dash zero zero one

[banshee_rider]

[She'd been trying to ignore something since the whole fiasco went down, but the castle had gradually strengthened the intensity of her urges until she's flipping open the journal now and clearing her throat.]

This is Spartan-087.

[She sounds a little confused. Mainly, why is she so compelled to leave a message like this?]

I bruised my hand.

[It'd been when she'd punched the vent in, looking for the bomb, but really it's almost healed up now; it's such a niggling injury compared to what she's had before.]

I'm -- not sure why I told you.

[Hello, Kelly, welcome to your loss. After an awkward pause,]

087, out.

Comments

[lonenoble]

[softly, as she's a little reluctant to talk to this other Spartan.] ... Are you saying you had the overwhelming urge to point out a little bruise?

Also, I'm sorry for my previous behavior...

[banshee_rider]

It's certainly not something I would have done otherwise. [On a scale from papercut to lacerated liver, this. Was nowhere near lacerate liver.]

[She pauses at that admission. She'd spent some time with -IIIs, she knew what they could do and they were just as deserving of the title Spartan as she was ... but she'd also had time to get used to the others, and such wasn't the case with Six. As much as she tried to remind herself those on the Event Horizon had been under extreme duress, it still colored her opinion of the woman.]

[She keeps that to herself, for the moment.] It's over, now. What's your status?

[lonenoble]

That's not normal castle behavior. I've been wounded badly and never had to do that. Even when I lost an arm.

[Tired. Not sleeping or eating much. Working too hard. But she won't say that.] Recovering. My mental state is normal again.

[banshee_rider]

I've had my fair share of grievous injuries before, [Her simply out of armor is a testament to that.] under normal circumstances I wouldn't have noticed this. [Which makes why it's such a sticking point now a curious event.]

Understood. If you need a sparring partner, you know how to find me. [Yeah she means helmets, these journals are unsettling.]

[lonenoble]

I see what you mean.

Understood. And I try to make a point of getting to know any UNSC on the grounds. At least knowing their limits. I'd like to test you sometime.

[banshee_rider]

[Test her? Test her? Kelly rankles slightly at that; she's been in active duty nearly a couple decades by the time Six was in training. If she wasn't worthy she'd have been dead by now.]

With all due respect, I don't think you could catch me.

[lonenoble]

Even so... I'd just like to know capabilities of those I may have to work with. So we both know how much we can lean on the other in case of problems.

Even if it results in me being beaten into the ground? It's worth it to know how much better you are than I am.

[savethedarkness]

It's likely something to do with your loss, 087, if you've no idea. [she sounds vaguely amused]

[banshee_rider]

[If you had any idea, M --]

What do you mean by loss, M?

[Yeah, something got missed during Infodump 101 when she arrived.]

[savethedarkness]

Oh - so no one's told you. That's considerate of them. [brb, unimpressed with your teammates right now and the quality of their debriefings]

Paradisa itself - or whatever's honestly in charge of the bloody place - takes something from everyone as a sort of ... cocked-up price of admissions. Some people forget things or other people, some can't do things... I can't make my own tea, which is a right pain in the arse most mornings. It's different for everyone. Perhaps whatever it took from you has to do with your superfluous little announcement.

[banshee_rider]

[It was less a debriefing and more 'Oooo stare at the new shiny Spartan']

Hm. I don't like the sound of that. [It's for her own good, really.] Are there any ways around these Losses?

[savethedarkness]

Not particularly. I have to have someone make the tea for me, in my case.

[banshee_rider]

I wonder what this means in my case. [She's figuring she'll keep track of when it occurs and look for patterns.]

[bezazzled]

I hope your hand feels better soon!

[banshee_rider]

It's not too bad, actually, I just ... had to tell someone.

[She's so confused by this whole thing. ]

[bezazzled]

[Mabel has learned it's best not to dwell on the confusing things.]

That's okay. I can be that someone. So how'd you bruise it?

[banshee_rider]

I punched an air vent on the Lewis & Clark in order to get a bomb.

[Just a normal thing for a Spartan.]

[bezazzled]

Whoa, really? That sounds so brave and heroic! And all you got was a bruise?

[banshee_rider]

It really wasn't much of a vent. [Not to her, at least.]

[encryptedlock]

[That's...okay, that's more amusing than York was expecting for a loss.]

Nothing that needs any medical attention, I hope?

[banshee_rider]

Not in the slightest, no.

[Kelly's not much amused by it :| ]

[encryptedlock]

Weird.

[Of course she's not.]

Everything else going okay though? Did you get your armor back?

[banshee_rider]

--not a second later than I was able. [There's palpable relief there. Kelly's never been as comfortable out of her Mjolnir as she is in it.]

[encryptedlock]

Good to hear it.

And, well, I don't mean to sound weird, but if you feel like talking about something? Even if it's something silly like bruising your hand? I'm always here to lend an ear.

[banshee_rider]

[She pauses. She still doesn't trust you guys, but at least you seem the most even-keeled of the Freelancers she's met so far.]

I appreciate it.