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

[musicdied]

"We probably have other things, but sometimes, you just want something simple." She flashes a quick smile, nose crinkling. "And it doesn't get much simpler than shots. You don't have to work in the morning, do you?"

[bossyboiler]

"Oh, I do have to work in the morning but I'll survive it." Shots with her bestie, she can't miss out on that.

[musicdied]

"I will just have to bring you coffee in the office," Yelena says.

For what might be the last time. Something complicated flickers across her face, there and gone in an instant. Even if they stick together, they'll see less of each other once they leave ADI. It's strange just how many things have become touchstones, anchoring her and reminding her of the people who matter.

[bossyboiler]

"You will." Kate stands and then moves into the kitchen. She's gonna get that vodka and shot glasses. Maybe she'll be really bad and have a second shot. Stranger things have definitely happened and will continue to happen, it is the nature of this world.

She misses the look that flickers across Yelena's face because she's busy digging out the shot glasses and then another set of glasses for the screwdrivers. How many more nights are they going to have like this? Not many, she guesses. She pushes those thoughts down deep. She doesn't want to tank Yelena's mood. She wants her to have fun.

[musicdied]

It's a familiar ritual. As Kate pulls out the glasses, Yelena fetches the alcohol. Their supply is dwindling - something that could easily be attributed to the recent chaos, but is equally a sign of just how rough the past few months have been. For them, for everyone.

Really, it's amazing that it's taken so long for something to give, and that it hadn't been bloodier when it did.

"We will," she says, tone gone faintly thoughtful, "need to go celebrate, once we've dealt with Zyrian Steel."

One last hurrah, for old time's sake. After that, everything will be different.

[bossyboiler]

Kate gets the glasses for the screwdrivers and then two shot glasses because you can't have shots without those teeny, tiny little glasses. They have a collection of them from the various bars and clubs that they've visited. Stolen? Oh, yes.

She then gets the orange juice out for the mixer. Of course she could replace the alcohol but is there a point to it when Yelena and Winter will be moving out soon and movie nights will be at their new place? She doesn't know but she knows that she plans to visit like practically every night. She doesn't know how to exist without the two in her life.

"Oh, we should." She likes the idea of celebrating a success and by all accounts it should be one. "Like ladies night but invite the boys so they don't feel left out." Kate laughs a little. There is a particular boy in mind who she knows felt left out but Yelena doesn't think very highly of him so Kate doesn't mention his name. "Hopefully, I won't slip on the concrete and fall on my ass again."

[musicdied]

Given there was exactly one male ADI agent who had invited himself to girls' night and then sulked about his reception for months afterward, Kate doesn't have to mention his name. Yelena just rolls her eyes, nose wrinkling in an exaggerated grimace, more play than actual distaste.

She doesn't think highly of the man, it's true, but for the most part she doesn't think of him at all.

"Fine, we'll invite the fragile little babies. But if they cry when we wipe the floor with them with the drinking games, they have to clean it up themselves."

[bossyboiler]

"I know. I know. Some of them are delicate aren't they? The poor little things." It's not their fault they can mop the floor with most of the men. Kate tsks at the situation but she's only playing too. "In all seriousness, with all of the changes, a get together would do us some good I think."

She fills the glasses halfway up with ice and then pours orange juice into the first cup, hers. "How strong do you want yours?" Meaning how much orange juice should she add.

[musicdied]

Yelena holds up a hand, thumb and forefinger about a half a centimetre apart. Just a teensy bit of orange juice.

"It would," she agrees. "It will help, having a reminder that we're all people too, not just...agents."

[bossyboiler]

Kate maliciously complies with Yelenas request for just a half of a centimeter of orange juice. After she's done pouring, she looks at her best friend forever. "Will that do?" She bats her eyelashes at her.

"Agents of ADI, that sounds like a mediocre TV show. Can you imagine?" She laughs a little.

[musicdied]

Yelena just grins, nose crinkling slightly. "That will do perfectly."

Just a little orange juice with her alcohol. For colour.

"...I'm not sure if it should be a budget nightmare, or be all very bad make-up and monsters made out of duct tape and tinfoil."

[bossyboiler]

"As you insist," Kate puts the lid on the orange juice and puts it back into the fridge.

For the aesthetic!

"Hmm. Maybe something middle of the road, save the monsters made of duct tape and tinfoil for the end of the season when most of the money has already been spent. Maybe we've missed our calling and should have become Hollywood producers instead?"