Room 504, Monday Morning

[intraspective]

A headache brought on by uncomfortable sleep—not nightmares, thank you very much, she didn’t have nightmares—meant that Ino was going to spend the morning with music on (cheerful bubbly pop), singing along while wondering idly if she ought to give Edward a call (it would be a distraction, he would terrify her in ways that had nothing to do with children’s eyes) and giving her plants an inspection that probably went a good bit beyond meticulous.

Reno would probably tell her that she ought to get her ass out of her room. She’d get there.

No, no studying this morning. Ino was pretty sure that it’d only make it harder to sleep when she crashed out later. After all—what was worse, dreams about what she’d done when the body she’d been in hadn’t known what was going on?

Or dreams where Kinjo still had thought, but just as little control, and she could imagine Kinjo's consciousness fluttering, struggling against her will like a broken butterfly? To Ino, it was no contest. Seriously no contest.

Forcing her mind away from that she sang along to the radio. Music. Plants. She could do this.

[Open door, open post.]

Comments

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes. Apparently she's rated mission-ready at the moment. And Marco's been convinced to give his okay, too."

[intraspective]

"Marco's her handler, right?" Ino said, contemplating that. "Must be a bit complicated with that."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela looked sad for a moment. "He doesn't deal with it very well." None of the girls liked being reminded of what was waiting for them, but it was especially rough for him, watching the girl he'd basically raised forget all about him.

[intraspective]

"Well then," Ino said, leaning back and idly kicking one ankle. "I guess he's just--got to, yeah?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Triela nodded. "We all do what we have to."

[intraspective]

Ino tossed that over in her head and gave a shrug.

"Absolutely," she said airily. "What we do, right? Do the job, whatever it is."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Exactly."

[intraspective]

"You ever have any trouble with that?" Ino asked idly.

Or not so idly.

Whatever. She could totally pretend it was random curiosity.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela paused to consider that. Then she shook her head. "That's one of the things the Conditioning is for. No regrets. No hesitation."

[intraspective]

"Do you think 'bout your missions afterwards?" she asked, rolling over onto her stomach. "Or do you just--don't."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Well, we do debriefings, but I don't think that's what you mean." She shrugged. "Sometimes. Sometimes I even want to feel bad about what we did." But she never does. Never can.

Triela shifted slightly in the chair. "What about you?" she asked softly. Because she suspected that Ino was asking out of more than idle curiosity.

[intraspective]

Ino was so so jealous of that inability right now. So jealous.

A faint smile flickered over her face.

"I'm not that sneaky, I guess. I--yeah."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela hesitated for a moment before reaching a hand out toward Ino's shoulder. If Ino wanted to talk... Triela could listen.

[intraspective]

She leaned into the touch, and sighed a bit.

"How're you for secrets?"

[SP is LOVE and SHINY AMAZING and work hates me? *bribes with cookies*]

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela smiled very slightly. "I do work for a secret government agency. I can keep secrets." It was an assurance and a promise.

[The shiniest love! Hugs for you, kicks for work.]

[intraspective]

Ino gave the door a dark look then shoved herself off the bed to shut it.

"Stupid squirrels," she said, rolling her eyes. "Such a pain."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"They don't do operational security much good," Triela agreed with an exasperated sigh. There was a reason she didn't talk about anything actually sensitive on the island. Not when she could avoid it.

[intraspective]

"I know," Ino answered, making a face. "I don't know if I feel--safe, like this."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela nodded silently. She understood that much.

Then she sat back and waited. Either Ino would talk about what was bothering her, or she wouldn't. Triela was going to be there for her friend either way.

[intraspective]

Ino was going to take forever turn her options over in her head for a few moments.

"What do you know 'bout my work?"

It was totally a question designed to give her more time. Ino acknowledged that.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Since Ino was taking her time, Triela figured it wouldn't hurt to do the same. She considered what she knew about Ino, and tried to put together a coherent picture in her head.

"It's sort of like mine." The killing people part, at least. She frowned thoughtfully. "But you're more of an infiltration person. Longer missions, more... convoluted ones." Triela's job was straightforward: go in and kill people. It was extremely rare for anything else to be required.

Her head cocked slightly in Ino's direction. Did that sound right?

[intraspective]

"Yeah," she admitted, leaning against the locked door. "Convoluted is--pretty much right. But I'm a--rookie, I guess? So I know 'bout the missions, but I haven--hadn't--done any before."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "The difference between knowing something and actually knowing it." She managed a half-smile. "I know how that goes."

But not with emotional stuff. And she suspected that it was something emotional that Triela was dealing with.

[intraspective]

She tugged at her hair and shrugged.

"Like that," Ino said, "though I guess I don't know what's buggin' me the most, honest--what other people'd say if I told 'em and told 'em that I'd do it all over again and will have to do it, or... what."

Come on, honey. And a little snapped neck.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Did you have to do something you regret?" Triela asked. As if that weren't slightly obvious.