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Eli couldn’t help but smile as Archie shoulder bumped her. The smile didn’t last long, though. She saw the look on Lynn’s face. Eli was glad that Lynn wasn’t throwing a fit about it, but she was also sorry that Lynn had to do this. She would have put her own hand on Lynn’s shoulder if Archie didn’t do it for her.

[b] “Stay close.”[/b]

Eli pressed her lips together and nodded. She took one step closer to Lynn in case she needed any help. Even though she was almost as uncomfortable as just watching her put the collar on, she couldn’t look away.

She’d spent hours thinking about what it felt like to wear a nullifying collar. She never really thought it would do anything but give her an acute headache or numb feeling, but she was sure it would feel much, [i]much[/i] different for the others. The visible pain on Lynn’s face was enough to prove her theory.

Eli tensed. Her worry for Lynn was written across her face. She looked away for a moment unable to bear the empathy she felt for her friend. When she looked back, she was shocked to see that Lynn looked… normal. Like a girl her age should look, minus the dark circles under her eyes and frail figure. Still, no matter how small and fragile Lynn looked now, Eli knew that she was extremely strong. To have gone through so much pain, so many traumas, and to still stand here today brave enough to wear the collar that suppressed her true nature and give Packet [i]that[/i] terrifying, Eli was in awe.

Eli smiled. She reached out to her friend, to her adopted sister (by her own means), and stroked her messy hair back. [color=E5D0FF] “I’m right here, Lynn.”[/color] She heard Nic’s voice agree with Lynn’s sentiments and pulled her hand back. She turned to look at him. At least someone didn’t look grim this morning.

She gratefully accepted the breakfast sandwich. She was still full from her big dinner yesterday, but she couldn’t pass up the offer of something that smelled so good. While she’d intended for her dinner to have been her potential last meal, the second she bit into the biscuit she was happy that this was actually it. She ate every savory bite in a matter of a minute as she listened to Nic assigning everyone a nickname.

[b]”Eli… Eli, you’re [i]Angel[/i].”[/b]

Eli had to grin back at Nic. She wasn’t sure why he’d made such a face, and she didn’t exactly think that any of them needed nicknames but Packet, but his gusto for the mission gave her more confidence that they would make this work. Maybe if she kept a positive state of mind throughout this, they would have a chance of returning from The Spire.

Well, maybe… Eli’s eyes widened as she saw what Nic was handing the human flamethrower. [i]What does he think she’s going to need those for?? What if they go off the second she removes the collar?[/i] Eli glanced between Nic and Lynn, and then glanced at the others. Was this what everyone else expected, or did Nic think of this himself? She was beginning to wonder if Nic had known how to make a molotov before he came to The Promise.

Natalie helped Eli with the codename situation, but never even mentioned the dangers of molotovs. Eli was beginning to feel like the mom friend, but she’d been called that before. And dammit, did she ever have a reason to be called the Mom.

[color=E5D0FF] “Nic… I’m glad that you’ve thought of everything we may need, but I’d rather save something like that as a last resort. I don’t want this to become that sort of fight. They’d label us as terrorists. Just… Save it for [i]dire[/i] situations, alright?”[/color] She gave Nic and Lynn the best “I trust you” smile so she didn’t look too worried. [color=E5D0FF] “Thank you for the biscuits, too, Nic.”[/color]