[center][color=0076a3][h3][color=lightsteelblue]PERCY MOORE[/color][/h3][/color][b]HANGAR, NEW ANCHORAGE[/b][/center] [hr] [color=lightsteelblue][i]Good luck?[/i][/color] Percy's mouth was agape. [color=lightsteelblue][i]Are you kidding me? That's all you're gonna fucking give us?[/i][/color] He continued to stand there, just staring at the monster in front of him. He's supposed to climb that with no ropes? No ladders? Nothing to keep him from [i]dying[/i] if he fell? Is Graham out of his goddamned mind? He shuts his mouth, answering himself just as quickly, [color=lightsteelblue][i]Why do I bother questioning these people's sanity anymore? They're all [b]nuts[/b]. How could ANYONE climb that thing and not slip, fall, and shatter their head on the floor? [b]Nobody[/b] is going to pass that![/i][/color] Then he saw Stein going for it, feeling the subtle vibrations of her sprinting forward. He immediately shouted, [color=lightsteelblue]"[b]Stein[/b]!"[/color] attempting to grab her before she got herself hurt, or [i]killed,[/i] but she was too fast. He put his hand to his mouth and just watched in horror as she started the climb, silently praying that he wouldn't have to run and break her fall with his entire body.. He probably wouldn't be a very nice cushion anyway. They'd both probably get hurt then. As he continued to watch, the horror turned into shock, then fascination quickly followed by defeat as he noticed Agatha climbing just as well as Stein was. He sat down to watch the two for however long it took, trying to comprehend how in the hell he'd ever be able to do that. He climbed trees as a kid just fine, sure, but they were never that tall. They were maybe half that? Less, even? Plus he always had his parents to catch him if he fell. There wasn't anything to break the high fall if they were to slip. As the two made it to the top, he felt absolutely defeated. [color=lightsteelblue][i]An old woman climbs better than I do.[/i][/color] he covered his face with his hands. [color=lightsteelblue][i]I really should've just become an engineer.[/i][/color] [hr] [center][color=0076a3][h3][color=violet]ANA MOORE[/color] and [color=662d91]VERA VOLOSHYNA[/color] [/h3][/color][b]BARRACKS, NEW ANCHORAGE[/b] HALLWAY[/center] [hr] Vera didn't like leaving Eli alone, especially when she was making bogus promises about being alright, but she'd learned well enough over the years that arguing with her was more than just hard, it was pointless. Later she'd check the room, but until then, Vera had other things on her mind, like the incident in the mess hall. Holding attention through that was... tough, to say the least, and it was tougher watching Ana run off like she had. If Percy was going to be preoccupied, she figured [i]someone[/i] should make sure she felt at least a bit safe. Then again, she'd likely have run by anyway, it was practically reflex. She didn't have trouble navigating the facility alone anymore, the explorations had paid off well, and she was at the barracks outside the Moore's room before long. She thought about trying to open it and go right in, that was how she handled Eli, but Ana had specific instructions, rules were safe, she'd follow them. So instead, Vera gently tapped her knuckles against the metal. [color=662d91]"Ana? It's me, you in there?"[/color] she asked, voice soft. Ana very nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the knocking, letting out a shout of surprise, grabbing for a pillow to protect herself with. She felt a little dumb for doing so when she heard Vera. [color=violet][i]How would a pillow protect me anyway? It'd be like hitting them with a cottonball.[/i][/color] She let herself breathe and steady her voice before she answered. [color=violet]"Yeah,"[/color] she waited a moment for a response, then decided to stand up and walk over to the door, going to open it. She hesitated just as her fingers touched the knob. Percy said not to open it for anyone but him, but Vera's not Graham, or anyone else. Vera's nice, and cool, and fun, and not that much bigger than her. She stood there for another second before unlocking and turning the knob and opening the door to Vera could come in. [color=violet]"Hi."[/color] [color=662d91]Stay relaxed, keep your hands out, just move slow.[/color] Vera smiled, offering a slight wave but staying put. [color=662d91]"Hey, how're ya feelin'? You can keep the door closed if you want."[/color] [color=violet]"No, come in, it's fine,"[/color] Ana opened the door more so Vera could get in. When the blonde did, she shut and locked the door behind her. [color=662d91]"The tour's over,"[/color] Vera walked around Ana, giving as wide a space as she could on her way to the bed. [color=662d91]"Your dad made it through alright."[/color] Ana noticed how much space that Vera was giving her and looked at her quizzically for a moment - usually she's not that particular about space. [color=violet][i]Maybe it's cause I'm weird,[/i][/color] was Ana's first thought, but she dismissed that pretty quickly. It was stupid to think that. It was more than likely cause of what had happened in the mess hall. She sat down with Vera on the bed, swinging her legs a little bit as she replied, [color=violet]"Good to know." [/color] She stayed quiet a moment before her face changed from neutrality to disappointment. She got to thinking about Graham, and his behavior when she had risen her voice. He was scary before, but when he looked at her like he was ready to smack her to the floor like she did her dad, he was so much worse. She spoke again, in a quieter voice, [color=violet]"I thought that Graham was alright."[/color] [color=662d91]"Yeah?"[/color] Vera took the opportunity to scoot closer. [color=662d91]"I think he's kind of a dick...don't tell Lizzy I said that."[/color] Ana gasped when Vera said 'dick', a little bit of a smile showing. Her disappointment and sadness immediately shifted to a giggly disbelief, [color=violet]"You can't say that, that's [i]dirty[/i]."[/color] Vera skipped the giggling phase and went straight to laughing. [color=662d91]"This whole place is dirty, did you see the food? I bet it's still [i]alive[/i]."[/color] Ana's giggling got louder and sounded more like laughter than just giggles, [color=violet]"Veraa..!"[/color] the redhead gave her a gently friendly shove. The older girl let herself fall back on the bed, still in her fit. She'd been worried that Ana might have been locked up in herself, to see her laughing and joking was a definite relief. [color=662d91]"So did you uh..."[/color] she sat up, tugging the ushanka back into place. [color=662d91]"Did you know about the whole...testing thing?"[/color] Ana's laughter faded before Vera had asked. [color=violet]"Well.. I, uh.. I think I heard Graham talk about a test once, but I didn't think it had anything to do with.. us. Dad says that being a pilot's really dangerous. I dunno if I'd wanna do that. I didn't even know people our age could do it. I thought it was an adult thing, like guns and those magazines with the pretty women in them.. You've seen those magazines right? The women [i]are[/i] really pretty. Dad got mad at me cause I looked through one once."[/color] Ana stopped herself before she could ramble on about it too much. She went [i]way[/i] off topic and she knew it. Her reddened face showed that she knew she did, but it could easily be taken as embarrassment about talking about it with her friend. She looked at her hands clasped together in her lap and twidled her thumbs trying not to add to the awkward. Vera cleared her throat, hand rubbing the back of her neck like the room had gone cold. This was not the conversation she expected. [color=662d91]"Yeah the uh...I guess it's kinda like that...Except wait, wait no [i]no[/i] it's nothing like that, we can't do that. Don't do that."[/color] She got up fully, and desperately grabbed at her thoughts for a way to push the topic on. Poor Ana looked like a tomato. [color=662d91]"I dunno, it just feels like one of those things that was... super obvious, and I feel dumb being surprised. Lizzy doesn't want me to do it either."[/color] [color=violet]"Then we probably won't. Graham can't [i]make[/i] us get in there, right? Dad and Eli won't let him,"[/color] Ana felt her stomach lurch a little as she thought about it. Percy had said he wouldn't let anything happen before, but.. He kind of did. She could feel tears start to well up in her eyes as she kept thinking about it. Getting taken, not being able to fight back, her father nowhere in sight.. [color=violet]"Dad won't let him. Right?"[/color] She bit her lip slightly trying to keep herself calm. She never cried in front of Vera before, and she didn't want to, but the more she kept trying to keep herself from crying the more she did. She weakly apologized, hiding her face in the pillow she had grabbed before, hugging it tightly, hoping maybe digging her nails into the pillow would help her emotions. [color=662d91]"Wh—"[/color] Vera felt her heart sink, but a little step back wasn't unexpected. She scurried over close, rubbing Ana's shoulders and shaking her head, even if the younger girl couldn't see it. [color=662d91]"No no, no don't worry alright? We'd have to...there's tests, we might just fail'em, then nothing happens at all!"[/color] [color=violet]"I don't wanna get stuffed in a box again,"[/color] Ana couldn't keep herself from saying it - she knew that it sounded dumb, but that's about how it felt before. It felt like she was stuffed into a box full of people when the attack happened. It was hot and horrible and cramped and she never wanted to feel like trapped that again, and if she was going to get put into the pilot's seat of an NC, that's basically just a box with a bunch of buttons and lights. She looked up at Vera, tears still rolling down her face and in her eyes as she gasped, [color=violet]"I'm sorry, I-I'm d-dumb and weird I'm s-sorry for doing th-this."[/color] [color=662d91]"No no no you're not, you're not dumb okay?[/color] Vera didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Ana, but she had to be careful. She'd made promises before that she knew she couldn't keep, and if she'd learned anything, it was that temporary relief wasn't worth the pain it caused later on, for both people. [color=662d91]"Listen,"[/color] she pulled back enough to look Ana in the eyes, resting the soft fabric of the ushanka against the younger girl's forehead. [color=662d91]"No matter what happens, you're not gonna be alone, okay? If Percy can't be there, I'll be there, I promise. You will [i]never[/i] be put [i]anywhere[/i] alone, if you go, I go."[/color] Ana sniffled, then smiled at her, even though she was still crying, [color=violet]"Anywhere?"[/color] [color=662d91][i]You're dam--dang right.[/i][/color] Vera smiled, and nodded confidently. [color=662d91]"Everywhere."[/color] Ana got the pillow out from between them, tossing it back to where the other two pillows are, then hugged Vera again. The blonde Russian girl was like a sister she never had, or even knew she wanted. She was nice, and cool, and she [i]was[/i] there when she needed her. The talk they just had proved it. If her dad messed up somewhere, then she had Vera. [color=violet]"I love you,"[/color] Ana said, completely and utterly meaning it. [color=662d91]"Love you too,"[/color] she muffled a laugh. [color=662d91]"And hey, if we do pass, I bet we'll be [I]so[/I] freaking cool."[/color] Ana giggled again, nodding.