[center][img]https://www.dropbox.com/s/uxjkwjqkrn00cph/Siena%20Banner.jpg?raw=1[/img]
[hr]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥   / /   𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕆𝕦𝕥𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥: 𝕆𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℝ𝕠𝕠𝕞 𝟚   / /  𝟙𝟟𝟚𝟘[hr][/center]
Sleep was something that Siena had been hard pressed to find since her arrival in USARILN East. Death and combat aside--[i]the nightmares were still vivid recreations. Exaggerated reminders that it was her fault[/i]--the girl had been...[i]homesick[/i]. It wasn't quite the right word for what she was feeling, but it was as close a comparison as Siena could make.

That was why she had kept her eyes shut even when she felt her consciousness started to return. First hazy, then slowly clearing up. [i]'[color=ff57ff]Coward. That's not why you want to sleep.[/color]'[/i] Not the full reason. [i]'[color=ff57ff]Your fault. Again.[/color]'[/i] Her body didn't ache like she expected it to after her spectacular failure. The brunette had pushed herself far past her limits. The her on the battlefield had known it and ignored it, but the her lying down with her eyes and ears shut to the world had no adrenaline to distract her. While she was fatigued, she wasn't...[i]aching[/i]. As if something had taken the inevitable injuries, but left the exhaustion. Perhaps someone had. It wouldn't have been surprising. 

If only they had left the ache. It would have been a stellar distraction from the storm. 

Her first two marks weren't the problem--she'd chosen them not only for their abilities, but for their probable effect. Two people that she knew wouldn't stir the storm too far...

...But the other two were broken, and she could feel their cracks trying to breach her defenses. 

[i]'[color=ff57ff]Not human. EOs don't come back all the way.[/color]'[/i] Siena didn't want to acknowledge that. Not when she was certain she could still feel the pangs of guilt and fear. Still human. [i]Still her.[/i] At least as close to Siena Santana as she could get. The fear lingered for a moment longer, muted compared to the usual anxiety that drove the girl to tear at her hair without concern. 

EOs came back broken. 

But that wasn't what she was afraid of, now was it? A jolt of irritation surged through her, waking her nerves and threatening to clear her senses. She clung for a moment longer to the comfort of her feigned sleep, willing it to stay like she had to many of the names she'd taken. Just a few moments longer to keep the storm away. She never wanted them to leave her to face what they left behind alone. 

[i]'[color=f7976a]People don't trust what can bite back, Siena. Don't show that you can.[/color]'[/i]

She opened her eyes with a soft breath, a blurry figure sitting near her. Two. As her vision started to adjust to the sudden change in lighting, Siena realized she didn't recognize one of them. It sent a weak thrill of anxiety up her spine. Muted still. 

Not quite human yet.

"[color=ff57ff]Chris...?[/color]"