Post by charlirozzi on Nov 9, 2024 15:13:10 GMT -8
Saturday November 9th
The Division mansion
She didn’t stay at the mansion, for reasons that were obvious to people who needed to know. But she was there early, her simple white rabbit mask that she would be using day to day, a white wrap beneath it to keep it secure and 2/3 of her face covered at all times. Today she was dressed ready to train, black tights and a matching sports bra that were practically a second skin. An off the shoulder sweater thrown loose over the top, long blonde hair tied up into a high ponytail at the top of her head.
Finding the way to the roof relatively easily she walked up behind Olly who knew to be expecting her and looked out across the skyline, a thoughtful sound like a sigh leaving her before she crossed her arms at her chest, looking him over with a seemingly sad smile.
”Feels like the sacrifices never end, doesn’t it?” Her tone was controlled but not harsh or accusatory.
"Yep, such is life.“He replied, his gaze still focusing on the horizon. Having been away most of the week, he never had the chance to meet the new trainer called to replace McKena Hardy. The only things he knew about her were those that julian told him in a brief phone call last Monday, but as much as he was loyal to the man and trusted him, he still was pretty waey about the masked woman, reserving any judgement unitl after talking to her.
He looked at the empty space next to him, inviting her to take a seat. “Looks like Julian brought you up to speed with everything, LB."
”Such is life.” She repeated, the more she spoke the more her accent came through. She took a seat beside him and returned her gaze to the city in front of them.
It was early in the morning and most of the world was still sleeping, she enjoyed the world more when it was like this. During the day and well into the night it was too loud, too many people fighting to breathe.
”Understanding that sacrifices are part of building something is good, it shows a level head.” Her tone remained that same even keel it was before, she didn’t have an edge to her voice that a lot of the others did, she was comfortable and conversational. ”And yes, he did. That weak link and my coming back to the States lined up nicely for me, for us.”
She turned her head and brought her gaze back to him again. She knew how it felt to be so angry at the world that it disconnected, the numbness a layer of protection against caring about any of it. She was an expert in self destruction and she recognised that likeness in him.
”But he didn’t really fill you in as much, did he?” It was impossible to read her expressions under the mask and her tone stayed so steady, so level you could only really take the question at face value.
“Nope. He just told me that you were coming, and that you would have told me everything I need to know.“
And he was fine with that. The truth was, he had never been a man of the people. His social interactions, with some rare exceptions, never went deeper than the most basic acquaintance. He wasn't looking for friends, for people who'd drop their problems on him in the name of friendship or, even worse, people who'd offer to help him carry the weight in his soul.
But then again, LB as he called her, tickled his curiosity. There had to be a reason why Julian brought her back in the country instead of giving that spot to any other Division members. There had to be a reason why he told her everything about him. He trusted her, and wanted Olly to do the same.
His head tilted, those dark eyes filled with anger and mostly pain finally turning toward her for the first time, waiting for her to speak.
”We’re alike you and I, you know.” She searched those eyes of his, a turbulent storm of anger that had seeped into every part of him, deep inner recesses that should hold life, only held space for anger and agony in him. ”Probably more even than Julian realises.”
She knew that look, the lines of life worn deep around those black eyes of his. A familiar aura of intensity that was designed to keep people out, away. It was a survival skill you learned young and because you had to. Every step of his life and had felt like a battle against the world to take. She pulled a piece of paper seemingly from the air, it was folded over on itself.
”That. Has my name on it, because I believe that if we’re building something here that we want these kids to trust in? We have to trust in it too...” two fingers held the folded piece of paper in his direction. ”But I don’t think knowing my name will suddenly alight that trust in you, Olly.” She kept her words plain, her accent drew them out in that same steady way she had been speaking.
”I agreed to do this because I am tired of seeing this industry take kids like I was… kids like you and offering them a lie in exchange for their suffering. The false hope that instead of fighting just to survive you can fight for something.” She kept her eyes trained on his as she spoke.
”This industry… this world, it takes people to the brink with no means to pull them back. So-called advisors and trainers don’t prepare them for this, for the things you have to do… the things you have to sacrifice. And then, when it all comes down on you, they look at you like the villain because you lost your peace.”
He listened to her words without saying a word, unable to take his eyes away from hers. Dark, deep. It was like looking into the abyss, it felt like looking into a mirror.
And the things she said, they resonated deeply with the troubled kid. They weren't words of propaganda, they weren't part of a speech you prepare to relate with someone and buy their trust. This wasn't an act. You can't say things like that unless you lived them, you can't describe what hell looks like unless you walked through it. And this woman did it.
She was right, knowing her name wasn't going to make him trust her, and when she handed over that piece of paper, he didn't even look at it.
“This is just a piece of paper.“ Olly said, as he pushed the folded paper inside the pocket of his jeans. “You've seen some shit, I can tell. You stood into the flames and managed to walk out. Scarred, for sure, but stronger."
“You know, when Julian offered me a spot here, I thought he was acting out of pity. I had just lost everything, he saw me walking on the edge and he thought I could use the distraction.“ He never said this to anyone. Not Julian, not McKena. But here he was, opening up to some woman in a rabbit mask. “Let's be honest, what did I have offer? I'm not some technical wizard, I don't do well with people and honestly? I'm a fucking wreck."
He ran his hand through his messy hair, a soft chuckle escpaing his lips. “Once I got here, I saw it. I know why he wanted me here, I know what I can bring. Reality, the harsh truth nobody wants to prepare them for."
Slowly, he stood to his feet, looking back at the woman he knew as Le Lapin Blanc. “Show me your face.“He asked her. It wasn't a command, his voice didn't come out rude or imposing. If anything it sounded more like a kind request, a show of faith, the definitive act of trust.
She paused for a moment, looking around the roof and weighing the cost of trust against the cost of being discovered, but the truth was she wore the mask for the kids, for them to hear the lesson and not just see the person behind it.
”Okay.” A single word of agreement, sliding the rabbit mask off and setting it down carefully, her fingers lingering on it for a moment before she easily removed the base mask beneath, smoothing out her hair as she did.
”The mask serves a purpose. A lot of these kids just showing up? They get blinded by who people are. A lot of them don’t even consider the words being said, they don’t want to hear any of it, they just want to know people they have some kind of par-asocial relationship with, on an imagined deeper level.”
Without the mask it was easy to see the softness of belief in her words beyond the darkness of her own gaze, for all the scars she had, she learned to find strength in her own damnation and planned to teach the students how to do the same… and maybe even some of the trainers too.
Once again, he listened to her words, seeing the truth in them. He experienced that with some students whether it was diffidence in his suitability for the role due to his lack of experience and accolades to his name or wariness for his reputation, he didn't really have the chance to work closely with any of the Division students.
When the mask dropped and he could look at her face, a smile formed on his lips. “Of course it's you.“He said, instantly recognizing the woman standing in front of him. Suddenly it all made sense in his mind. Why her, why Julian trusted her so much, why she knew all the things she told him. “It's a pleasure to meet you.“He said, pulling his hand out of the pocket and extending it toward her. Between his fingers there was the piece of paper she handed him before, the one with her name on it.
He didn't need it. He knew exactly who the woman was.
She matched his smile with one of her own, she was unsure if everyone would feel quite as welcoming when they discovered who she was… but she was glad to see him smile. She shook his hand, of course. Sliding the piece of paper back between her fingers and by the time her hand was picking the mask back up the paper was already gone. A trick she learned when she was a child that still served well.
”Thanks. It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” As she spoke she was already putting the mask back on, tying everything securely into place with a relative ease, since it wasn’t her first time wearing one, over the years she had gotten pretty good at it. ”I hope you see that I really want to be your ally in this Olly.”
Her tone was still the same, that seedy confident tone that didn’t question or demand, it just was. Living as many lifetimes as she already had, she didn’t find the need to inflect herself into things too often, trusting whoever she was speaking with would hear it however they needed.
”There aren’t many people who can understand someone like us. I can’t undo your past any more than I can mine and I can t protect any of these kids from battles they have to face. But what I can provide is what you do with it after...” she met his eyes again, this time her tone was softer, direct. ”People are going to keep telling you how to grieve and when to move on. Fuck them, you don’t move on. It doesn’t get better, it evolves into something else and if you’re ever unsure of that or just want space to be there for you to find it on your own. I’m here for that.”
“I appreciate it, LB.“He replied, carefully and effortlessly avoiding her real name. It was refreshing to hear someone being honest about his pain, as blunt and hurtful as that truth was. He knew that that scar will never heal, he figured out that the pain will forever be his companion until the end of his days.
But maybe, just maybe, he had finally found someone who could really understand him, rather than trying to reassure him with the delusion that things will get better.
She smiled, it was a warm and understanding kind of smile, it spoke through her eyes and bore into his before she nodded.
”Anytime.” She looked back over the skyline once more before she turned to head back the way she came from. ”I have to go wrangle baby Julian, but I’ll see you later.”
With that she disappeared back into the mansion. She had hoped that taking the time to speak with each of the trainers and trainees would lead to close understanding of what she could provide for each of them and all in all, she knew this first meeting had been a success.
The Division mansion
She didn’t stay at the mansion, for reasons that were obvious to people who needed to know. But she was there early, her simple white rabbit mask that she would be using day to day, a white wrap beneath it to keep it secure and 2/3 of her face covered at all times. Today she was dressed ready to train, black tights and a matching sports bra that were practically a second skin. An off the shoulder sweater thrown loose over the top, long blonde hair tied up into a high ponytail at the top of her head.
Finding the way to the roof relatively easily she walked up behind Olly who knew to be expecting her and looked out across the skyline, a thoughtful sound like a sigh leaving her before she crossed her arms at her chest, looking him over with a seemingly sad smile.
”Feels like the sacrifices never end, doesn’t it?” Her tone was controlled but not harsh or accusatory.
"Yep, such is life.“He replied, his gaze still focusing on the horizon. Having been away most of the week, he never had the chance to meet the new trainer called to replace McKena Hardy. The only things he knew about her were those that julian told him in a brief phone call last Monday, but as much as he was loyal to the man and trusted him, he still was pretty waey about the masked woman, reserving any judgement unitl after talking to her.
He looked at the empty space next to him, inviting her to take a seat. “Looks like Julian brought you up to speed with everything, LB."
”Such is life.” She repeated, the more she spoke the more her accent came through. She took a seat beside him and returned her gaze to the city in front of them.
It was early in the morning and most of the world was still sleeping, she enjoyed the world more when it was like this. During the day and well into the night it was too loud, too many people fighting to breathe.
”Understanding that sacrifices are part of building something is good, it shows a level head.” Her tone remained that same even keel it was before, she didn’t have an edge to her voice that a lot of the others did, she was comfortable and conversational. ”And yes, he did. That weak link and my coming back to the States lined up nicely for me, for us.”
She turned her head and brought her gaze back to him again. She knew how it felt to be so angry at the world that it disconnected, the numbness a layer of protection against caring about any of it. She was an expert in self destruction and she recognised that likeness in him.
”But he didn’t really fill you in as much, did he?” It was impossible to read her expressions under the mask and her tone stayed so steady, so level you could only really take the question at face value.
“Nope. He just told me that you were coming, and that you would have told me everything I need to know.“
And he was fine with that. The truth was, he had never been a man of the people. His social interactions, with some rare exceptions, never went deeper than the most basic acquaintance. He wasn't looking for friends, for people who'd drop their problems on him in the name of friendship or, even worse, people who'd offer to help him carry the weight in his soul.
But then again, LB as he called her, tickled his curiosity. There had to be a reason why Julian brought her back in the country instead of giving that spot to any other Division members. There had to be a reason why he told her everything about him. He trusted her, and wanted Olly to do the same.
His head tilted, those dark eyes filled with anger and mostly pain finally turning toward her for the first time, waiting for her to speak.
”We’re alike you and I, you know.” She searched those eyes of his, a turbulent storm of anger that had seeped into every part of him, deep inner recesses that should hold life, only held space for anger and agony in him. ”Probably more even than Julian realises.”
She knew that look, the lines of life worn deep around those black eyes of his. A familiar aura of intensity that was designed to keep people out, away. It was a survival skill you learned young and because you had to. Every step of his life and had felt like a battle against the world to take. She pulled a piece of paper seemingly from the air, it was folded over on itself.
”That. Has my name on it, because I believe that if we’re building something here that we want these kids to trust in? We have to trust in it too...” two fingers held the folded piece of paper in his direction. ”But I don’t think knowing my name will suddenly alight that trust in you, Olly.” She kept her words plain, her accent drew them out in that same steady way she had been speaking.
”I agreed to do this because I am tired of seeing this industry take kids like I was… kids like you and offering them a lie in exchange for their suffering. The false hope that instead of fighting just to survive you can fight for something.” She kept her eyes trained on his as she spoke.
”This industry… this world, it takes people to the brink with no means to pull them back. So-called advisors and trainers don’t prepare them for this, for the things you have to do… the things you have to sacrifice. And then, when it all comes down on you, they look at you like the villain because you lost your peace.”
He listened to her words without saying a word, unable to take his eyes away from hers. Dark, deep. It was like looking into the abyss, it felt like looking into a mirror.
And the things she said, they resonated deeply with the troubled kid. They weren't words of propaganda, they weren't part of a speech you prepare to relate with someone and buy their trust. This wasn't an act. You can't say things like that unless you lived them, you can't describe what hell looks like unless you walked through it. And this woman did it.
She was right, knowing her name wasn't going to make him trust her, and when she handed over that piece of paper, he didn't even look at it.
“This is just a piece of paper.“ Olly said, as he pushed the folded paper inside the pocket of his jeans. “You've seen some shit, I can tell. You stood into the flames and managed to walk out. Scarred, for sure, but stronger."
“You know, when Julian offered me a spot here, I thought he was acting out of pity. I had just lost everything, he saw me walking on the edge and he thought I could use the distraction.“ He never said this to anyone. Not Julian, not McKena. But here he was, opening up to some woman in a rabbit mask. “Let's be honest, what did I have offer? I'm not some technical wizard, I don't do well with people and honestly? I'm a fucking wreck."
He ran his hand through his messy hair, a soft chuckle escpaing his lips. “Once I got here, I saw it. I know why he wanted me here, I know what I can bring. Reality, the harsh truth nobody wants to prepare them for."
Slowly, he stood to his feet, looking back at the woman he knew as Le Lapin Blanc. “Show me your face.“He asked her. It wasn't a command, his voice didn't come out rude or imposing. If anything it sounded more like a kind request, a show of faith, the definitive act of trust.
She paused for a moment, looking around the roof and weighing the cost of trust against the cost of being discovered, but the truth was she wore the mask for the kids, for them to hear the lesson and not just see the person behind it.
”Okay.” A single word of agreement, sliding the rabbit mask off and setting it down carefully, her fingers lingering on it for a moment before she easily removed the base mask beneath, smoothing out her hair as she did.
”The mask serves a purpose. A lot of these kids just showing up? They get blinded by who people are. A lot of them don’t even consider the words being said, they don’t want to hear any of it, they just want to know people they have some kind of par-asocial relationship with, on an imagined deeper level.”
Without the mask it was easy to see the softness of belief in her words beyond the darkness of her own gaze, for all the scars she had, she learned to find strength in her own damnation and planned to teach the students how to do the same… and maybe even some of the trainers too.
Once again, he listened to her words, seeing the truth in them. He experienced that with some students whether it was diffidence in his suitability for the role due to his lack of experience and accolades to his name or wariness for his reputation, he didn't really have the chance to work closely with any of the Division students.
When the mask dropped and he could look at her face, a smile formed on his lips. “Of course it's you.“He said, instantly recognizing the woman standing in front of him. Suddenly it all made sense in his mind. Why her, why Julian trusted her so much, why she knew all the things she told him. “It's a pleasure to meet you.“He said, pulling his hand out of the pocket and extending it toward her. Between his fingers there was the piece of paper she handed him before, the one with her name on it.
He didn't need it. He knew exactly who the woman was.
She matched his smile with one of her own, she was unsure if everyone would feel quite as welcoming when they discovered who she was… but she was glad to see him smile. She shook his hand, of course. Sliding the piece of paper back between her fingers and by the time her hand was picking the mask back up the paper was already gone. A trick she learned when she was a child that still served well.
”Thanks. It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” As she spoke she was already putting the mask back on, tying everything securely into place with a relative ease, since it wasn’t her first time wearing one, over the years she had gotten pretty good at it. ”I hope you see that I really want to be your ally in this Olly.”
Her tone was still the same, that seedy confident tone that didn’t question or demand, it just was. Living as many lifetimes as she already had, she didn’t find the need to inflect herself into things too often, trusting whoever she was speaking with would hear it however they needed.
”There aren’t many people who can understand someone like us. I can’t undo your past any more than I can mine and I can t protect any of these kids from battles they have to face. But what I can provide is what you do with it after...” she met his eyes again, this time her tone was softer, direct. ”People are going to keep telling you how to grieve and when to move on. Fuck them, you don’t move on. It doesn’t get better, it evolves into something else and if you’re ever unsure of that or just want space to be there for you to find it on your own. I’m here for that.”
“I appreciate it, LB.“He replied, carefully and effortlessly avoiding her real name. It was refreshing to hear someone being honest about his pain, as blunt and hurtful as that truth was. He knew that that scar will never heal, he figured out that the pain will forever be his companion until the end of his days.
But maybe, just maybe, he had finally found someone who could really understand him, rather than trying to reassure him with the delusion that things will get better.
She smiled, it was a warm and understanding kind of smile, it spoke through her eyes and bore into his before she nodded.
”Anytime.” She looked back over the skyline once more before she turned to head back the way she came from. ”I have to go wrangle baby Julian, but I’ll see you later.”
With that she disappeared back into the mansion. She had hoped that taking the time to speak with each of the trainers and trainees would lead to close understanding of what she could provide for each of them and all in all, she knew this first meeting had been a success.