Log - Early/mid-June

[musicdied]

Who: Yelena and open
When: June 9-15
Where: ADI headquarters and housing, around Gloucester
Summary: Preparing to part ways.
Warnings: N/A

Headquarters
The dust settles surprisingly quickly, all things considered. It doesn't take much longer for Yelena's desk in the investigations department to...not quite empty, exactly. Her terminal is still there, the files she's been working on, a slim stack of research material. It's the personal items that vanish, the amusing mugs, the sweater she's kept draped over her chair, the little plastic dinosaur statue, the carefully kept notes.

For a little while, at least, she's still there - her reports continue, she remains a presence in the training gym, she eats the occasional meal in the cafeteria. If she's a little distant with most people, less quick to crack a joke or share a theory, well. She's hardly the only one.

Housing
At home - at what has been home for nearly two years now - the change in her demeanor isn't nearly as pronounced. She's still willing to joke and gossip with her roommates, and pull out a film for movie night. But here, her preparations are more obvious. Bit by bit, her belongings vanish into cheap plastic totes, neatly organized. She doesn't even need those - there's a duffle in her closet, packed with everything she absolutely requires.

She may intend to stay long enough to see to it that Zyrian Steel never has the chance to use another young girl as a cat's paw. She's prepared to vanish in a heartbeat, if she needs to.

Around Town
It's possible, now and then, to find her in a coffee shop, reviewing notes or photos - of aging buildings, mostly - over a cup of black coffee. It's possible, more rarely, to find her standing at the edge of the churchyard that once held an Eye cult, frowning to herself, apparently lost in thought, or prowling the perimeter of Dogtown.

Searching for more roaming signal towers, maybe. It's hard to trust that they're truly gone.

Comments

[ruevealing]

Oh, that is quite the vivid description. Rue's feathery shoulders droop just every so slightly at that, a brand new worry to mull about in their head, but at Yelena's question, their beak clacks gently.

"No, not yet. It worries me deeply, but I am resigned that I must simply wait. Fretting over it only makes it worse. I'd much rather do what I can do help those who have remained."

[musicdied]

She exhales something that might be mistaken for a laugh. "You will have your work cut out for you, then."

She takes a sip of her coffee, fingertip scratching idly at the surface of the paper cafeteria cup, peeling away a thin curl of wax.

[ruevealing]

"I suppose that I do, don't I?"

More than Rue is prepared for, honestly, but what else can they do? Leaving ADI seems impossible as an owlbear. Their experience with humans outside of the organization seeing their true form has not gone over very well.

"My friend, I have heard rumors in the air. Are you planning on leaving?"

[musicdied]

"I am," Yelena says. It's quiet, matter-of-fact.

"I will stay long enough to be sure that Zyrian Steel will not have another chance to hurt people or turn them into his weapons. But that's all."

And no longer. Even staying that long makes her uneasy.

[ruevealing]

After their last conversation, it is exactly what Rue expected. And naturally, Yelena has their full support. No one should be made to stay fighting in a battle they no longer to wish to part of. ADI has never done any favors for any of them.

"Where will you go?"

[musicdied]

"That depends a little bit on Winter," Yelena admits. She glances down at her cup of coffee, the set of her shoulders gone stiff. "We aren't completely in agreement on where to go from here."

She pauses a moment, then sighs.

"But I will not be impossible to reach. That is one thing we do agree on. We aren't willing to keep feeding the Hunt as Nia's soldiers, but that doesn't mean we're just going to walk away and pretend there's no fight."

[ruevealing]

"Thank you. I must admit, that does bring me much comfort. Not that I want to burden all of you with updating this old owlbear, but I should be very happy to hear once in awhile that you all are doing well and keeping safe out there."

Their great paw reaches across the way, just to gently rest against Yelena's own hand, a brief, affectionate touch before they are pulling away again.

"I would leave if I was able. I hold no allegiance to ADI, especially not in the face of what has been brought to the light. But I know how humans view me. It is best for me to remain where I can be hidden. At least for now."

[musicdied]

Yelena glances down at Rue's paw, so gentle despite the owlbear's size, and swallows back a protest - not for Rue's words themselves, but for the truth of them. This world does not do well with anyone who's visibly nonhuman. Her own is only marginally better.

"Only for now," she says. "We will look for something that won't require you to stay with ADI. Or with us," she adds after a moment, because that would be little better. Rue deserves the freedom to wander, if they so desire.

[ruevealing]

There is no hiding how Yelena's words have touched them, how without even saying how they feel, that the woman understands Rue completely. Staying with their friends would never been a burden, but freedom has always been what the owlbear has been after. They spent a millennia under their former court's thumb, and then immediately after came here to be trapped within ADI's terrible walls.

All they want now is true freedom they've been denied their whole life. One where they can be themself without hiding.

"Thank you, dear. I can not tell you how much it means to hear that. But please, for now, I only wish you and the others to be safe and happy outside of these walls." And with a gentle squeeze to Yelena's hand before they finally pull away. "And to keep in touch, just to soothe my fears."

[musicdied]

"I'm good at surviving. I had very thorough teachers. And Winter and I will look after Steve Rogers." One corner of her mouth quirks upward slightly, in a brief wash of old humour.

"But you have to promise to be careful also. And to call us, if you need help. Or just someone to talk to on a dark night."

[ruevealing]

It's silly, how just the mere mention of Yelena and Winter looking out for Steve draws a very real, all too happy laugh from the owlbear. It feels as if it has been too long since they've had any reason to.

"Good! Someone must! And thank you. I promise, you shall be sick of me by the end of this." Whatever that ends up being, Rue has no idea. "I know there is so little I can do to assist you out there, but please, if it is clothes you need or repairs you need me to make, I'm happy to help any of you."

[musicdied]

"You're much kinder than we deserve," Yelena says quietly.

Well, kinder than she deserves, anyway. Steve and Winter deserve all the kindness they can get, and then some.

"I don't think I can imagine any of us getting sick of you."

[ruevealing]

Rue would like to think that all of Yelena's friends would eagerly disagree.

"Please, if anything comes up and there is anything at all that I can do to help, you will let me know, won't you? I do have access to some healing magic, as loathe as I am to ever feed the Entities, should an emergency ever arise."