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[h1]Off With [s]His[/s] Her Shirt[/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/jw3F1O9.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/rF32h3E.png[/img]
[h2][color=B0C4DE]Brent[/color] | [color=ff57ff]Siena[/color][/h2]
[sub]A Collab by [@Papitan][@ERode][/sub]
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[hider=𝕎𝕖𝕕: 𝕆𝕔𝕥. 𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝔹𝕒𝕝𝕕 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕   / /   𝕃𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖   / /  ~𝟘𝟝𝟛𝟝]
Ernie and Christmas had already gone on ahead, the coast declared clear by the rope-slinging aberration. Emma, Marcus, Lily, and Sophia, despite being as wet as they all were, appeared to be in relatively good shape as well, but as for the birdcage the seer brought with her...that soaked bundle of feathers didn't look all too good. A wince, instinctive, but then Brent realized that he didn't even know whose bird it was. Did the brunette have a bird? Or was that just one of many pets were brought along for the ride?

Still, no one looked as if the flood had killed them immediately, and slowly, the waters were draining out, deeper into the tunnels. His boots squelched against the path, turned a quagmire by the seawater. The stench was still ever present, but it masked or washed away more unpleasant odors and soon, he was walking towards the only person who remained standing, remained silent. Siena, sporting unnaturally blue eyes, that of a painting rather than a photo of the sky.

In her own little world already, eh? Complete with sighs and gestures and all that stuff.

[color=B0C4DE]"Yo,"[/color] Brent said, slapping her on the back, [color=B0C4DE]"Don't space out now, 'ena. Still don't have any sort of confirmation regarding the mansion group."[/color]

The connection faded out before the name, an odd sensation of [i]knowing[/i] that it was still there, but still the girl remained in place, took a moment to regain herself. Heat still burning dimly beneath the surface, the same and yet entirely different from the one she'd harbored before being doused in seawater. Not hers. At least that much, she knew. Siena took another soft breath to try and soothe it, only ended up feeling another shiver creep through her--[i]cold this time, not fear[/i]--and told herself that she needed to start thinking of what to do next. Absentmindedly, her thumb swiped across the screen of her phone, scrolling through selections despite her eyes being focused on something not there. 

[i]'[color=ff57ff]Hopefully Chris will get back t---WHA?![/color]'[/i]

Had she been in a state further from [i]frozen to the ground[/i], her reaction might have been more violent, more combat oriented, but between the chill and her draining stamina, Siena did the next best thing in her repertoire. Her body stiffened, back straightening at the impact, eyes snapping up--it was like watching an animal learn how to play dead while standing compressed into a split second. The remainder of the name escaped all at once, blue eyes swallowed once more by grey as her heart remembered how to beat again. 

"[color=ff57ff]J-Jesus [i]Christ[/i], Brent,[/color]" the girl breathed while slowly allowing herself to relax as much as she usually would, a strained, [s]hollow[/s] weary shadow of a smile crossing her lips out of instinct. "[color=ff57ff]Glad you didn't do that ten seconds ago, I guess.[/color]"

She really must have been out of it if she figuratively leapt up into the air with surprise. Taking a small step back, Brent managed a not-really grin as well. [color=B0C4DE]"What, were you gonna sucker punch me like Marcus?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Ten [i]degrees[/i] prevented that, n-not ten seconds.[/color]" Despite her best efforts, the girl couldn't keep another shiver from marring the words. Taking a deep breath and wringing at the bottom of her slip with one hand, the brunette glanced up, her attention somewhere beyond the "ceiling" above them. "[color=ff57ff]Chris should be regrouping with the others. Hopefully we'll be in one group again soon.[/color]"

Her gaze dropped from the ceiling, and she wondered if it would be less draining to allow the division to stay in place. 

"[color=ff57ff]How high do you think the chances are that the group at the estate has been eliminated already?[/color]"

That mind link technique then. Useful stuff, if it could let her communicate with people whose locations were unknown. Well, if Chris of all people were moving about on the surface, it was a good indication of the states of Callan and Sander, at least. Kusari was functionally invincible as well, which left only...Allison and Zoe. He clicked his tongue, glancing over at Siena's soaked form as well, before making a snap decision. The dragon wasn't in combat anymore, and perhaps that great flood was simply the Amigos' last warning for Unit B not to pursue. So now...

[color=B0C4DE]"Let's get upstairs first,"[/color] Brent said, shrugging off his parka, [color=B0C4DE]"If the estate group can evade gunfire from Zhang's guards for an extended period of time, I'm fairly certain they're still alive and kicking. Probably knew to run when things got bad. We have a better chance in broad daylight though."[/color]

Least they'd be able to see the laser beamer coming, considering how the neighboring forest had been all but razed by flame and rot.

[color=B0C4DE]"You got dunked during the flash flood, right? Take your clothes off and put this on before you freeze to death."[/color]

[i]'[color=ff57ff]...huh?[/color]'[/i]

Siena blinked once in surprise at the suggestion, attention falling on the offered parka as the words rewound, sounded off in her head, and--[i]nope.[/i] The reaction was still something along the lines of [i]what the hell?[/i] 

"[color=ff57ff]U-Um...?[/color]" Eyebrows rose in a mixture of surprise, confusion, and...that was about all that managed to reach through the stifling. It took a moment longer before the logic of the statement started to settle in, thought coming to mind in efficient, quick bursts. Like bullet points more than real thoughts. Freeze to death. Hypothermia. Right, she [i]was[/i] practically freezing. It wouldn't do much good to put on a jacket over wet clothing. It made much more sense when she thought about it.

[i]'[color=ff57ff]No, it doesn't?![/color]'[/i]

"[color=ff57ff]Thanks, but uh...[/color]" A pause. "[color=ff57ff]You want me to what?[/color]"

Was it really that strange? Surely she had read those winter survival stories before, where it was the water chill, not the wind chill, that killed people? Reciprocating her 'what the hell' with his own equally baffled expression, Brent said, a little defensively, [color=B0C4DE]"What? Doesn't that make more sense than mutual nudity followed by body heat sharing?"[/color]

[i]'[color=ff57ff]H-huh?![/color]'[/i]

Another blink, and had the division been smaller, Siena was certain the reaction would have been stronger. For a moment, she was left with a vocabulary that consisted of a few confused sounds, the word "what", and very little else. The fact that Siena doubted that there was anything beyond some form of concern didn't make the concept less startling. Her fingers dug deeper against the fabric of her slip, pulling the thin fabric against her skin, peach tones peeking through the areas where the clothing was pulled taut. 

"[color=ff57ff]I...uh, I don't th--[/color]" Siena cut herself off, a nagging feeling in the back of her head telling her that she probably [i]didn't[/i] want to know how much worse that particular topic could get. Somewhere, she imagined, Gerwulf was throwing a fit--[i]no, he wasn't.[/i]. "[color=ff57ff]I...suppose that's fair enough.[/color]"

...was she actually about to comply...?

Gingerly, she reached for the parka, another shiver running through her at the slight distance between her arm and her core. It didn't alleviate the cold, only making her more aware of the fact that water was still dripping off her hair, still soaking through her now-pointless coat, and clinging to her skin.

[color=B0C4DE]"Mhm,"[/color] Brent nodded, handing it over. [color=B0C4DE]"Dunno what a safe place would be to change, but..."[/color]

Awkwardly turning around and using his own body to form some shitty human-shaped curtain between Siena and the others, the amethyst eyed arbiter shrugged lopsidedly. [color=B0C4DE]"I guess...go ahead?"[/color]

For a moment, Siena wondered how wise it would be to dart as far down the tunnels as she could to try and find an appropriate place to change. Not very. God forbid she came across another hostile...maybe she should have used a name to provide herself the privacy? No...that was petty in and of itself, and what would she have done that didn't attract more attention? Throw up walls? Turn invisible--that was a good one.

...but it would be a waste of her quickly diminishing reserves, said the cool, level-headed part of her. Only one way to go about it then, really. 

Slipping her phone into the pocket of the dry article of clothing, Siena held it carefully with one hand, awkwardly undoing what buttons remained of her coat, shrugging off one shoulder at a time until it fell--[i]it was so cold![/i]--from its place, hitting the floor with a heavier [i]thump[/i] than she'd hoped for. Grimacing, the brunette did the best she could to make quick work of the slip, peeling it off her skin where it stuck, shivering again when her hair started clinging to her, dribbling water on every available surface.

At least, she thought, there was nothing to really stare at.

With as much speed as she could muster, the brunette pulled the parka over her, secured it, and deftly pulled the hood up, bowing her head slightly as though it might aid in hiding her face. 

...at least she was a [i]little[/i] warmer.

[color=B0C4DE]"Done?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Y-yeah.[/color]"

He turned.

[color=B0C4DE]"Wow, definitely brings out a different side to the outfit."[/color]

Heat, this type far removed from what she was used to, spread across the girl's face, quickly masked by the action of turning her face down and away. 

"[color=ff57ff]Wh-what's [i]that[/i] supposed to mean?[/color]"

Brent grinned teasingly. [color=B0C4DE]"Indeed, what [i]is[/i] that supposed to mean?"[/color]

Too lax though. They weren't out of it yet. The smile was removed once more, and he turned around a second time.

[color=B0C4DE]"Give me a sleeve, 'ena. Dry clothes probably won't be enough."[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Um...okay...?[/color]" While she'd seen what Brent was capable of, Siena hadn't considered the idea of enhancing clothing. What exactly was he going to do? Make it...even more dry? A burning curiosity started to catch, gnawing and chewing at the corner of her mind. It would be an interesting experience. As she stretched an arm toward the boy, her mind caught on to a different anomaly. "[color=ff57ff]You...probably don't need to be turned around?[/color]"

[color=B0C4DE]"For your sake rather than mine,"[/color] Brent said. [color=B0C4DE]"I'd recommend closing your own eyes too. Just saying."[/color]

Well, now that he told her that, the arbiter was dead certain Siena was going to keep her eyes opened the entire time. Feeling for her arm, his fingertips grazed her own, before sliding up and catching the cuff of the puffy parka. A connection was formed and from there, silver circuitry raced down his arm, flowed into the waterproof apparel, fused with the puffy down beneath, and filled the parka entirely until it was sheer silver light.

Then, it [i]exploded[/i], silvery threads and cloud-like feather down bursting outwards before reforming, becoming a coat that made her look much less like the Michelin Man. White with silver accents, the N0 NAME 'brand' was emblazoned on the back of the overclocked parka, while a faint, almost inaudible whining could be heard from that same area. Heating wires, powered by magic, suffused the coat with a comfortable warmth.

[color=B0C4DE]"Not a fashion designer,"[/color] the arbiter smiled, [color=B0C4DE]"So I'll apologize for my lacking design sense. But hey, this should warm you up better than a mug of hot choco."[/color]

For her sake? And closing her eyes? Siena tried to rack her mind for signs of Brent's ability, but it occurred to the girl then that she'd never been able to focus entirely on its activation. The results spoke for themselves, but if there were averse effects, was it really wise for Brent to work his magic while she was wearing the item? Had he enhanced the goggles before or after he'd had them on Lily? She didn't remember in time to raise any protests before the parka shone with a silver light. Maybe that was why he'd suggested closing he--

[i]'[color=ff57ff]WHAT THE FUCK?![/color]'[/i]

[i]IT EXPLODED.[/i] Siena felt her heart stop in place for a second, eyes wide, voice and breath catching full stop in her throat as her body stiffened again, every muscle tensing until she was practically frozen in place. Raucous swearing and panic continued to deafen her ears as she remained [i]frozen in place[/i] after the clothing had reformed, and Siena wasn't certain whether there had actually been any effect or whether the warmth was from a well blended concoction of [i]mortified embarrassment[/i]. 

"[color=ff57ff]I--that--it ju--[/color]" Words were failing her, but then again so were thoughts at that exact moment. Evidently so was [i]moving[/i] because still Siena remained rooted in place, looking much akin to a deer in the lights of an oncoming bus.

[color=B0C4DE]"Uh..."[/color] Wow, was he just accidentally triggering all her childhood trauma today? [color=B0C4DE]"Surprise?"[/color]

[i]Surprise[/i]? Had the division not been firmly set in place, Siena was certain that she would have done more than pause long enough to take a careful breath to calm the rampant thoughts in her head. 

"[color=ff57ff][i]I'd say so, yeah.[/i][/color]" The words carried more than before, but it still wasn't quite enough for the situation, she supposed. The brunette thought back, again. Didn't he have to remain in contact to maintain the enhancement? That hardly seemed convenient or practical.

...but damn, if she wasn't feeling warmer already. 

"[color=ff57ff]But uh...thanks...[/color]" A pause. "[color=ff57ff]This doesn't really seem like the most convenient way to move though...[/color]"

Brent pulled on the cuff until the fabric stretched over Siena's hand, before holding it there.

[color=B0C4DE]"Well, by the time it becomes wholly inconvenient, you'll be warmed up enough that the regular parka would do."[/color] A pause, and then a smile. [color=B0C4DE]"Better get up to the lighthouse before Christmas starts powerbombing Ernie, eh?"[/color]

Odd. It was undeniably odd that Siena didn't feel an instinctive need to try and pull her hand back. The thoughts that told her as much were disturbingly level and calm, as though reciting facts from an encyclopedia rather than really having input on the matter. Usually, that chilling part of her claimed, she would have tried. Had never really [i]liked[/i] having unplanned contact, even if she did initiate it. Always the faintest brushes, just enough to elicit an appropriate response, not more. Never more. 

The thoughts, she understood in equal measure, were simply covering for the guilt that was bubbling up in the pit of her stomach. Thick and dark, like tar that stuck to anything it touched, and covering everything with a generous coat as though it understood anything less would never make it past the chasm. Powerbombing--she'd know a lot about that, wouldn't she? 

Such comprehension was tucked neatly away behind a half empty return of a smile. Equal measure. Equal return. There, but not entirely. Drained of what might have made it seem more genuine because [i]she[/i] was just as drained. "[color=ff57ff]Fair enough on both counts.[/color]" She tried, to no avail, to put more into the words. Into the reflexive smile. Too tired, too weary, and Siena wasn't entirely certain that was only a physical exhaustion. How many more times would she have to...no. Better not to finish that thought, so instead, she filled the space with action. An awkward forward step to test the range of movement--it was about what she had expected. Not much practicality in moving if Brent wasn't too--not unless she intended to push him along. Her free hand slipped into her pocket, fingers tracing her phone for comfort as she spoke again. "[color=ff57ff]I guess I'll follow your lead here.[/color]"

[color=B0C4DE]"Then allow your loyal knight, Hathaway of Amaryllis, to escort you off this dreadful underground prison,"[/color] Brent replied whimisically, walking off slowly, [color=B0C4DE]"Though the light at the end of this harrowing journey may merely be moonlight, a reflection of transient hope, it is this unworthy vassal's desire to see his charge attain a more tranquil state of mind. The darkness before daybreak has been a tiring time after all, Lady Maria, and if you do not wish to entertain this foolhardy knight's tittle-tattling, I beseech thee to rest thy razor tongue and thy beauteous countenance. From the vanguard, I benefit little from both, after all."[/color]

There was no need to turn around and no need to await any further response at that point. Brent had shot himself enough times in the heart for that little speech, after all. It really was weird, how he still wasn't tired even after all this crap. Maybe he really was better off as a human battery after all. Or a human bullshit spewer.

[i]'[color=ff57ff]What the hell?[/color]'[/i] It wasn't an exasperated thought, nor was it one of legitimate confusion. The words, though of little importance in and of themselves, Siena could grasp the idea of. A flicker of a smile, closer to real, closer to crossing the gouges, crossed her expression as she followed behind, her pace matching. He really did put everything he had into everything, didn't he? How unnervingly familiar.

And yet...

"[color=ff57ff]You...don't have to do that.[/color]" The words were as sincere as she could make them, but they were soft, quiet enough to carry little more than the small distance between them. Because even if, through the thick, suffocating blanket that she relied on so heavily, she appreciated the gesture, Siena didn't doubt for a moment that whatever payoff she could give wasn't [i]worth[/i] it. "[color=ff57ff]I'll be fine.[/color]" [i]Later, at least[/i], when she had enough time to put up the walls again, to pick apart what deserved to stay and what didn't before compartmentalizing the rest as [i]not her[/i]. Unvoiced thoughts that she pushed back because why the [i]hell[/i] would she ever voice those out loud?

"[color=ff57ff]But...thank you.[/color]"

And despite it all, at least [i]those[/i] words were real.

There was more to it. He did want to say more, after all. Want to be more direct. Want to be a little more honest. But Brent bit down on the tip of his tongue and decided against such self-satisfaction. Her gratitude was enough, and ultimately...he didn't have to tear apart her shell every time they talked. So the amethyst eyed youth chose to enjoy that small spot of warmth felt through the heated parka instead, the two of them trudging along in comfortable silence. A comfortable silence that became a little more tense as they arrived at the final obstacle, the ladder, once more.

[color=B0C4DE]"So...we doing this ladies first deal again?"[/color] Brent asked, turning around to get a look at Siena's complexion. [color=B0C4DE]"Or shall I take the initiative here and clear the path of any ruffians that may block your way?"[/color]

It felt like every time she saw this [i]very[/i] ladder, there was something to prevent an easy climb. Grey eyes trailed up the rungs until their ending point before quickly coming back to a level position. At least this time, the obstacle wasn't something as severe as each of them having two limbs incapacitated. A fascimile of a nervous upward tic of the mouth, an imitation of the memory of a real one, appeared on command, the action made more to convince anyone around them than either participant in their conversation. Her fingers trailed once more over the screen of the phone in her pocket.

Without the imminent and overpowering need and desperation to reach the surface...

"[color=ff57ff]I...believe I'll take the rear this time.[/color]" Another strained imitation of a smile as she finally removed her hand from her safety blanket, motioning at the bare skin below the hem of the parka. "[color=ff57ff]Given the circumstances.[/color]"

[color=B0C4DE]"Makes sense,"[/color] Brent replied, before that same teasing grin emerged once more, [color=B0C4DE]"Make sure you watch your back, eh? Emma might poke Marcus's eyes out if he gets an eyeful."[/color]

With those parting shots, the mega ultra smooth operator ascended three rungs at a time to avoid any sort of wrath Siena might bring down upon him.
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