#wesley-blake

[skylaredlund-blog]

Unexpected Turnout | Wesley & Skylar | Convo

Characters Involved: Wesley Blake & Skylar Edlund

Location: Skylar's room

Time Frame: Sometime after 3rd meal

Word Count: 1,922

Wesley took a deep breath as he massaged his temples. It has been a very long day and all he wanted was to go home and sleep off everything. Before he even thought about sleep, he knew that he had to check up on his agents and recruits, many of which were injured during this little event. He decided to start off strong and visit Skylar first, knowing that she probably held up better than the others. He kept his head up as he started toward the recruit's room. He was positive that she would either be there or in the gym, training or doing whatever the schedule called for at the moment. But given the circumstance, he decided to check her room first. With a knock, he said, "Skylar? You there?"

Skylar had decided to return to her room immediately after her shedule didn't require her to be at any lessons any longer. It seemed like people were latching themselves onto her at every corner and she had to concentrate quite hard to keep herself calm enough to not punch them or hurt them otherwise. Instead of snarky remarks she would merely let their presence wash over herself silently. Right now she was sitting on her little desk where papers and books where strewn all across the surface. Even though she had vowed to herself to catch up on Chinese again using the helpful notebook that Jason had given her, she still hadn't even written down a single word in the foreign language. The knock on her door ripped her out of her apathy, making her shoulder hurt when she jumped in her chair at the unexpected noise. She considered playing possum but when she recognised her handlers voice some part of her managed to make her get up and open the door. "Where else should I be?"

Wesley smiled weakly when she opened the door, but then his face fell when he saw the expression on her face. Maybe this wouldn't be as simple as he thought. "I don't know. Training or getting food." He looked inside her room and noticed that the flower he had been replacing was also dead again. He would have to get her another one. "You mind if I come in? I want to make sure that you're alright." Of course, she could say no, and Wesley would respect her wishes, but he sensed that there was something wrong with her and he would prefer to talk to her about it in a closed setting instead of the hallway where all of Division could hear them.

Skylar shrugged at this words, seeing his smile fade quickly when he looked at her. She also noticed his searching look past her into the room but didn't comment on that either. "I don't have a choice in that matter, do I?" The recruit stepped aside to allow Wesley to step inside, a knot of anger forming in her chest. Why was everyone asking her if she was ok or trying to make sure that she was ok? They hadn't cared before so why did they now? It was something that the brunette wasn't able to explain and as of yet she hadn't found the opportunity to address this issue. Maybe though Wesley would know, would be able to explain it to her. Was she looking so miserable these days? Was there something so wrong with her that it made people all sympathetic towards her?

Wesley shook his head. "Of course you have a choice." He walked inside anyway and shut the door behind him. He wanted to sit, but he knew that he wouldn't unless she sat down first. He smiled weakly at her, knowing that she grew uncomfortable if he smiled too broadly. "How are you? Did you get injured at all?" he asked her as his eyes checked her for injuries. He noticed some bruising and scrapes, but he couldn't see anything major. At least he was hoping that there was nothing major.

Skylar watched how Wesley shut the door firmly behind him. "If I ever had one then you just took the decision from me." It wasn't really an accusation towards her handler, she didn't mind that he had stepped into her room but she was wary of his presence not only because she felt not like herself but also because she still remembered the way she had dissappointed him weeks before. He was going to keep punishing her for that, she just felt it. "My shoulder is busted but it'll be fine if I go easy on the fighting.", she summed up quickly what the doctor had told her after he had checked her out. She didn't like the way he scrutinized her and tried to catch his eyes to divert his attention from her physical health.

Wesley laughed weakly, amused that he was having this conversation in the first place. "Not necessarily. If you don't want me here, you can open the door and tell me to leave. I won't be butt hurt if you do. This is your room after all." Although he knew that he didn't have to leave. This was Division's room, not Skylar's and he had the right to stay there for as long as necessary. But he knew better than to expose such truths. He nodded at her, remembering reading the report on that not too long ago. "Good. Make sure to take it easy then." He took a breath and his eyes went to the flower once more. "Other than physically, how are you with everything else?" She came out of isolation not long before the flood started. It must seem like one bad thing after another was happening to her and he wanted to make sure that she didn't let it get to her head.

Skylar felt a lump form in her throat again battling with the anger inside her and the worry about having disappointed Wesley. It was a confusing mixture and made her sick to the stomach. "You can stay.", she merely said hearing her voice shake despite her efforts to keep it steady. Her hands were forming fists as she tried to sort through the feelings inside, to decide on which one to turn on her handler. "I will." Her lips were pursed when he asked her about her emotional state. The brunette was not willing to admit that she was a mess, a distaster with so many feelings that she felt she might burst. If he knew this would he lock her up again? Skylar couldn't imagine what it would be like to be back in that room where only her thoughts and memories would keep her company. This time it would be worse, she wouldn't survive that. "Will you lock me up again?" He had seen that she was weak right now, not able to perform like they expected of her. What else could there follow but punishment for not being the best? She wished that Jane would be here to help her figure this out with her.

Wesley watched her very carefully. There was something not right with her at all. He knew she shouldn't have been in solitary for an entire week but the guard she beat up was well liked by Olivia and he didn't have much of a choice on the matter. Now there was something definitely off about her and he was going to have to fix it. Taking a deep breath, he decided to sit down. It would be better if she could look down at him in this situation. "Is that what this is about? You think I'll lock you up, again? Skylar..." He took a moment to find the right words. "I don't want you to think that everything you do wrong will result in you going to solitary. The only reason why you had to go in the first place was because you picked the wrong guard to fight with." He took another breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Next time--if there is a next time--I'll try harder to make sure you don't go back there, but you have to promise me that you'll tell me if something is wrong."

Skylar followed his movements with cautious eyes. She swallowed at his words, the anger deflating inside her chest as she watched him sit down and talk to her. The despair stayed behind though, it even intensified and she started to feel tears well up behind her eyes again. No, she wouldn't cry in front of him. The recruit blinked the wetness away and took a deep breath. She couldn't believe a word that he told her, it wasn't conform with the way she'd been raised at all. His promise made her efforts to stay detached impossible as she felt the first drop of salty water run down her cheek. "Jane is dead. I saw her die."

Wesley could see how hard it was for her to control herself and he knew that she would break eventually. Whether it would be with him or with someone else was another matter entirely. He was prepared to let her know this when she told him what happened. And then he understood. He had seen the two girls together from time to time and they seemed close--perhaps too close if he was being particularly critical, but that didn't matter anymore. He always thought that at least she had a friend out there, but now she was dead. "Oh Skylar," he said as he got to his feet and wrapped his arms around her. He kept the hug light just in case she wanted to pull away from him. Despite the circumstance, he was proud of her for telling him. It meant she trusted him. It meant that he has done his job properly.

Skylar didn't know what she had expected her handler to do but it was surely unexpected that she found herself in an embrace all of a sudden. Her body tensed for a moment before she allowed herself to be wrapped into his arm, strangely thankful for the warmth and comfort. She wasn't sobbing in utter devastation like she had been the nights before or even like the time she had met Darcy but the tears were tumbling down her face silently. "I don't know what to do.", she confessed quietly and looked up to Wesley's face, hoping for some advice.

Wesley relaxed himself when Skylar did and his arms around her grew a little tighter, although still not too tight where it might feel suffocating to her. He let whatever tears she was willing to shed fall from her face as he gently rubbed her back. He looked down at her and found himself torn as he saw how lost she seemed. He wanted to keep himself in the con and remember that this was only for the con, but the humanity still inside of Wesley told that part of his brain to fuck off. He gave her a sad smile. "You'll do what you've always done. You'll get through this. It'll be hard, but you have to keep moving forward." He didn't know if what he said would help her; after all he's never had to go through the pain of losing a loved one and Pryor didn't count. "I'll make sure that Olivia isn't concerned with you for now. Take your time, Skylar, and remember that I'll be there for you if you ever need me."

[adamantexplorer-blog]

Wash The Pain Away | Wesley & Rachel

The soft breeze of the sea made Rachel’s hair wave around her head. She was wrapped inside a thick winter jacket to keep from getting cold. She had never felt really warm again ever since her almost deadly encounter with the ice mutant, Jonathan. When she had phased through the ice he had encased her in, something of it must’ve held onto her physique. Maybe it was just the feeling of utter despair that consumed her. She had tried to find Wesley but the man knew how to hide himself from detection when he wanted to. Eventually she had given up on the task. Even though she was only twenty-five years old, the brunette looked older with lines of worry and grief on her features. She hadn’t gone back to the Institute after the attack in Washington DC. Her heart just wasn’t into the cause they served and she knew that it was only a matter of time before Connor would kick her out because of it.

She had travelled after she had given up on finding the person who had stripped her of any energy and compassion, she once had. She wanted to go to sleep but couldn’t bring herself to cross that bridge. Instead she had visited the countryside of Scotland, found work where she was needed and wanted. Those relationships only lasted for a short amount of time though and then she was on the move again. Her anger at Wesley had dissolved over the years, leaving only sadness about what he had been driven to do to uphold his beliefs. They had been friends, good friends and even family. Nathan had been family as well but she realised now that her love for him wouldn’t have been enough in the end. Her own beliefs were too different from his and she could’ve never closed her eyes from the devastating measures that humanity wanted to take to control and monitor mutants.

With a sigh she turned her gaze away from the waves and turned it towards a figure that was standing not too far away from her, simply watching. 

[adamantexplorer-blog]

What Needed To Be Done | Wesley & Rachel | Convo [Flashback]

Characters Involved: Wesley Blake & Rachel Berkley

Location: Brotherhood Headquarters

Timeframe: A few days after Nathan's death

Word Count: 2,237

Wesley returned to the Brotherhood very much the same as he had left. When you kill the people who gave you life, no one else's life is quite as devastating to him. The mark was a young boy by the name of Nathaniel Eissink and he had to take care of him the only way you could with a threat so large. While the blood was something he could live without, he couldn't find it in himself to feel guilty. What was the point when he was trying to align the mutants with humans. However, he knew that Nathan had a significant role in Rachel's life and he was uneasy to be seeing her. No doubt rumors of what he had done would spread from the team he brought with him on the operation and it would only be a matter of time before he had to deal with Rachel's wrath. With a sigh he rested in his bed and took out a book to read while he waited for her.

Rachel felt like she was walking on shaking ground. The people around her were a blur, the words of condolence when offered where not reaching her ears. She felt like she might vomit and wasn't able to shake the devastating feeling at all. What she had seen couldn't possibly be true. Someone like Nathan couldn't just be gone. She stumbled and had to steady herself when the world started to spin again. Her fingers went right through the wall that she had been trying to use for that. A surprised noise left her mouth and she head to will herself to become solid again. Then she took a deep breath and straightened her back. It was hard to fool herself about something that couldn't have been misread. She saw how Nathan killed himself and her mind immediately jumped to the look in his eyes. Her own eyes started to burn again but she willed herself to keep from crying. She had done enough of that the past week and it was time to stop. The moments of doubt about the event were still there every so often and it made her choke for air when she realised that the love of her life had been taken from her. Taken from her by one of the person that she had worshipped for most part of her life: Wesley. She hadn't had the stomach to face him yet but she felt that it was also inevitable as the rumours she heard spreading only furthered her belief that he had controlled Nathan's mind in his final moments. The second in command of the Brotherhood would have to pay for it. Steading herself completely and with a much more confident - almost angry - step, she walked down the corridor until she reached the door where she knew that Wesley was. She didn't bother knocking but instead phased right through it and saw him sitting on his bed, reading a bloody book. Her jaw tightened.

Wesley had gotten to the part where the hero had killed the beast to get to his one true love when he felt rather than saw the girl he had been waiting for come into his room. While his ability wasn't telepathic in the sense that he could read people's minds, he found that he could sense a person's particular brain pattern when they were close enough. He closed the book and picked himself up from his cot. "It's about time you've come. I was starting to think that you weren't as smart as I thought you were." It hurt slightly to see the mess of a girl in front of him. He remembered when she first joined the Brotherhood. He had offered her a home and even attempted to help her explore her abilities more. There was always a camaraderie between them which Wesley knew he had broken. He was sorry that he caused her pain, although that was as far as his guilt went.

Rachel stared pointedly at the man that she had once thought handsome and attractive due to the power he held in his hands. Now all she could see was a monster. "I knew it was you the moment I saw...", she struggled to form Nathan's name, not able to let it slip past her lips out of fear that he would completely slip away from her mind, ".. the moment that I saw him. You were in his eyes." And in his actions. Nathan had never harmed anyone and done all he could to bridge the gap between mutants and humans. While Rachel had never really agreed with his point of view she had still looked past it and loved him anyhow. They are quite the odd couple - no the were. A couple required two breathing beings. She didn't care that Wesley was basically insulting her intelligence. He wasn't sorry for what he had done, he never regretted anything but he was going to regret this. Her fingers were clenched into tight fists.

Wesley sighed, keeping himself in control. She just needed to let off her anger and her hurt. He understood that and he would let her. When she let all of her hurt feelings go, they could get back to the job at hand. After all, he was just a boy. "I'm sorry for your loss, Rachel. Honestly. And for your sake, I wish there was another way we could have gone around the subject, but there was none. I did what I had to to help the cause." He made sure he put as much meaning in his words as possible. Reasoning with emotional people was a gift of his--although not mutant related--and he had to make her see that this was the only option for success. Nathaniel was getting in the way of their goal.

Rachel swallowed hard. She knew that it wasn't going to do her any good to try and harm a mutant with the ability to control your mind but she wanted to hurt him, hear him cry out in pain that she had caused. She wanted him to suffer like she suffered at this moment or have him lie to her and tell her that he wasn't behind this, show more compassion for her situation than he did now. "I could've changed him. You didn't give me a chance!", she accused Wesley, feeling her eyes starting to sting again. Hadn't she already shed too many tears? Shouldn't they stop flowing at some point?

Wesley closed his eyes allowing the small amount of guilt he had to take over him. He had been alive long enough to know that there was no other way. People don't change, no matter how much they want to. He knew that a guy like Nathan especially wouldn't have changed his ideals just for a girl. At the sight of her tears, he instinctively wanted to comfort her, but he though better of it. She wouldn't want him to be comforting her right then anyway. "You know that's not true Rachel." He sighed and wished he felt guilty enough to say that he regretted doing it or even lie to her. Unfortunately, he didn't like lying to people, especially people he particularly liked.

Rachel felt angry for losing the little bit of restraint that she had left in the presence of the other man. She didn't want him of all people to see her grief. "You should've given me the chance instead of just making the decision. I was there you know. I saw him!" The violent images flashed through her mind again and her body started to tremble. She felt the signs of herself becoming intangible without being able to control herself. She had to focus on making her molecules solid again for a moment, glad to only have one thing on her mind as she forgot about her surroundings. When she was fully in one place again, she felt strangely calmer as she looked at Wesley again. That bastard wasn't even sorry, she knew him too well. He would never be sorry about eliminating a possible threat and he had taught her the same thing. But why had it have to be Nathan?

Wesley shook his head, feeling genuine sadness for the fact that Rachel could believe such a thing. People don't change. He would know. He dealt with people all the time. He saw them at their best and worst and he knew that people, deep down, cannot change their roots--no matter how hard he may try. "Given you the chance to change his mind? And you think he would have done that, Rachel? Honestly? Do you think he would have given up everything he believed in and was working for to join the opposing team?" He didn't want to soil Rachel's memory of her boyfriend, but at the same time, he didn't want to lose her. She was a very good asset and he had to admit that he did like her company most of the time. At least, he liked her company.

Rachel felt her throat clog up, when she looked at the older man. He seemed so genuine with his grief over her loss. She was almost willing to believe him but his next words made her take a sharp turn. Why couldn’t he believe that she was capable of convincing Nathan to take at least a less opposing approach? It stung that he had so little faith in her abilities even though in a less confused and emotional moment, she would have had to agree with him. She wouldn’t even have wanted to change Nathan since his determination and dedication was one of the qualities that she loved the most about him. Now his truth just hurt too much and the brunette was more than willing to just pretend that he was completely in the wrong. “We’ll never know now, will we?”, she felt the energy drain out of her body as the anger-filled grimace of her face fell, leaving only raw sadness and emotion. Her shoulders sacked and for the first time she felt completely hollow without being able to shed more tears.

Wesley took in the girl in front of him. She was no longer the friend he had thought her as. She was a stranger to him now, an enemy that he created for himself. She would never forgive him for what he did. He could see that now. And that meant that he had to cut this away. He would not allow himself to be hurt by anyone anymore. If Rachel could not understand his reasoning and hated him, then she needed to leave. "No. We won't. Now, I think it's prime time that you reign yourself in before you make a fool of yourself. Your grief may be justified, but it would be best if you get your act together before you hurt someone." It hurt him to say, but he knew that it needed to be done. He wanted her to be angry with him. He wanted her to want to kill him even. As long as she left, everything would be okay. Even if he would miss their moments together, he knew that she had to leave. What they had was gone and it could not come back.

Rachel didn't know the person that she was looking at anymore. This was not the person that she had idolised since she had moved in with the Brotherhood with her sister more than seven years ago. This was someone else entirely and she didn't like at all what she was seeing. Her features were hardened, her composure stiff but upright like you would face a stranger who just rubs you all the wrong way from the start. "You have no idea what you have done.", she told him fully in control of her emotion for this one moment. There was only pure hatred spilling out of her as she locked her eyes with Wesley's for one last time before she phased right through the wall. She knew now what she was going to do and she would need support to do it, so she had to be patient. Eventually though Wesley would meet his very painful end by her hands.

Wesley looked at her with a blank expression as she basically threatened her. On the contrary, he knew exactly what he did and he knew where it would lead him. She would try to kill him. He didn't know if she would be successful, but he knew that she would try and she may spend the rest of her life trying to kill him. It made him sad, but at the same time, he was glad that he managed to relieve himself of the weight now before it became too painful for him later. Abuse was not something that he ever took lightly and he would never give it to himself willingly. He watched the girl leave his room for the last time and took a breath. "Good luck, Rachel," he murmured as he rested on his cot once again and shut his eyes. He refused to feel the pain of losing someone he cared about. "Don't feel pain," he murmured. If only his ability could work for him as well, that way the emptiness he suddenly felt would go away.

[skylaredlund-blog]

Being Nice 101 with Professor Wesley | Wesley & Skylar | Convo

Characters Involved → Wesley Blake & Skylar Edlund

Location → Wesley's Room

Timeframe → Sometime after Showers

Wordcount → 1,877

Wesley rubbed his temples as he lied down on the futon he kept in his office. Between checking on Jonathan to make sure he was still breathing and dealing with all of the other numerous problems that peppered Division, he was starting to think he needed a much needed vacation. Of course, that would have to come after he dealt with one problem in particular. He is convinced that Skylar Edlund is a sociopath, which made him a little uneasy for the long run. Conning a sociopath would be difficult, but not impossible and he hoped that he could attempt to do so today. She doesn't play very well with others and if his latest mission meant anything, you needed someone else there by your side. Or at least not piss off the person at your side. He was hoping that this wouldn't take very long and that he could get to her at least pretend to care about people. Common sense told him that he wouldn't be that lucky.

Skylar was wary about getting order to Wesley's office. She knew that he had only recently returned from a graduation mission for one of the recruits and she had hoped that her handler wouldn't want to check up on her quite so soon. THe brunette very much enjoyed the freedom she had when he wasn't always figuratively hovering over her and deciding if she was doing alright. In general she prefered to be left alone and learn in her own way how to cope with the tasks set before her. Still it would be mostly unwise to ignore his request which was why Skylar walked the distance to his room after taking a quick shower to get rid of all the sweat pouring down her body after another satisfying sparring exercise, which had ended with her partner on the ground. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if there was more of a reason he was calling on her than a simple check-up but she waved away the thought knowing that she would come out on top of whatever would happen. She had survived without worrying so far. Once she reached the familiar door the recruit knocked politely and waited for her handler to bid her come in.

Wesley groaned at the sound of the knock, not one hundred percent ready to go into handler mode. He took a deep breath and pulled himself into a sitting position. He thought about saving himself the trouble of having to get up to get the door, but he knew that he had to keep himself professional. Forcing himself to his feet, he plastered on he warm smile and opened the door for his recruit. "Skylar. It's very nice to see you again. Come on in." He gestured for her to walk inside and he shut the door behind her. Motioning for her to sit down, he went to his refrigerator and grabbed a soda. "You want water or something. You just came from sparring practice, yes?" He picked up a cold water from his stash and checked to make sure it wasn't one he opened already.

Skylar 's skin crawled when her handler greeted her with a smile and words that were meant to be warm, even comforting. She didn't know what to really reply to that, so she forced the ghost of a smile onto her features and nodded. Just like the first time that she had been in his own four walls, she sat down on the chair after being allowed to do so and waited for him to finally come to the matter that he wanted to discuss with her. "Water would be good.", she nodded when she accepted the offer, feeling that her throat was dried out and then replied to the latter part of his words, "Yes, I did." Then she watched him fiddle around with a bottle of water, curious to what he was doing with it.

Wesley noticed her tension when he opened the door and he had to remember to not be as happy with her from now on. He walked to her and handed her the water with a brief nod. "Good. I assume you beat the other person's ass." He had seen her fight before and she was pretty good. Not as good as some others, but she could hold her own well enough. He sat down across from her, taking a small sip of his beverage before placing it on the small table beside him. "I know you probably want to rest before continuing on with your day so I'll cut to the chase. I've noticed that recently you've been a little...unfriendly with most people. Actually all people, but I rest my case. Normally, I would care if you wanted to crawl underneath a rock in between training, but when you go out to do a mission, you have to be able to at least be friendly with people." He didn't know how she was going to react. If his suspicions were correct, she probably wouldn't care at all.

Skylar let a grin flash over her lips when she briefly recalled the match that she had been engaged in minutes before. "Naturally.", she replied, taking pride in the fact that she had barely been beated during her time in Division. "Thanks", she belatedly told him after taking a first sip from the bottle of water. She sometimes forgot that it was good manners that mattered in situations like these but she was working on improving that even if it was going to be a very slow process. Still with that thought in mind the recruit approached her reply to the ridiculous words her handler had just uttered. Even though she knew that she hadn't really made an effort to find friends among the other recruits, she also didn't care if they didn't like her in return. This wasn't a popularity contest after all and in this facility it had seemed that for the first time in her life, no one cared if she pretended to get along. Those times were over now apparently. "I can exercise for hours and not really tire of it but put me in a room with a lot of talkative people for more than ten minutes and I will want to hit the hay early.", she replied honestly. If he had observed her adversity with human contact these words wouldn't surprise him and she also knew that right now he wouldn't be able to use this knowledge against her.

Wesley weakly, consciously making sure that it conveyed understanding instead of the normal warmth he would give to one of his recruits. "Yes, I understand that and I have no problems with that. But the fact remains that once you are allowed to graduate, being so antisocial can sometimes make people wary or suspicious of you and that is something you do not need." He took a deep breath and nodded to himself. "You don't need to be some talkative person. You just need to engage a little more and try not to say things like, 'this cake has poison in it.'" He smirked at the memory. He'll never let her forget that little escapade.

Skylar nodded since she very well understood the point he was making but it wasn't enough to make her actually want to change herself and try to be better at pretending. Yet this was exactly what he was expecting her to do and if he wanted to encourage her to polish that skill then he would have to motivate her better. "I admit that speaking my mind about that thought might have been misplaced at that moment.", she replied even though she internally rolled his eyes at him. She might be a little bit clumsy when it came to social interaction but she wasn't dumb. In a normal conversation in a place that wasn't filled with people who were all trained to kill in every way possible, she wouldn't have spoken aloud.

Wesley allowed himself to chuckle at the girl. He could tell that she understood but wasn't convinced. He figured that from here he could take it one of two ways. He could either go for positive reinforcement or threaten to not let her graduate until she was nice. The latter may work, but it wouldn't help with the whole trust thing he was trying to build. Which meant positive reinforcement. "How about we make a little deal? I'll help you try to be nicer to people and for every person that you are nice to, I will get you something." He made it vague for a reason, knowing that she would tell him what she wanted. That way it would be a little more compelling for her to say yes. At least that's what he was counting on.

Skylar smiled at his proposal. He was definitely learning to understand her and while it made her feel uncomfortable, the brunette also knew from the moment she heard him say it that she would agree to his proposal. Wesley was definitely good at what he did and she was starting to respect him for that. If only he would let others see what he was truly capable of, she might have even started to like him. "Fine.", she nodded and took another sip from the water that he had given her. "Is there anything else?", she then asked, getting ready to leave him to whatever he needed to do. She had been confronted with her own failure enough for one evening in her opinion and she didn't feel like having this experience stretch on.

Wesley couldn't help grinning at her reaction, please with himself. Of course, he knew that any person had their price and the fact that hers was tangible made it a little easier on him. Perhaps this wouldn't be so hard after all. "No, nothing as far as I'm concerned. We can start working tomorrow and if you can get someone to tell me that you've been nice then you get your reward." He paused a moment. "I will know if they're lying to me, so please spare me the trouble." He didn't know what he would do if she did, but that was another problem for another day. "I have nothing else to say. Good luck with the rest of your day, Skylar." He smiled again at her and stood up so he could open the door for her.

Skylar saw that he was evidently pleased with having achieved his agenda and part of her wanted to smack him for it but she also saw that there was no real point in acting out right now especially after she had just managed to get something out of this whole deal, so she restrained herself. "Very well then.", she said and got back on her feet in a swift motion. "Do you mind if I keep this?", she asked holding up the half-empty bottle of water and not thinking that he would object, she nodded a quick goodbye in his direction and slipped out of the room, pushing aside the fact that now she would have to be social in order to get what she wanted.

[skylaredlund-blog]

First Impressions | Wesley & Skylar | Convo

Characters Involved → Wesley Blake & Skylar Edlund

Location → Wesley's room in Division

Timeframe → Skylar's 1st Day

Wordcount → 1,663

Wesley read his Portuguese copy of Lord of the Flies as he waited for Skylar to come to his room. Of course, he wasn't one hundred percent sure what to expect from her, even after he read her file. It might have helped if he did more than just skim over it, but he figured that if he went in completely blind, it would be a little more amusing for him. He knew though that she wouldn't be easily bought. He got to the part where he wanted to murder the little shit named Jack when he decided to put his book down and pick up his cards instead. He was hoping she would hurry so he could go home.

Skylar had been asked to join her handler in his own room but she didn't feel like having another confrontation with the man just yet, which was why she was purposely running late. It wasn't like he had seemed like a person with ill intentions and he most likely would have some interesting things to tell her about how her life would be inside the bunker but she didn't want to appear to eager to get started, having realised that her readiness to accept their purpose was freaking some people out. Finally though she appeared to have no other choice but to make her way through the hallways, counting the numbers on the doors until she reached the right one and knocked politely.

Wesley checked his watch, scowling a little at the hour. He expected her to come sooner, but it would seem that his poor dog would be waiting for him once again. He went to open the door, his normal warm smile on his face as he greeted the girl. "Skylar, come on in." He thought about lecturing about coming late, but seeing as he never set a time for her, he figured he couldn't get angry. He gestured toward the comfy chairs in the middle of his room and nodded. "How was your first day?"

Skylar raised an eyebrow when he greeted her with a smile and welcomed her inside his room. Her eyes scouted the room which looked very unlike her own room but still didn't have the desired feature, which is real sunlight shining through at least one window. She followed his invitation and set down on the comfortable chairs, still studying silently the different surroundings without appearing to curious. When he started to speak again, she turned her attention back to him. "Fine, if you consider that this place sucks." Almost subconsciously her fingers started to tap on the armrest, an almost unnoticeable tremor in them. She didn't see an advantage in sugarcoating what she felt.

Wesley laughed a little at her candor. He had to love that about this place some times. At least the kids weren't shitting themselves about their new situation. "Think what you want of this place, but it is your second chance at life. I hope you take advantage of it." He straightens a little, noticing her tapping on the chair. "So first off, do you have any immediate questions?"

Skylar mustered him silently for a moment following his reply. "Right now this doesn't really feel like a second chance at life.", she continued to complain despite feeling like she was stepping on dangerous ground right now. She wondered if her handler found it amusing to see her struggle and fail to adapt to her new situation. His tone seemed like that of a teacher to her who was reminding her to always keep her head down and take his words for gospel. It made her feel small and irrelevant, a feeling which was only intensified by the loss of numbing mediation. The brunette felt anger swell up inside her but she managed to choke it down and lock it away for the moment. "What is the shedule here? Restrictions, things that are off-limit?", she started to ask instead taking the question as an invite to bombard him with the things that she wanted to know.

Wesley nodded at her. If she was so willing to accept her new life, then he would be suspicious. Of course you weren't going to like a new situation if you were forced into it, especially if you're also told that you have to be an assassin as well. He went to his desk and grabbed a little typed out schedule he had for his newer recruits. "This is the schedule that you will be abiding by as long as you are in the bunkers. There are clocks in everyone's classes so that you can get to classes on time. I'll help you wake up your first few nights here so that you can get used to the horrendous hour." He handed her the schedule and then pulled out a little map from his pocket as well. "It's a rough sketch, but it will help you. You aren't allowed in the kitchens, supply closet, war room, or the interrogation rooms in the back of Division. Also, going into other people's rooms is frowned upon, but you won't get in serious trouble for it. However, if you are found sneaking around after curfew, then that is means for punishment." Wesley knew he was laying it on thick, but he also knew that if he made the rules very clear, there was less of a chance of her breaking them. Unless she was the sort who liked breaking them.

Skylar eagerly grabbed the shedule out of his hands and briefly scanned it, smiling when she read about the classes that she would need to attend. This would be quite different from high school and college. "I don't sleep long anyway.", she told her handler suspicious of his offer. She didn't really need him to wake her up anyway since she doubted that she would find any sleep at all in the nights ahead. The darkness was already suffocating her just as much as the loss of sunlight was. And the space was just not wide enough for her to feel at ease. "Thank you.", she told him when he also handed her a map of the interior of the facility which would prove to be quite useful for her since she was mostly running through the hallways and hoping that she would hit her destination by accident. "When does the curfew start?" She would have to test the strictness with which the authorities enforced their rules at some later point but not any time in the near future. She needed to earn herself some good will first.

Wesley smiled at how eager she seemed to be. He was hoping that that meant that she would be slightly easier to control until graduation. Of course, he would have to do his part as well in making sure that she stayed according to his plan. He nodded at her words. "Still, I'll go by to make sure you wake up. I promise to be a gentleman." He knew that some of the more skittish girls wouldn't want a relative stranger in their room in the morning. If Skylar was the same, he would respect her wishes and repeatedly knock on the door to get her up instead. Granted that was more annoying than him going in and shaking her awake, but at least it worked. "You're welcome. And curfew starts at 7, an hour after third mensa. If you're out past that time then the guards will have to step in." Wesley knew that most of the guards were either completely oblivious or didn't care enough to stop them. If Skylar was out at night, he wouldn't ever know about it until he saw her walking around himself. Of course, she didn't know that and that was perfectly okay with him. "Any other questions?"

Skylar rolled her eyes at her handler. She didn't really care if he woke her or not even though she would've preferred to simply be left alone. Gentleman or not, it was still not something she was entirely comfortable with: Having a stranger invade your privacy. "Whatever.", she told him and let her eyes continue to drift through the room, where a violet caught her brief attention. It was weird to see this flower, which seemed far too colourful and foreign to these grey walls but it made Skylar relax somehow. Her attention returned to the man with her and she listened carefully to the rules he set. Clear and structured was just how she liked it and she wouldn't cause any troubles for herself by not abiding them. She wondered though how the guards would know that she was out after curfew. Was someone watching the surveillance cameras 24/7 and raising a silent alert when they caught a recruit out of bed? It wasn't worth finding out. She shook her head, having a clearer mind about what the future held for her. "If anything comes up, I'll ask you."

Wesley could see the slight hesitance about his wake up calls and he decided to play it safe tomorrow. He would only knock unless she said otherwise. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was a pervert of some kind. He noticed how her eyes went to the violet on his desk and he smiled wistfully. It was an inside joke with his older sister, Violet. He had always kept a violet to remember her by while she has a broken compass the only pointed west. He wondered why Skylar seemed to relax at the sight of it. None of the other recruits seemed to even notice it. He smiled warmly at her and stood up. "Good. My door is always open to you if you need it." No matter how many times he said it, he wasn't sure anyone believed him. He walked with her to the door and nodded one last time. "Good luck, Skylar. Now go get some rest."

[adamantexplorer-blog]

All Hail The Victor | Wesley & Rachel [Flashback]

The train was moving at an incredible speed, too fast for Rachel to catch anything that was going on outside. That was most likely its purpose, make you blind to the rest of the world. The newest winner of the annual Hunger Games let her gaze wander from the window to the inside of the prestigious interior of their means of transportation. It was so different from how she used to live and she had to admit that at first, she’d been blinded by the splendor. Now it had all taken a dull look, all the shininess absorbed by the events which still were far too recent. She had killed. At least three people had died because of her actions and for what? For the entertainment of the Capitol? People had lost their children, their siblings in the games and now Rachel was one of those that they would despise for killing their loved ones.

“How much longer until we arrive?”, she turned around completely to face her mentor, Wesley. He had helped her during her time in the arena but he hadn’t managed to keep her other district partner alive who had been stupid enough to get himself killed in the Bloodbath at the very beginning of the game. Rachel hadn’t been that stupid and even though at first he had been reluctant to put effort into it, in the end it seemed to become clear to Wesley that he might have his first possible victor in his hands. There weren’t many victors of district 5 that were still alive. In fact there were only Wesley, Rachel and a third tribute that had successfully made it through the games. 

[adamantexplorer-blog]

Operation Pine Tree | Wesley & Rachel [Flashback]

Whenever Rachel and her friends were planning a new heist they spent more time planning and throwing ideas around than it would take in the end to steal whatever their objective would be. This time wasn’t going to be much different. They had decided on the basics of their already. Their target was some kind of old vase that Marius had somehow picked out. It was a random piece but it had a high value on the black market and Rachel enjoyed the risk that always came with such a big theft. They had broken into the municipal office to get their hands on the blueprints of the gallery that would display the merchandise and their way of getting in and out was mostly already decided on. Still there was a lot of different things to be taken into account still, which was why the young woman had insisted on visiting the building to get a further grasp on the present security.

“Are you there yet?”, the familiar voice of Felix sounded in her head. Rachel lifted up her head to read the inscription that was on the side of the building. “Staring right at it.”, she replied into the speaker located on her headphones. The new feeble with everyone constantly flashing their smart phones and phoning through their headsets made surveillance operations much easier. No one looked even twice at you when you were seemingly speaking with no one. She confidently entered the building alongside a thin stream of other people who had chosen this day to see the collected arts displayed. The big opening for the new vase was scheduled to commence at the end of the week: Perfect time now to check out the security when it wasn’t already fully in place. “Why are you interested in the vase again?”, she mumbled into her headphones while letting her eyes wander over a rather handsome guy, who was standing close to a group of people.