#raventraced

[fatescattered]

"Are you sure you want to do this?" It wasn't the first time she had asked, and probably wouldn't be the last. While Kayley wouldn't normally insist on the matter, she simply didn't believe Grace's resolve whenever she reassured her. This wasn't just any other case where they could joke around and Kayley would offer to take the lead. Grace's mom was killed here. She shouldn't have been assigned to the case in the first place. Were they trying to get her killed, sending her to the damn hotel?

Fingers drummed against her holster, itching to move but forcing herself to still for Grace's sake. Kayley couldn't go rushing in head first like she always did. She had to be the rational one for once, and be there for Grace in whatever way she needed.

"I can go in on my own. We don't have to tell the chief." Eyes scanned the perimeter once more. This place gave her the creeps, even without going inside. Kayley learned early on that any location could become a crime scene, but this... this screamed crime scene from the entrance alone.

"It's a lot, Grace. You don't have to go back there."

@raventraced

[storiem]

she's not sure why she's here, honestly. chloe could be anywhere, doing anything, and yet... she's here. at a bougie arts college in the middle of vermont. just to see her.

chloe wonders if max ever thinks about her the same way she thinks about max. she wonders if the nights are just as long, just as confusing as her brain shifts from memory to memory, trying to remember and forget what they did. what she did. ( indirectly, of course, but it's a heavy burden to deal with -- dooming an entire town of people just to live. and to see the reason you lived walk out of your life? it stings. )

she's grown so much. done and immense amount of self reflection. and chloe, though still unprepared for whatever this reunion brings, cannot contain the small spark of hope that bubbles in her chest at the thought of seeing max again. of being with max again, even as friends. strangers. acquaintances. people trying to learn each other again.

she nurses the beer bottle as she sits at the bar, eyes flicking around the establishment. ( the snapping turtle has a good vibe, for sure. definitely something max would be into -- it's artsy as shit. ) she doesn't stick out, but she feels like she does. a college bar usually means everyone knows each other. and, as she takes in the scenery, chloe quickly realizes she is starkly alone.

save for max to her left, of course. ( and thank god for that. )

head shaking, she turns, swivels on the barstool she's perched on. ❛ you really come here every night? ❜ she teases, nudging max's arm with a gentle push. ❛ never really saw you as a bar local, caulfield. always expected you at a place like a... speakeasy, or somethin'. y'know, ❜ she pauses, brow raised, ❛ real fancy and shit. ❜ / @raventraced

[fatescattered]

On any other night, Jackie would be the life of the party. Drinking and mingling, dancing with Jeff -- but instead she found herself hidden away in a corner, the cup in her hand still untouched. She hadn't even seen Jeff since she got here - though she had hardly looked for him anyway. The two of them fighting and breaking up was nearly routine by now, yet something felt different this time. It wasn't just about him ignoring her texts or pressuring her to sleep with him. No, the reason for Jackie ending things went much deeper than that, something buried deep that she wasn't ready to uncover just yet.

Nat just had to ask her about it, didn't she?

Jackie couldn't stop replaying the conversation they'd had in the locker room earlier, the question Nat blurted out burned into her skin. She wasn't -- she couldn't be. That just wasn't Jackie, it wasn't right. So why wasn't she able to answer? Instead she stood there frozen, staring at Nat like a deer in the headlights, no words reaching her lips. What if she was right?

Deep in thought, she even didn't notice Nat approaching until she was standing right in front of her. The sudden realization made Jackie jump in place, scrambling to force her usual smile back onto her lips. "Nat! Hey." The grip on her cup tightened just a little, the corners of her mouth stretching until it hurt. "What's up?"

@raventraced

[fatescattered]

Her suitcase carried little more than some clothing and personal trinkets she couldn't bear to part ways with, yet it felt impossibly heavy to Chrissy. The fight with her mother kept playing over and over in her mind, the look of disgust she'd given her forever burned into Chrissy's skin. She didn't do anything wrong. She regretted what happened with Jason and wished she'd been strong enough to turn him down -- but she refused to get rid of the baby. He couldn't decide things for her anymore.

So why did she feel like crying again?

The sound of footsteps nearly made her jump in place. Chrissy had been so relieved when no one else was at the bus stop when she arrived, but it seemed she wouldn't be so lucky after all. She wasn't sure she could handle someone else judging her like they did at school.

Robin Buckley? The familiar face had her eyes widening in surprise. The two weren't friends, not really, only having spoken in passing a few times. However, Chrissy did hear about what happened to her. How she'd been shunned by the entire town after someone found out she had a crush on a girl. Chrissy had wanted to reach out then and offer a few words of comfort... but didn't feel strong enough, too worried about her own life falling apart before her eyes.

"Hi." She offered a small smile, hand raising slightly in greeting. The last thing Chrissy wanted was to be put through small talk while on the verge of another breakdown, but she didn't want Robin to think she was shutting her out too. Maybe she could finally right her wrong from before, even if just a little.

@raventraced

[biohazardsurviivors]

“I know you don’t trust me, yet, and that’s okay.” — From Helena for Leon!

@raventraced "Nothin' personal, Harper." Leon said, as he opened a soda, leaning back in his chair, as he was in his office at DSO, movie posters for eighties movies like Bloodsport, and Universal Soldier adorning his walls. "I am new to partners. Since Claire in Raccoon City, and even then, we were separated alot. But if it's what Simmons wants. Trust has to be earned. And I am never too sure about most people's loyalties. Especially from the brass on top."

He gazed at her, trying to get a read on Helena's dark eyes. "Did you read my report on the incident with President Graham's daughter, from the mission in Spain? Pretty comprehensive. Might be a good starting point, to give you an idea, of what we are dealing with."

[fatescattered]

@raventraced sent: ❛ i’m not sober enough to talk about this. ❜ — From Helena for Tess!

"Well, I can help with that. Buy you another drink, maybe?" The words spilled over too fast, in that usual carefree tone of hers, before Tess had a chance to stop herself. She could already tell just from the expression on her face that whatever was bothering Helena wasn't so mundane that it could be joked away - even by Tess, who had a real talent for it. Maybe the other was drowning her sorrows over a failed relationship or someone she lost, both common enough in their line of work.

Whatever the reason, Tess should've left it at that. Left her alone or maybe even offered to help get her home, with no ulterior motive, if her depressive tone was anything to go by.

Unfortunately, Tess was never any good at listening to that voice inside her head that tried to steer her in the right direction. She was convinced she could help Helena somehow, if only she picked the right words. It's what she wished someone had done with her, on most nights she ended up in a bar just like this.

"Or... I can just buy you the drink," she added in a more sober voice, the way she held Helena's gaze soft almost. "And we don't have to talk about it. We don't have to talk about anything if you don't want." Tess shrugged, bringing her glass to her lips to finish off the rest of her drink and welcoming the way it burned her throat.

"I know it may not seem like it, but I can shut up sometimes."

[metmydeadline]

What are you doing there sitting in the dark? — From Grace Ashcroft!

Alyssa massaged her temples, staring at her computer screen with an empty headed glaze to her eyes. Reports out of a West Coast state. A small outbreak. She watched the news coverage with bated breath, internally calculating whether or not the team was too close to the site or not. These smaller outbreaks weren't ever as bad as Raccoon City, but still, every single time her heart would race.

"When'd it get dark?" she murmured, "Ah. Sorry."

Alyssa closed the browser windows on her laptop, shutting it with a quick refocusing sigh.

"No news is good news, sometimes. Just watching something scary. What's up?"

[fatescattered]

Sleep was long behind her by the time Nora reluctantly pushed herself off the bed. She'd awoken maybe an hour ago, a low groan rumbling in the base of her throat as the injuries from the day before flared up again. She would've gotten up to fetch some painkillers from her medical kit... but found there was another way to make her forget all about the pain - much closer and more pleasant.

Hopefully Jill didn't notice she'd been awake this whole time, biding her time, reveling in the way the other's arms wrapped around her. It probably happened sometime during the night, in the midst of all the tossing and turning. Definitely not intentional, Nora told herself, burning the notion into her brain. No matter how nice it felt, she shouldn't get used to it.

"Are you feeling better?" Her haphazard idea of breaking the silence unintentionally had her gaze lingering on Jill, with the excuse of looking over her injuries... but she would be lying if she said that was all there was to it. Where had this come from, all of a sudden? They had worked together so many times before, yet the warmth spreading across her chest was entirely novel - something she hadn't felt in a long time, too.

"I can take another look at your injuries, if you want," she offered, small smile on her lips. "Otherwise, I'm packing a lot of painkillers in my kit."

@raventraced