[h3][center][color=BD892F]Sophia Lemane[/color][/center][/h3]
[hider=Arrival at Hyatt Regency (Sophia & Lily)][center][h3][img]https://i.imgur.com/9yn6u85.png[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/eoV4Dgr.jpg[/img]
[color=lightcoral]Lilianna Brandt[/color] | [color=Bd892F]Sophia Lemane[/color][/h3]
[hr][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝔻.ℂ.   / /   ℍ𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕥 ℝ𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 ℍ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕝   / /   ~𝟘𝟡𝟘𝟘[/color][hr][sub]Collab with [@Kyrisse][/sub][/center]
After only a little more than two days, they were being moved again. Sophia wished that USARILN East would give them a warning in advance, instead of just banging on their doors in the morning. Luckily she had been up when the guards came, but it still was sort of annoying to have to rush to gather up her stuff. At least they were finally headed back to USARILN.

Except... why were they being given such luxurious cars just for the drive? With a sinking feeling, she realized that their destination probably wasn't going to be the place she had thought it would be. Following instructions to get out of the APC and transfer into one of the cars instead, she was glad to see that Lily had by chance ended up in the same one. They had been in the same APC just now, but Sophia had been too late to get a seat next to the Aberration.

Scooting over to sit next to Lily to greet her friend, she looked around at the interior of the car with awe. She had never been in such a car before, and this was amazing. It even helped to elevate her mood a bit. A smile played on her lips as she continued to oggle, not looking at Lily but speaking to her all the same. [color=BD892F]"Lily... this is quite something, isn't it?"[/color]

After the incident the night before, Lily didn't think she could or would want to sleep. Thoughts of what happened and what she did plagued her mind despite the voices significantly quieting down. She ended up staring at the cellphone she was convinced didn't belong to her as it rang continuously, notification of messages appearing on the screen one after the other. By the time the sun rose in the sky, the phone had finally run out of battery and the teenager's lids finally fluttered closed.

But her sleep was eventually disturbed by guards banging on her door. Waking up with a start, she stood up from the bed, disoriented and sleepy, and opened the door. She didn't complain when the guard told her that they were leaving and moved automatically, brushing her teeth and tying her hair up into a ponytail, some strands escaping the pink scrunchy. Still yawning, she let herself be led out into the APC, not really bothering to look who she was seated beside. But when they were herded into a limousine, her eyes widened in surprise, the sleepiness instantly gone from them. 

In the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar figure settle down beside her. Sophia. [color=lightcoral]"It is. I wonder why we're being treated to something like this. Is it some sort of reward?"[/color] she asked, still wide eyed as she looked around.

It hadn't occurred to her that this treatment might be some sort of reward, it seemed highly unlikely. Reward for what? For getting one of their teammates killed? The thought began to pull her mood down, though she struggled against it. But she didn't want to seem like a pessimist. [color=BD892F]"Maybe..."[/color] she began, finally looking at Lily. [color=BD892F]"But somehow I don't think we're... going back? I should think that they would have just left us in the truck if we were going back to the school."[/color] School? Home? Prison? She didn't know.

[color=BD892F]"They don't tell us much."[/color]

Lily shook her head as she glanced out the window. [color=lightcoral]"No, no, not going back yet. I wonder why. I hope we're not being pampered because they plan to throw us back into another battle."[/color]

[i]Although you would want to have that chance to hurt someone again, don't you?[/i] the voice in her head whispered.

She glanced towards Sophia and shrugged. [color=lightcoral]"But I think they'd at least tell us if we're being shipped off to battle again, right?"[/color]

[color=BD892F]"Yeah. They told us in advance last time, so I don't think it's that?"[/color] She pursed her lips, looking out through the heavily tinted windows as they began to move. [color=BD892F]"Just have to wait and see, I guess."[/color]

Lily nodded and leaned back on her chair. [color=lightcoral][i]Just have to wait and see.[/i][/color][hr]The place they were going to stay in was just so big! So fancy and expensive looking and overwhelming. So different from the comparatively drab USARILN East. But she still didn't know why they were here, in Washington D.C. Wasn't that where the Pentagon was? 

Sophia watched the officer and most of the soldiers walk out of the suite, then looked at the soldiers posted around the room. [color=BD892F][i]A pretty place, but still not free of guards.[/i][/color] She thought about what the officer had said, about there being a possibility that the people here could be dangerous to them. [color=BD892F][i]I'm guessing these people aren't very friendly, then.[/i][/color] But that was okay, she wouldn't mind just staying in here for however long it would be until they were moved yet again.

First though, she needed to find a room. There were twelve rooms, apparently, but she knew that there were more than twelve people here. Would she have to share? The thought gave her some anxiety, and she had to hope that maybe she would be lucky enough to get a room all for herself. Still, if she had to room with someone... the only person she really knew here was Lily. Brent didn't count, she had barely spoken to him before. A frown now on her face, she glanced around to see where Lily had went.

The blonde Aberration was walking around wide eyed, fascination and wonder apparent on her face. It was the first time she had ever been allowed to stay in such a posh place. [color=lightcoral][i]Or at least as far as I know...[/i][/color] She kept her hands to herself as she walked around, afraid that she might soil or break anything. Everything was shiny and expensive looking and fancy. A few minutes before they arrived, her mood had taken a dip when she realized that they weren't going back to USARILN.

But in a place like this, it was difficult not to be excited. 

As she glanced at the mirror mounted on the wall, a fragment of the memory she lost flashing through her head. A tall person standing beside her with short golden hair like hers. She tilted her head and stared at her reflection, trying to grasp the fleeting image.

There she was. Walking over to join Lily, she glanced at both of their reflections in the mirror. The girl with the golden hair tied messily into a ponytail and bright golden eyes, and the girl with the long, loose dark hair and dark eyes to match. She couldn't help but notice the contrast, dark next to light. 

[color=BD892F]"Hmmmm..."[/color] She took a step backwards and then forwards again, attention no longer on the mirror. How should approach this? [color=BD892F]"Think you'll be able to get a room of your own?"[/color]

Lily could almost grasp it. Just a bit more. She just had to reach out and finally remember that face that never failed to fade before she could find out who it was. A family member maybe? Father? Uncle? Brother? A guardian? Had she somehow been put up for adoption? And her foster parents got tired of her that they decided to off her? 

Her thoughts headed towards a dark path. She didn't even notice the dark haired girl beside her. Until she spoke up.

The Aberration blinked and then looked at Sophia, her eyes a little unfocused first. [color=lightcoral]"I'd want to get a room of my own just like in USARILN. But..."[/color] she gestured to the others. [color=lightcoral]"They've all probably chosen rooms so unless they all decided to room in with someone, I probably will have to squeeze in with someone."[/color] She wrinkled her nose as she ran through the possible people she'd be willing to ask. 

[color=lightcoral][i]Angelique, Callan, Emma...?[/i][/color] It'd be awkward. She wasn't really close to any of them. And they probably won't want someone like her in their room. Despite the friendly encounter she just had with two of them.

She sighed. [color=lightcoral]"Have you chosen your room yet?"[/color] she asked back.

Sophia shook her head, knowing that Lily was probably right about most of the rooms being taken. [color=BD892F]"Don't know who I would room with... unless we..."[/color] She should ask? [color=BD892F]"but..."[/color] She left the sentence hanging in midair, suddenly looking uncomfortable. 

Lily understood the unspoken suggestion and her face immediately lit up. [color=lightcoral]"We room together? That'd be great!"[/color] She paused. [color=lightcoral]"Or at least I think it would be. I've never stayed in a room with anyone before."[/color]

Sophia was relieved that Lily understood what she had meant, saving her from having to say it out loud. She actually had never slept over at anyone's house before, no sleepovers or anything, and the two extra beds in her dorm back at USARILN were empty. She had liked it that way and still preferred it that way, but rooming with Lily for a few days couldn't hurt, right? It would just be a little less private, but she could survive. 

[color=BD892F]"Never stayed with anyone before either,"[/color] she said, opening up once more. [color=BD892F]"But there's always a first time. Should we?"[/color] She turned as if to go check out the rooms.

Lily nodded, a wide grin spreading across her face. It was definitely nice to have friends and be asked to do stuff together. [color=lightcoral]"We should!"[/color] she piped up cheerfully.

Now with Lily's consent, Sophia walked across the room and towards the line of doors. Not wanting to accidentally walk into a room someone had just claimed, she went to the nearest one that had its door open. Peering inside, she made sure that it looked unoccupied before glancing back at Lily. [color=BD892F]"Looks like this one's empty... does it matter to you which one we take?"[/color]

[color=lightcoral]"No, not really,"[/color] Lily replied, walking into the empty room. She looked at the lavishness, still unable to believe that they were to stay in it. [color=lightcoral]"Wow. So this must be how rich people live, huh?"[/color]

How rich people lived... yes. Only rich people could afford something like this. But she still didn't get it. Why were [i]they[/i] of all people being given such rooms? Not for a reward, like Lily had suggested. As a distraction from what had happened? Compensation? She sighed softly, though it was hard to tell whether she did so because she was satisfied or upset. Something to think about later. 

Looking at the single bed in the room, she realized she had forgotten that there was only [i]one[/i] bed per room. Sharing a room was one thing, but sharing a bed? She hadn't done that in years, except for a night or two once in a while when she shared a bed with her sister in a hotel. She wasn't sure that she really wanted to sleep with someone outside of the family... so there was always the couch?

She looked at the bed, then the couch, and then at the bed. That could work. [color=BD892F]"Uh, there's only one bed, so maybe I can sleep on the couch?"[/color]

Lily looked at the bed then at the couch then at Sophia. She was glad that someone actually wanted to share a room with her. And because this dark haired girl did, she wanted to make sure that she was as comfortable as possible. Her offer to sleep on the couch was proof enough that she wasn't comfortable sharing a bed. She smiled and shook her head. [color=lightcoral]"You take the bed. I don't sleep all that much anyway and if I do, I'm small enough that I would fit on the couch perfectly... even if I stretch out."[/color] She chuckled. [color=lightcoral]"Back home, he would always say that I---"[/color] she stopped. 

[i][color=lightcoral]Back home? Did I remember something?[/color][/i]

She furrowed her brow but that flash of memory was gone and she had no idea what it was that she was about to say.

Lily was only a few inches shorter than Sophia, so it wouldn't really matter who slept there, would it? She opened her mouth to respond, but her friend wasn't done talking. Something about an unknown person again, just like that time Lily had come over to her dorm. She waited for Lily to finish, but she had stopped and didn't seem like she was going to continue. 

Putting down the few things she had brought from the motel on and near the night table near the bed, a thought occurred to her. She got the stuff about who would sleep where out of the way first, though. [color=Bd892F]"Alright... if you're sure. But we can always switch, if you don't like it."[/color] 

She sat down on the edge of the bed. [color=BD892F]"Lily..."[/color] Sophia began slowly, gazing at the girl. [color=BD892F]"Have you ever tried writing all that you remember down? So that... one day maybe you can put it together?"[/color]

Lily looked thoughtfully at Sophia. [color=lightcoral]"No, not really,"[/color] she admitted. [color=lightcoral]"It's... kinda difficult to do that because I don't remember long enough to actually write it down. Sometimes I see a face in my head but I don't really know who it is. Sometimes I think I remember but the memory doesn't stick. It never does."[/color] She shrugged. [color=lightcoral]"So I don't really bother anymore."[/color]

[color=Bd892F]"Oh."[/color] It was too bad, but if Lily couldn't remember, there really wasn't much that could be done about it. She dropped the subject, turning her attention to the room around them once more. [color=Bd892F]"Well then, I think I'm going to explore this place more."[/color] 

She and Lily spent the next minutes checking out the room they were going to stay in, checking out the facilities. The closet compartments were cool, there were robes provided, and the bathtub was so [i]big[/i]. The question why they were given such a luxurious place to stay in still bugged her a bit, but the excitement of the motorized snack shelf distracted her from thinking about it too much.

When they were done checking everything out, Sophia and Lily headed down to the buffet together, ready to satisfy their appetites. They passed by the music room where a melody was playing. Lily paused, considering peeking in to see who among them were the ones playing but her stomach had other plans. When it growled, the blonde threw all thoughts of music out the window and continued on.[/hider]
[hider=An E-mail (Solo)][center][hr][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝔻.ℂ.   / /   ℍ𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕥 ℝ𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 ℍ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕝   / /   ~𝟙𝟙𝟜𝟘[/color][hr][/center]Sophia came directly from the buffet to the computer lounge, still full from breakfast. Having been away from USARILN for a few days now, it had been a while since she had been online. She probably could have used her phone to access the internet, but that sort of thing had been one of the last things on her mind during the past days. Anyway, it was probably a good idea to check her e-mail and do some browsing online, before they were shipped off elsewhere.

Opening the internet browser, she went to sign in to her e-mail first. Messages unread: 18. Her eyebrows rose, until, scrolling through the unread messages, she realized that most were from sites she merely had accounts on. Telling her to not give up and keep learning this or that, check some new post out, or advertise some sale. A few of them were from her mother, though. It seemed that her mother hadn't dropped her off the list of family members to send articles to, she found the e-mails containing links to news sites, but no personal words for her. 

That was... a good thing? She should probably feel relived that her mother hadn't taken her becoming a subnatural badly. But then, there were no attempts from her mother or her father to keep in touch. Not to ask how she was adjusting to USARILN, if she wanted to talk, or anything. But she couldn't blame them. She'd never really talked with her parents much anyway, and they were probably still shocked from the sudden change of events. She didn't click on any of the articles, another e-mail catching her eye.

An e-mail from Matilda, dated late on the 13th.

[quote]Dear Sophia,

How are you doing? Please reply if you can. I wasn't sure how else to contact you since you don't have a phone, but I would like us to communicate a bit. Now our phone is just mine now. Or if you can access a phone you can call me, though I do not like talking on the phone as much. I am available in the morning on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Tuesday and Thursday I am available in the afternoons after 2pm. Friday I am only available in the evenings after tea, since I have two classes on that day. 

Hope you have a good rest of the day (or night if it's night when you read this).

Love, 
Matilda[/quote]
She wasn't sure what to think. It was short, and more on the formal side compared to how her sister usually wrote. But she had still used "love" at the end, and had wanted a reply. That at least seemed good, and it did make her a little happy that Matilda, if not her parents, had tried to get in touch. It was the... 18th today, wasn't it? No, 17th. The 17th. Four days since Matilda had sent out the e-mail, maybe she had given up on Sophia ever replying. 

Though she knew it would probably be a good idea to reply now, she hesitated with her cursor hovering over the reply box. What was she supposed to say? "I'm fine", like she often did? Her sister would want details, and Sophia didn't know if she wanted to give the total truth. It might make them grow apart if Sophia went ahead and told Matilda about facing monsters, and the death, and everything. Plus, she wasn't sure Matilda could handle it.

She needed time to think over the facts of what had happened, maybe tweak them a bit or decide what to leave out. How much was there in the news about the attack on the school? She knew news about Wisford must be everywhere by now, but how specific were the reports? She closed her e-mail and went to sign in to her Discord.

It turned out that there were a lot of messages to read through from that Death and Taxes site, and it took her a while before she was done. It was confusing, piecing together what everyone was saying. USARILN had been attacked? And there had been deaths, and someone was cleaning up bodies. That wasn't a lot of information, but at least it was something. 

Would anything have happened to her if she had been in USARILN at that time?

Moving on, she spent almost the next hour or so browsing through the news before heading back up to the 20th floor.[/hider]
[hider=Keeping in Touch (Mostly solo)][center][hr][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟠, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝔻.ℂ.   / /   ℍ𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕥 ℝ𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 ℍ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕝   / /   𝟙𝟡𝟛𝟝[/color][hr][sub]Parts written by [@Kyrisse][/sub][/center]
From where she sat with her back to the large bed, Sophia pulled the earbuds she had bought earlier that day out from her ears, switching off the music after checking the time. By now Matilda should be done with dinner, if her family was still keeping to the same schedule as they had been only a few weeks ago. There was only one problem: Lily was in the room. She would feel bad asking Lily to leave... but she really wanted to just get this over with. 

[color=Bd892F]"Hey... uh, Lily?"[/color] she called, twisting around to catch sight of her friend. [color=Bd892F]"Are you busy?"[/color]

[color=lightcoral][i]A singer like Angelique? A nerd in school? A favorite daughter? Maybe a popular girl like Emma? No, no, can't be. I'm not even half as pretty as her. Hmmm... maybe someone like Ernie who gives good advice? Or maybe...[/i][/color] Lily was daydreaming about possible pasts when Sophia called out her name.

She looked towards the dark haired girl. [color=lightcoral]"Hmmm?"[/color]

[color=Bd892F]"Yeah, I was planning to... maybe call someone now. But if you want to stay here, I can always call another time?"[/color]

[color=lightcoral]"Oh, no, no. It's okay. I'll go,"[/color] Lily replied, stretching her arms and legs before standing up. [color=lightcoral]"I'll go see if there's someone I can bother,"[/color] she giggled before slipping out of the door.

Now there wouldn't be any putting it off any longer. With hesitant fingers she dialed in the number from memory, hovering over the call button for a few seconds before finally pressing it. The phone rang once, twice... four times... and then stopped. Sophia automatically tightened her hand on the phone as her sister's loud voice came through.

[color=f7976a]"Hello? This is Matilda. Who is this?"[/color]

Now. Time for her to speak. She hesitated, listening to her sister's breathing from the other side of the phone.

[color=f7976a]"Hello?"[/color]

[color=BD892F]"I... this is Sophia. I wanted to-"[/color]

[color=f7976a][i]"Sophia?"[/i][/color] It was hard to tell how her sister was feeling just by the tone of voice. [color=f7976a]"You- you're calling me! I thought you weren't going to, or that you had forgotten, or that- something else happened. How are you?"[/color]

Relief, it sounded like relief. But Sophia's hand only tightened even more on the phone as that question came around. [color=Bd892F]"I'm good, Til. I've just been... busy lately. Adjusting and all? Anyway, what about you? How are the rest?"[/color]

[color=f7976a]"No, don't switch the subject. I'll answer your questions later, but first [i]I[/i] want to ask you things. You never talk enough."[/color] There was silence for a few seconds, one that Sophia didn't know how to break. [color=f7976a]"I want to ask you things,"[/color] Matilda repeated again. More silence. 

[color=f7976a]"How's USARILN East? And having powers? Is it like, weird? Cool? Horrible? Do you want to come back?"[/color] Her sister had begun slowly, but picked up speed as she continued to talk, even as her voice became softer.

[color=f7976a]"Are you ever coming back? Do you hate us? Is the place horrible? I'm sorry, sorry. We shouldn't have called. We should have waited. We could have kept you with us, and worked something out. I hate myself for reacting so impulsively, I never think before doing anything. And now you're gone, and I don't know if you're coming back, and everyone misses you though they don't say it. And-and-"[/color] Sophia thought she could hear her sister getting chocked up. [color=f7976a]"I don't know how to do anything, how to handle Lyra and make her feel better, how to get along, I don't get what people mean, I have no one to talk to about what [i]I'm feeling[/i] and no one to ask if someone was sarcastic or not, and-"[/color] 

Matilda stopped, and all Sophia could hear was crying. She needed to say something now, but the words had come too quickly without giving her enough time to think them through. [color=BD892F]"Matilda, you-"[/color]

[color=f7976a]"I'm so selfish. Here I am complaining about my problems, when it's you who should be talking. How are you?"[/color]

[color=Bd892F]"Til, I already said I'm fine."[/color]

She paused to further think things through. [color=BD892F]"You shouldn't be blaming yourself... would have had to go eventually anyway. It was either go immediately, or cause a lot of trouble for you all. And don't worry, you can still talk to me. [i]Call me.[/i] I got a phone, so... you know I'm still the same, right? Just because I have a mark now doesn't mean that I'm not Sophia, okay? I'm not going to change."[/color] 

Except she was going to change, and she was already changing. Everything was different now.

[color=f7976a]"No!"[/color] All of a sudden Matilda seemed angry, though sniffles still punctuated her words. [color=f7976a]"Don't forget [i]I'm[/i]" the older sister. I'm the one who you should be telling your problems too. I know... I need to tell you a lot, but it can't be one sided. I want you to talk, [i]tell[/i] me about what's been happening."[/color]

What was she supposed to tell Matilda? About the battles, and the death, and the wounded, and the gunshots and soldiers, the violent games? That she wasn't even at USARILN at the moment? No. [color=Bd892F]"It's... going to take me a while to adjust. I do miss you all. But... it's really not as bad as I thought it would be? I think I made a friend, and there's good food though I still miss mama's? And everyone's well provided for here..."[/color]

Her sister still didn't say anything. [color=Bd892F]"What [i]do[/i] you want to know?"[/color] she asked at last. [color=Bd892F]"You know I don't... talk."[/color]

[color=f7976a]"Just say what you feel like."[/color]

[color=f7976a]"But... are you sure? The reputation of that school isn't something along the lines of being friendly. You haven't been out to fight, right?"[/color]

Her sister needed reassurance, and Sophia would give it. [color=Bd892F]"Of course not, Til!"[/color] A little too loud, a little too forced, and a little too happy.

[color=Bd892F][i]Yeah, right.[/i][/color]

[color=BD892F]"We've only had a little training for like strength stuff. I mean, I've barely been here for any time. They wouldn't send us out."[/color]

[color=Bd892F][i]Hah. Very true.[/i][/color]

[color=f7976a]"I don't [i]ever[/i] want you sent out, Sophia. You know that, right?"[/color]

[color=BD892F]"Yeah."[/color] She needed to switch the subject, this was getting too far from the truth for her comfort. There was no way she could find out about who had been sent out to Wisford, right? She hadn't done any interviews like some of her other classmates, so she should be fine?

[color=BD892F]"Uh... you said you'd answer my questions later. How's mama and papa? Lyra? You can talk about yourself later."[/color]

[color=f7976a]"Oh, Sophia. It hasn't been good. They've been fighting more lately, and both of them just left. To talk outside of the house. Not to make you feel bad, but it's probably because of you leaving. Though you already knew that. As for Lyra, she's Lyra. You know that she and I don't get along as well, so she gets rude and annoying, though then sometimes she just comes to me for comfort."[/color]

As she had sort of guessed. Situation: not so good. And Lyra, so young and all these changes.

[color=f7976a]"Lyra's downstairs if you want to talk to her."[/color]

Did she want to talk to her? It might make Lyra feel better, but... Maybe just talking to Matilda for now was enough. She should though... except...

[color=BD892F]"I'll... talk to her another time, okay? But tell her she can e-mail. [i]Should e-mail.[/i] She still needs to keep practicing her typing."[/color] Sophia was trying to keep cheerful, but she could feel her voice dropping into its quieter mode. [color=BD892F][i]I'll talk to you another time, midget.[/i][/color]

[color=f7976a]"Are you sure? Well, okay."[/color]

[color=BD892F]"Now, tell me about yourself!"[/color] Yes, keep up the cheer. [color=Bd892F]"How's community college?"[/color]

Her sister launched into explanation, about the people she had met on the bus, in class, including some questions about what her sister thought certain people might think of her behavior. Luckily Matilda carried the conversation by herself, needing only a few words here and then to keep her going. It was almost eight thirty by the time conversation petered off, and Sophia was glad to hear that Matilda seemed happier.

[color=f7976a]"Wow, I talked a lot, didn't I?"[/color]

[color=Bd892F]"You always talk a lot, Til. But yeah, it's probably best for you to get going. Finish that homework and all."[/color]

[color=f7976a]"Yeah... okay. We can e-mail until we find some other time to call, alright?"[/color]

[color=Bd892F]"Mhmm. Have a good night. Tell... tell them all I say hello."[/color]

[color=f7976a]"I will. Stay safe, Sophia."[/color]

[color=Bd892F]"Bye."[/color]
[/hider]
[hider=Restless Night (Solo)][center][hr][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟡, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝔻.ℂ.   / /   ℍ𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕥 ℝ𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 ℍ𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕝   / /   𝟘𝟚𝟙𝟞[/color][hr][/center]The day had ended up with Sophia having more conversations than she was used to having... one with Brent, small talk with Lily once in a while, and then the long phone call with Matilda. Perhaps all this conversation had called to mind all the things she had not done, still had to do, and memories about the far and near past so they were too fresh in her mind.

It had taken Sophia hours to fall asleep, tossing and turning in that big bed. And even when she fell asleep, it was not a deep and dreamless one. 

[hider=Nightmare]Closing her eyes found her opening them in a different place, one that she recognized too well. The APC. Outside the open doors everything was more blurred than she remembered it, only two things in focus. Marcus, and a clockwork dog. It circled him, and though she could hear faint whimpers and cries of terror from the people around her in the APC, she could not tear her eyes away. 

Marcus was unarmed, obviously terrified. She needed to do something, help, but she just watched. 

A snarl and a leap towards the time mage. 

For a moment or two the entire scene was blurred, and when she could see again he was lying on the floor with the dog's jaws around his neck. 

[color=Bd892F][i]Do something.[/i][/color]

Making Marcus look like a rag doll, the dog shook its head vigorously. Marcus's eyes met her own, pleading, but they were golden eyes, not hazel.

Another blurred few moments, and through the fog she heard a loud [i]snap[/i] that made every part of her freeze. Couldn't move. When the fog vanished, the dog was gone. Marcus was gone. In their places was Savannah, and the gargoyle. 

Dead. But Sav's eyes still were fixed on her. She tried to move towards the girl, but still she couldn't move. Something held her in place, something that she struggled against but couldn't overcome. Before she could try again to break free from those bonds, the doors slammed.

Total darkness. 

It seemed like she was stuck in there for ages, but at last the darkness faded away and she was at USARILN, at the place where they did training. Her classmates were around her, exercising. She knew what she should do and automatically moved to lay on the ground with her knees bent. Sit ups. But the moment she lay down, it happened once again. She couldn't move.

And as she lay there, her classmates surrounded her, forming a circle around her. She knew that they were her classmates, but their faces were blurred, some more than the rest. Those that weren't entirely blurred beyond recognition were the ones of Lily, then Brent, then Lawrence and Marcus. But she could still barely recognize them. She struggled to stand up and face them, but they moved closer and began to speak in unison.

"You don't know us, do you?"

"Too good to get to know us, always sticking to yourself. Too good, huh?"

"What are our names?"

She tried to call up names for the faces that she could at least somewhat recognize, but came up blank. She knew, though, she [i]knew.[/i]

[color=Bd892F][i]I know you,[/i][/color] she tried to say, but nothing came out. [color=Bd892F][i]I just can't--[/i][/color]

"Can't remember?" The tone of their voices... such contempt, hate...

On they went, listing every time that she could have interacted with them, become friends with them. Listing every time she had thought of speaking or approaching but never had. [i]As if they had searched her mind.[/i] There were so many times, too many... but she had tried. [i]She had tried.[/i]

"No, you didn't try," was the last thing they said before they faded away in that fog.

Then it was Savannah there above her, just her alone. She hadn't been there just now, Sophia could remember that much. Sav looked so happy, whole, innocent. A grin on her face, with a stack of music sheets in one hand, a violin and bow in the other. The moment Sav's gaze landed on Sophia, however, the grin faded and was replaced with an expression of sadness, loss, helplessness... 

"You never got to know me much, did you? Do you know what's my favorite song? Favorite color?" She stopped to look Sophia up and down, and she realized that she was standing. How had that happened?

"Favorite food? My history? You never tried to reach out, never suggested that we play together." A faint smile. "You know, I think we could have been good friends. Both of us the youngest ones, both of us liking music."

"Too bad you couldn't do anything to help me then." The smile faded, and Sophia wanted to tell Savannah how sorry she was, how she thought about it every day. She still couldn't speak.

"Regrets and apologies won't change anything," she said softly, as if comforting Sophia. "But I'll play something for you, okay?" Savannah spread the music sheets before her, and they somehow stayed there, floating in midair. Getting into position, she lifted her bow and placed it lightly on the strings. 

But something wasn't right. Sav seemed to shiver and tremble before her eyes, even as she smiled and began to draw the bow across the strings. Instead of the sweet notes Sophia had been hoping for, a screech rang out as Sav began to tremble harder. Cracks appeared in the young girl, and a second later the girl before Sophia crumbled into thousands of pieces. Even the music sheets crumbled, falling onto the ground with a crash. 

No. What was happening? She needed to get to Sav, see if she could fix it. She needed to fix it, she couldn't fail another time. 

She couldn't move. 

The pieces on the floor trembled as if they wanted to join together once more, but each movement of a piece resulted in its breaking even farther. Sophia could only watch as the pieces of Sav, small enough to begin with, crumbled into dust. 

A breeze began to blow, and the fine pieces were swept off by the wind. Into the distance. Out of sight. Never to come back.[/hider]
And she was crying, sobbing into her pillow. The sheets of the bed were twisted around her, her cheeks wet with tears. She was safe. Here. Not anywhere else but here. Hyatt Regency Hotel. 

[i]But Sav wasn't. Not safe, not here, and not at this hotel.[/i]

The tears continued to fall even though Sophia was now awake, unable to forget what she had witnessed. It was many minutes before the sobs subsided, and she untangled herself from the sheets to sit up in bed. The room was big, but not big enough. She suddenly felt trapped. She needed to get outside, breathe some fresh air. 

Carefully, as quietly as she could, she slipped out of the bed and out of the room, only stopping to grab her cardigan. The guards were in the living room as they always were, but they didn't speak to her and only tracked her progress across the room. She thought of going down to get outside, but... her attention flickered over to the balcony. Outdoors. 

It would be good enough. She stepped outside, breathing in deeply as the cold air enveloped her. She was sticky from that dream, and it felt good. From this high up she could see the cars still on the road at this hour, and the lights of other buildings. She gave herself a minute to relax before she couldn't help but dive deep into what that dream might have meant.

Everything in there had hit so close to home...

She didn't know her classmates. She hadn't tried to get to know anyone. She hadn't tried to get to know Sav. She hadn't done anything to help during the battle. She didn't [i]do[/i] anything, all she did was think. And think. And think. That was all she had been doing, drifting from room to room when she needed to get somewhere to eat or something. But she didn't interact, didn't talk. Didn't try hard enough, did she?

Things did need to change. Everything around her had changed, and she needed to change with it.

Except... wasn't that what she always told herself? That she needed to change? Needed to learn to talk to people? And maybe she would try for a few days, a week, and then the attempts would peter to a stop. It didn't work, and she had never gotten it to work.

Try, try, and try again. That was all she could ever do. But it had to count for something, right? Maybe one day... she would get better? 

[color=Bd892F][i]Not if you keep making excuses for your failures. With all your 'I don't know' and 'I can't'.[/i][/color]

[color=Bd892F][i]I'll try again.[/i][/color]

[color=Bd892F][i]To do what? Do, not try.[/i][/color]

[color=Bd892F][i]To communicate, to train... to learn more about others... to get stronger, to take care of my sisters and help them, to help others...  to not just sit or stand there and do nothing.[/i][/color]

[color=Bd892F][i]Good. These better not just be empty words again.[/i][/color]

[color=Bd892F][i]They won't. I'll try--[/i][/color]

[color=Bd892F][i][b]Do.[/b][/i][/color]

[color=Bd892F][i]I'll do my best.[/i][/color]

Eventually she felt exhaustion returning, and she turned from the balcony to go back to bed. Tomorrow-- or rather, later today, would give her a new chance.[/hider]