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Post by SceneMod on Mar 12, 2012 20:29:33 GMT -5
"No," Arlen says coldly. Now, maybe Slaughter has a telepath who read Arlen's mind to figure out where he was going. Maybe Slaughter has micro-bots that tracked him through the gate. However, Arlen would like to think that if Slaughter had all that, Slaughter would have already won, so he is bloody well sure that there was no tail.
If there is security camera on the roof and if Jasper happens to review the footage, he'll see that a slightly glowing doorway appeared out of nowhere, Carolyn came through, then Arlen, and then the gate vanished.
Arlen points to the scars on his face. They aren't battle scars. They're surgical scars. He thinks they're completely hideous. "I can't go out looking like this. Too noticeable. I was in a hurry."
His expression turns worried, his mouth hanging slightly open. This is not like Carolyn. Arlen has no idea what to do. Wordlessly, he tries to tidy up her mess, as if doing so could tidy up her thoughts, too.
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Post by Jasper Stoneham on Mar 12, 2012 20:46:44 GMT -5
"Leave it, Lad," Japser remarks blandly. He knows this little temper tantrum all too well; he's thrown one much like it a few times in his day. That's the trouble with being Family: Family never loses. Ever. Not normally. "Let her burn it out fir- whups! Duck!" Old or not, Jasper still has enough reflex left to reach out and grasp Arlen's arm, tugging him out of the way of a flying body armor shirt. Of course, he'll feel that bit of bravado in an hour or so when his shoulder and elbow decide to express their displeasure, but better that than one of the Family's current weapons gets unnecessarily damaged. After all, just because it had been a shirt didn't mean that it wasn't dangerous. Just look at the rather, ah... extensive array of curious "toys" Carolyn was pulling out of some equally curious hiding places about her person. "Hunting for Shardik, were we? Or just feeling a bit lonesome?" he asks with a bit of a leer as he releases Arlen's arm. It's not really obvious if he's leering at her scantily clad form, or the table full of blades and weapons she's divested herself of. Probably both. "Never lost a fight yet, has she?" he stage whispers to Arlen, his eyes never leaving Carolyn as she tends to herself. His mouth will probably get him into trouble yet, someday. Family or no Family.
ooc: posing the shirt throw and grabbing Arlen done with permission. |
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 12, 2012 21:59:51 GMT -5
By the time Jasper is making his inappropriate comments, Carolyn is stripped down to a sweat-soaked black tank top and a pair if black boyshorts. She does not give a tinker's damn about either her brother or Jasper ogling her. She was made to be a soldier, not a breeding machine, and her sexual savvy is exactly zero. She would call herself asexual, if she had any reference for the term.
It strikes her as she's sending her last boot toward the wall that she almost hit Arlen. And apology is forming on her lips when Jasper makes that crack about her never losing.
In less than time than it takes to blink, Carolyn pivots and throws a right into Jasper's jaw, the sound of the impact loud in the small room.
Hitting Jasper w/ permission
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Post by SceneMod on Mar 12, 2012 22:07:42 GMT -5
Arlen is grateful for the save. He is not as quick as he should be, another failing on his part. Before he can offer thanks, however, he is instead compelled to frown. Arlen would never think about looking at Carolyn like that. She's his commanding officer. One simply does not leer at one's commanding officer. It is not done. He starts to say crossly to Jasper, "Do not look at her like that. It is terribly rude -"
Then she punches Jasper.
Arlen does not sit around staring. Instead, he goes through a medical cabinet and finds a syringe of sedative. Arlen taps it a few times and then attempts to bury it in Carolyn's bicep. It is not enough to knock her out; he just wants her to chill out a bit. Smoothly, he offers, "My sincerest apologies. She is not usually like this. I must have upset her."
Carolyn is perfect. He is defective. It has to be that he did something wrong. There can be no other explanation.
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Post by Jasper Stoneham on Mar 14, 2012 22:18:05 GMT -5
Jasper sees the punch coming. No, Carolyn didn't telegraph, and there had been no warning, even so much as with an errant twitch. He just had known that so obviously baiting her like that would earn some sort of proportionate response.
One moment, he is standing, side-eyeing Arlen, the next moment, he is on the floor with a ringing headache and a rather sore jaw. Yup. He'd deserved that one.
"Not you la'," he slurs as he uses the wall behind him to push himself up to his feet again, his other hand cradling his jaw and wiggling it back and forth. He's watching the by-play curiously; she doesn't seem the type to lose her cool so easily, but Arlen had sure jumped in with what Japser is assuming is a little slow-juice right quick enough. Almost practiced-like.
"Herse'f. 'N me, a'curse." Jasper winks at Arlen, but he's being careful to keep Carolyn in his sights, and a path to dodge into open.
"Feel better, lass?" Yes, he'd deserved it, but if she focused her anger outward instead of in, she wouldn't destroy herself so much. He hoped. That's his job now: to look after the Family's Weapons, and fix them when he can.
Hurts like a mother, though.
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 14, 2012 22:57:30 GMT -5
Carolyn is poised to follow up that punch with another hit when Arlen plunges the needle into her arm. She slowly turns her head and looks at her brother, confusion and something like betrayal in her expression. Arlen has never acted against her, never gotten in her way before. Of course, she's never lost her cool over a mark before, and has certainly never physically attacked Family outside of training scenarios.
As she processes Arlen and Jasper's comments through the haze of the sedative working upon her body, she shakes her head violently. Carolyn turns away from Jasper, and she tries to lay a hand gently on Arlen's shoulder as she does so. "Listen to the man," she says softly.
The tank top comes off and she props both hands against the table, back to both of them. After several deep breaths she speaks, her voice eerily calm.
"Help me tape up my ribs, Arlen. Seeker, I would recommend not poking the badger anymore, because sedated or not, I'm in a killing mood. Understood?"
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Post by SceneMod on Mar 14, 2012 23:14:59 GMT -5
Arlen has never done that to Carolyn before in his life.
If the knife had gone all the way through Slaughter's head, Carolyn wouldn't be acting out like this, Arlen is sure. He winces when she looks so betrayed, but his expression quickly smooths. Arlen is, of course, only acting in Carolyn's best interests, as he always does. To let her go off like some common thug would have been to truly betray her.
"Of course, sir," Arlen says softly, and he fetches the tape.
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Post by Jasper Stoneham on Mar 19, 2012 19:39:11 GMT -5
Jasper watches them both calmly, one hand still slowly massaging his jaw. It'll bruise up good - she packs a hell of a punch, and he hadn't been trying to dodge - but it could have been worse. Still, he nods with satisfaction as Carolyn gathers her composure once again.
"Out. Not in." He knows she'll understand. Not that she needs a lecture, but he is who he is, and can't help himself. She's Family. Younger, stronger, better in every way, but still, Family, and there's a tie that binds them stronger than blood or genetics. "I've spare chain for the heavy bags when you break them."
He just hopes that she doesn't send those heavy bags through the walls as she works more of her frustration out when she's finally turned loose in the workout area.
"Follow your noses when you're done. There'll be food. And that vesper."
Satisfied that Arlen has her well in hand now, he trudges off toward the kitchen.
ooc: temporarily out of scene (though he'll hear responses, of course) unless called back, until they catch up with him.
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 19, 2012 22:45:13 GMT -5
As Jasper trundles off, Carolyn tosses off an inquiry about fresh clothes. The old soldier gives the location of the wardrobe (which may or may not lead to Narnia. Never put anything past Control). She nods with some satisfaction because while Carolyn doesn't particularly care if she walks around in her underwear from a propriety standpoint, she does want to go hit the workout room, and having things hanging out is a good way to get hurt.
She winces slightly as Arlen helps her tape up her ribs. "Damn. I think he did crack at least one of them," she mutters. Once she's taped up, she turns and really looks at Arlen.
"You did the right thing, Arlen. Here, and out there. This, " she indicates herself, "has nothing to do with you."
"It has everything to do with Slaughter." And her own failure.
OOC: posing w/ permission
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Post by SceneMod on Mar 20, 2012 21:20:46 GMT -5
"You will heal," Arlen reminds. She will heal in ways that he doesn't and be unblemished and perfect once more. She has to heal. If Carolyn has to be replaced, Control might just replace the whole team, or so Arlen fears.
There are reasons why Arlen is medicated.
He avoids her gaze and replies stiffly, "I do not question your hobbies, sir."
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 21, 2012 1:49:07 GMT -5
Carolyn continues to keep her cool gaze fixed on Arlen. Arlen thinks she's Control's perfect darling, but Arlen is more what they want. He's obedient to a fault, submissive to the hierarchy. He will never be a leader, and that means he will never truly think for himself. No matter how good she is at what she does, how well she performs, eventually it will be determined that she has grown into too much will, and they will start the process over again, grow a new Lead from the DNA pool.
She reaches up and lets down her ponytail, shaking her hair loose. Finally she sighs and says to Arlen.
"Maybe you should."
Snatching up a roll of tape, she turning toward the door and says, "I'm still too angry to eat. I'm going to grab some fresh clothes, then work out until I drop."
Her back to Arlen, she adds, "I do not mind company."
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Post by SceneMod on Mar 21, 2012 12:05:37 GMT -5
Being loyal to Carolyn and obeying the hierarchy are the same thing right now for Arlen. In fact, being loyal to Carolyn, obeying the hierarchy, and keeping himself alive are all the same thing for Arlen at the moment, too. If that were to change, where would he stand? Would he go to the slaughter like a lamb, if it was asked of him, or would he dig the tracking chip out of his flesh and take a gate to nowhere? Would he take Carolyn with him? These are questions worth asking.
Arlen wonders if he should accompany her to the gym, should question her hobbies, or both. He decides that he should accompany her to the gym. Arlen does not wish to question her hobbies, because he does not wish his own hobbies to be questioned.
He says, "Please let me change. I will catch up with you in the gym." Arlen would really like to peel out of his own body armour, tidily put his weapons away, and dress in something more befitting polite company for all that Carolyn is not at the moment.
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 21, 2012 23:12:24 GMT -5
A nod and a wave of one hand is Carolyn's dismissive answer to Arlen's request. Of course he can go change. Technically, he should go sleep, as that is what she told him to do earlier, and he needs to do so to regain his strength. But the way she lashed out at Jasper scared her. The burning anger that flares hotter every time she thinks of Slaughter scares her more.
Carolyn does not want to be alone right now, because she does not trust herself.
When Arlen catches up to her, she is dressed in a fresh black tank and work out shorts. Both her hands are taped up and she is pounding the hell out of one of the heavy bags in the small gym- just like Jasper expected. And just like Jasper expected, the bag looks like it might not hold up much longer.
Carolyn no longer looks like she might fly off the handle in anger at any moment. Out, not in, he said, but she isn't following the Seeker's advice properly. No, Carolyn is banking the coals of her anger into a white hot killing fury. When her temper flares again, someone is going to die.
"I logged in and approved that free time you've been angling for," she says between punches. She had to give up some of her own free days to make it happen, but she doesn't mind. Arlen saved her ass. He deserves it.
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Post by SceneMod on Mar 22, 2012 22:01:40 GMT -5
Arlen is dressed in a perfect, unwrinkled, white pinstriped blue linen suit. He'd be the model of a casual gentleman if only he did something about his face. The fact that he has not taken the time to do so speaks to his urgency to rejoin his leader.
His mouth parts slightly in surprise, and he says carefully, "I see. Do you want me... out of the way for the time being?"
If Carolyn is going to war...
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Post by Carolyn Blake on Mar 22, 2012 22:21:19 GMT -5
"No."
Carolyn hits the bag again several more times, alternating punches and kicks, before stepping back and delivering a roundhouse kick with enough force to finally break the bag loose from its chains. The bag goes flying, but it will not land anywhere near Arlen.
She shoots Arlen a look before moving over to the weight bench. What she could really use is a spar, but Arlen is too fragile to spar with her, not in the mood she's in. She would hurt him, and that would only make her angrier at herself. The weights are already set where she wants them, so she dusts her hands with powder and lies back on the bench, grasps the bar, and starts to lift.
"I don't want you dead."
Before, they've been just an annoyance to Slaughter, an ever-increasing itch he can't scratch out. Now, they've done him serious damage. Arlen did him serious damage, and while all indications are that Carolyn will bear the brunt of Slaughter's hate, it is almost certain that the supervillian will make destroying her and whoever stands with her a priority.
"Besides," Carolyn says as she presses, "You haven't been allowed off leash in... how long? You deserve the break."
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