mother was her hero.

Her strongest connection was to her mother, more so than her dad. Jo loved her father, dearly, and they would have their special games, too. But there was something seducing about her mother that Joelle wanted to mimic.

When the car accident happened, killing her entire family and leaving her gravely injured, Joelle’s world died that day. There was no more warmth, light, love and family. Her hero died. Her siblings and parents died. Joelle was alone.

As she got older and the truth about her mother was discovered, Jo started to resent the woman. Even hate her. She questioned every motive her mother ever had when it came to playing games and teaching her children about the spy life. Even if they didn’t understand it at the time. What was even more disturbing was how Joelle’s mom had implanted her secrets into her children’s brains. She violated them without their consent, forcing upon them a burned they had no right to carry.

While those in the spy world would think it ingenious, as the one receiving the implanted secrets, it was horrible. A violation of self. For a long, long  time, Joelle felt dirty, unclean.

When Joelle eventually had a family with the Polish man, she tried to do things different. There were no subtle aspects of her spy life when it came to parenting her daughter. Joelle did her best to love her and care for her, even though she knew her time was short. But try as she might to love her family, there was always a wall that couldn’t be knocked down by devotion and love. Thus, it made her fake death and abandonment of her family easier. 

Jo doesn’t really feel regret for her actions, but she does miss them. More than once, though, she wonders if she’s no better than her mother.

[juansendizon]

“I spend most nights at home missing you while trying not to miss you.”

— Juansen Dizon, 6:25 pm

[secretsforged]

dontstoptrying​

Eve didn’t know much at the CIA; she really only liaised with a few agents from Langley. She couldn’t imagine that it was all that different to MI6, but Joelle seemed to think so. She didn’t pry - most agents didn’t appreciate that early on. “Well, we have a slight advantage there being the old world.” She replied with a smile.

“Honestly, it’s not a hard place to fit in.” Maybe if you were determined to get in with the 00s, but most people weren’t foolish enough to try that immediately. “The best thing you can do? Bring your equipment back in one piece. It’s amazing what being in Q’s good book can do.”

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT struck Joelle as odd; license to kill. With the CIA, they wanted as little loss of life as possible. But sometimes, it couldn’t be helped. If it came down between you and them, you had permission to kill. If she’s to be a regular intelligence officer for MI6, she’s going to have to get used to that...Or try her hand at the 00 program. Whatever that means.

“What is the double oh program and how do you get in?” Joelle questions, curiously. “And who is Q?” Terms are different her but the woman is a quick study.

[secretsforged]

WHERE DO YOU GO WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE? THE ENEMY.

PRIVATE & INDEPENDENT SPY OC - LOOSLY BASED IN THE CRAIG!BOND UNIVERSE Follows back from @spectresdaughter

[secretsforged]

theresastargirl​

“Youngest and only daughter, so yeah, always picked on. But they weren’t too bad about it at least.” What she wouldn’t give now to be picked on again by them, before Spectre ruined everything for her. She didn’t need to get into that backstory right now.

“I have been trying. Basic gun safety and stuff like that. Never know with working here what could happen. I just… don’t have the knack for it.” Ophelia shrugged, sitting more now on the edge of her desk, careful not to knock over any important stacks of paper. “Suppose it’s an adrenaline thing that’ll help, in the moment type situation.” As long as she didn’t choose the flight and actually fought when that happened.

Shaking the other’s hand, her smile grows wider. “It’s nice to meet you, Joelle. And although I’m sure you’d like to go out into the field, I would love nothing more than to selfishly keep you on desk duty, just for the fact I’d have some company around here.” Teasingly spoken, though Ophelia knew the other was much more suited for field work and belonged out there with the other agents. “Where’d you work before then? CIA or someplace?”

“TRAINING IS KEY,” Joelle says. “It will make the difference between life and death. I’ve heard stories of police officers and spies, who when faced with a situation, their training kicks in and it’s muscle memory. You have a split second to make a choice. You. Or them.” That tid bit had been grilled into Joelle at the behest of her mother. In fact, a lot of tips and tricks she knew about surviving and training were thanks to her mother. Every time the woman opened her mouth, her mother spoke. Not her. It causes the brunette to clamp her lips shut and look away for a moment.

A small smile tugs on her lips. How strange it is to be wanted for herself and not because of her knowledge. Not that Ophelia knows the secrets she carries. Joelle wonders if that would change if she laid on the table everything she was to Ophelia. Would the woman run away screaming? Look at her with pity? Or look on as if nothing had changed? Joelle isn’t willing to take that risk. Joelle Park is her new identity. Her new cover. She must stick to it if this is going to work.

The woman shifts, shrugging her shoulders. “Something like that. I’m very good with languages so a lot of people found my talented tongue useful.” She laughs, trying to brush off the question. Of thinking of her past. The woman is good at wearing masks. Had decades to practice.

“Did you always want to work for MI6?” A slender brow arches in question.

[secretsforged]

JOELLE THOUGHT THE WORLD OF HER MOTHER. She always enjoyed playing her games,  learning secret phrases, discovering just how big the world was, and having the knowledge that most kids her age, didn’t. Joelle felt empowered. Strong. Her mother was her hero.

Her strongest connection was to her mother, more so than her dad. Jo loved her father, dearly, and they would have their special games, too. But there was something seducing about her mother that Joelle wanted to mimic.

When the car accident happened, killing her entire family and leaving her gravely injured, Joelle’s world died that day. There was no more warmth, light, love and family. Her hero died. Her siblings and parents died. Joelle was alone.

As she got older and the truth about her mother was discovered, Jo started to resent the woman. Even hate her. She questioned every motive her mother ever had when it came to playing games and teaching her children about the spy life. Even if they didn’t understand it at the time. What was even more disturbing was how Joelle’s mom had implanted her secrets into her children’s brains. She violated them without their consent, forcing upon them a burned they had no right to carry.

While those in the spy world would think it ingenious, as the one receiving the implanted secrets, it was horrible. A violation of self. For a long, long  time, Joelle felt dirty, unclean.

When Joelle eventually had a family with the Polish man, she tried to do things different. There were no subtle aspects of her spy life when it came to parenting her daughter. Joelle did her best to love her and care for her, even though she knew her time was short. But try as she might to love her family, there was always a wall that couldn’t be knocked down by devotion and love. Thus, it made her fake death and abandonment of her family easier. 

Jo doesn’t really feel regret for her actions, but she does miss them. More than once, though, she wonders if she’s no better than her mother.

[reblogthings]

The first 5 Asks to send 💋 get a kiss

[leneemusing]

send ‘you know i love you,  right?’ for my muses reaction  (  can be platonic or familial,  not just romantic  ). 

[soulprompts]

𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬.

my original batch can be found HERE! i got all kinds of angsty and protective vibes took over, but if u think of any more that you’d like to see on the list, shoot me a DM so i can add it!

“ get behind me… ”

“ stay here. ”

“ don’t worry. everything’s going to be alright… ”

“ you shoot anyone who comes through that door who isn’t me. ”

“ when you love something, you protect it. ”

“ i’ll keep you safe. ”

“ do everything that i say, and we might both live to tell the tale of this night. ”

“ when i say run, i need you to do as i say and don’t even think about me. ”

“ get down! ”

“ close your eyes, you don’t need to see this. ”

“ why wouldn’t i save you? ”

“ it’s alright. they won’t be hurting you again… ”

“ of course i came for you… it would take far much more than that to stop me. ”

“ listen to me… i need to go back out there. but i promise you, i’ll be right back. okay? all i want you to do is stay hidden, and i’ll be back before you know it. ”

“ there’s nothing in this world nor any other, that would stop me from protecting you. ”

“ get out of here! now! ”

“ i knew you’d feel guilty; you do understand that i’d take a thousand wounds if it meant keeping you safe, don’t you? ”

“ i swear to you. as long as i’m by your side, you’ll never be harmed. ”

“ it’s my job to keep you safe, yes, but you could work with me a little to make it easier. ”

“ protecting you isn’t my duty. it’s my privilege. ”

“ who did this to you? where are they? ”

“ listen to me. i don’t think i’ll be able to buy you much time. and once i go out there, the clock starts. so the second you hear us fighting, i want you to run. as fast and as far as you can. ”

“ are you alright? “

“ can you move? “

“ why is it so difficult for you to believe that you deserve to be protected? “

“ you’re a good person. good people deserve to be safe. “

“ i’m going to protect you, now. because that’s what we do for the ones we love. we keep them safe. “

“ stay close. whatever you do, do not leave my side. “

“ i’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. no matter the cost. “

“ i’m on my way. ”

“ it’s alright… it’s okay… i’m here now. i’ve got you. ”

“ it’s all over now. don’t panic. it’s not my blood. ”

“ i don’t know how long i’ll be able to protect you for, but i guarantee you, i’ll only stop with my final breath. ”

[memesomething]

Vulnerable sentence starters

TWs for: suicidal ideation, possible implications of self-harm

“I’m just… so tired of being awake.”

“Would you brush my hair?” 

“Can we just [read/watch] something, tonight?” 

“Just let me lie here for a while?” 

“I like it when you [insert action] for me.” 

“Please, I can’t … I don’t want to argue tonight.” 

“Can’t we just love each other right now? Just for tonight?” 

“It’s just …. it’s hard.” 

“I don’t want to be here.” 

“Where do we go from here?” 

“What am I supposed to do now?” 

“What happens after something like that?” 

“Should we… be going to the police?” 

“Fuck, that hurts.” 

“I’m used to it.” 

“I don’t want you to worry, but… I think I need help.” 

“I did something stupid.” 

“It’s not as bad as it looks. Can you help?” 

“Have you ever thought that? Have you ever thought that it feels like drowning?” 

"I’m not crying.”

“I can’t breathe. I just want to breathe.”

“Please just sit with me.”

"Stay?” 

"Was it a lie, then? All of this?”

“Can I just not be okay for a minute?”

“I used to be better at coping than this.”

“I should be stronger than this.”

“When I was younger, I… I used to have some problems.” 

“This wasn’t how I wanted you to find out.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.” 

“Are you okay for me to talk about this right now? It’s pretty heavy.” 

“Were you ever… didn’t you ever just… want it to go away?” 

“It’s c- cold.” 

[kingsmemes]

𝐑𝐏 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄:    ONE THROUGH FOUR.  *change pronouns as needed.

ONE WORD: 

‘ wait! ’

‘ stay. ’

‘ go! ’

‘ you! ’

‘ no! ’

‘ yes.’ 

TWO WORDS:

‘ it’s you. ’ 

‘ come here. ’

‘ leave, now! ’

‘ why not? ’

‘ how come? ’

‘ who knows? ’

THREE WORDS: 

‘ i need you. ’

‘ i love you. ’

‘ i hate you. ’

‘ where to begin? ’

‘ don’t leave me. ’

‘ where are you? ’ 

FOUR WORDS: 

‘ it’s not that simple. ’

‘ you can’t just leave! ’

‘ what have you done? ’

‘ where are you going? ’

‘ it’s never been enough. ’

‘ i want it all. ’

[leneemusing]

CONFRONTATIONS

“  you have to talk to someone,  eventually.  it doesn’t have to be me,  but.  you need to.  ”

“   i’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.  ”

“  you may like to pretend,  but i don’t.  something is wrong and you’re hiding it from me.  ”

“  you can’t even say that and look me in the eyes.  you’re clearly lying.  just tell me the truth.  ”

“  everyone else might be buying it,  but i don’t.  what’s wrong?  ”

“  you’re not fine.  you’re clearly not fine.  and you don’t have to keep saying that you are.  ” 

“  you can talk to me,  you know.  whatever you have to say,  i’m not gonna judge you or do anything.  i just want to listen.  ”

“  you can’t run away from this forever.  ”

“  i can’t keep acting like i don’t see something is wrong with you.  ”

“  you keep acting like if you let down your guard the world will end.  ”

“  stop brushing me off.  i know something is going on.  ”

“  hey— look at me.  you can talk to me.  ”

“  i don’t know if you think you’re being strong or protecting me,  but i don’t need you to keep painting on smiles when you’re clearly upset.  ”

“  why don’t you trust me enough to let me in?  ”

“  you think if you run around taking care of everyone else,  no one will notice you’re falling apart.  ”

“  you keep acting like you’re looking for an excuse to leave.  ”

“  stop.  just stop trying to avoid this.  shutting me out isn’t going to fix the problem.  ”

“  you do realize you don’t have to do this alone right?  ”

“  you think you’re handling this on your own but you’re not.  that’s not how it works when the people who care about you can see you’re suffering but refusing to ask for help.  ”

“  you don’t get a choice this time.  i’m helping you.  ”

“  why do you keep lying to me like i don’t know ever time you try it?  ”

“  i don’t know why you seem to think you have to hide your pain.  ”  

“  i don’t know why you thought i wasn’t going to notice.  but i see right through you.  ” 

“  i know you’re having nightmares again.  ”

“  why are you acting like this?  ”

“  don’t change the subject.  i saw you crying.  ”  

“  you fucked it up.  ”

“  what the hell is wrong with you?  ”

“  just tell me what the fuck the problem is?  ”

“  did you just flinch away from me?  ”

“  i trusted you. why can’t you trust me too?  ”  

[secretsforged]

theresastargirl​

“Don’t I know it. I’m used to it though. Runt of the family liter, overworked coffee runner for Six, dogsbody for Tanner.” She passed off the coffee before making herself a fresh mug. It was the only perk of being the coffee girl; having the pot near her desk.

Ophelia stirs in her own sugar as she listens. She could definitely see her as an undercover agent, and being handy at weapons definitely was a plus. There was no way Phee could compete with that. She was still struggling to manage spreadsheets some days.

“That’s really impressive though. I mean, I could never, so props to you lot, honestly. Maybe I should learn a few things from you. At least then maybe if I did ever happen to end up in the field, I wouldn’t be so helpless.” The best she could do now is call Q and probably have a double-oh come and collect her body later. She shoved that thought to the side as she took a sip of her coffee.

“I’m Ophelia, by the way. Ophelia Smith. I think my name tag got buried somewhere over there. But it’s nice to meet you.”

SHE’S A CHATTERBOX TOO. Joelle finds it endearing as she smiles around the lip of her mug. It’s a real smile. Not a fake one. How rare it is for her to show any emotion other than anger, annoyance, or rage.

The thought of mentioning her siblings crosses the woman’s mind but she bites her tongue. Adela is dead. Just like her siblings. Joelle is an only child. An orphan. But God does she miss her brother and sister.

“I imagine you’re the youngest then? Getting picked on?” A breathy chuckle leaves Joelle’s lips as she sets her coffee down and lounges back in her chair.

“I think everyone should learn how to defend themselves, spy or not.” Joelle didn’t have a choice in the matter. Her mother had trained all three of her children in how to defend themselves and survive. At the time she’d thought it’d been a game. But their mother had been grooming them.

Warmth seeps into the brunette’s cheeks. Slender hand extends. “Joelle Park. Recent recruit to MI6. Guess I’m on desk duty until M figures out what to do with me.” Hopefully it’s putting her in the field. “It’s nice to meet you, Ophelia.”

[secretsforged]

HE DOESN’T HAVE TO TELL HER TWICE. Doesn’t have to warn Joelle about the weight of their mission. But they thing about her, she thrives in the field. She’d been born for it. What started out as revenge mission turned into mining for secrets and exposing them. Joelle knows how to play her cards well. The only reason this would go south if is her head decided it wanted to be a dick or she had a flare up of pain in her back. But both seem far off possibilities.

“Don’t worry,” she says with a French accent, slipping into her cover role. “We’ll be fine. Just don’t get too cocky.” Joelle smiles, kissing James on the cheek.

Stealing her spine, holding her chin high, Joelle walks in, full of grace and poise. No one would know her as a spy. All they would see is an elegant woman with a charming boy toy on her arm. She gives the other spy another grin. “Coming, darling?” she purrs.

@thebestplayer​ sent in: “ remember. we mess up even slightly, and that building is packed with people who’ll kill us on the spot. ”

[secretsforged]

theresastargirl​

Ophelia leaned against her desk, nodding a bit. “The paperwork never ends it seems. Doesn’t help when you’re an assistant to the assistant of the whole operation.” At least she could commiserate with that. It was awful the amount of files that landed on her desk some days. “The field? You and me both, but… probably for the best that I’m here instead.” She looked the other over before giving her a small smile. “I think you’d be better at it than me though. You look more capable at least.”

Moving over to the nearby coffee pot, she began to make her a cup, hoping it might alleviate some of the pain. “Are you any good at firing a gun and all that stuff? My hands shake too much to aim properly. Just not cut out for it, though I did try to convince M once. That went over wonderfully, as you can imagine.” Ophelia laughed softly before turning back to her. “You want cream? Sugar?” She asks, holding up the mug. It was the least she could do without prying too much into what the other woman’s situation was.

A THIN SMILE FORMS ON HER LIPS. “Sounds like you got the short end of the stick.” 

Ophelia is bright and happy. Kind. Real. What is Joelle? She’s a shadow. A farce. She finds it unfair she can’t be 100% honest with the red head. Be her genuine self because Joelle has no idea who that is.

“Black, please.” Hands reach for the offered mug. It warms her palms, instilling a sense of serenity. At least Joelle could feel something.

Thinking for a moment, wondering how much of her past she should share, Joelle inhales, smelling her coffee. It soothes her senses as she stires to drum up a kind expression and a warm smile. “I used to do a lot of undercover work. Long term, undercover. I had extensive weapons and explosives training. But I mostly utilized my gift of languages. My...former employer really liked that about my skill set. Could talk my way out of any situation. And if that failed, I had knives and guns.”