[April 1st, probably somewhere around 1:40 pm.] [It's Luana's room! Hooray Luana's room! She's doing things! They could be awesome.] * Luana is wearing her new clothes and making silly poses in front of the mirror. They look much like her normal clothes, except maybe sturdier. * Keiko , for her part, is wandering back from Heinrick's office with a bit of a distracted look on her face, not really focusing on things. She starts to pass Luana's door and then stops, smiling just a little as she turns towards it, approaches, and knocks with the non-ducked hand. * Luana calls out in a sing-song voice, "Come in!" * Keiko opens the door, wearing her black shirt and jeans and beaten up sneakers, and starts to cross to Luana with soft steps. She thinks at her with that slight smile, ~Hey. Heinrick decided to let me out after I made a fool of myself.~ * Luana turns away from the mirror, smiling broadly. ~Really? What'd you do?~ * Keiko thinks back, ~Talked, mainly...~ she trails off and looks Luana over before adding, ~Those are new. I can tell.~ ~Yeah, they just came in!~ * Luana twirls around once. ~It's light armor, like the kind Togo wears!~ * Keiko smiles a bit more, watching her. ~They're... very subtle. Don't get in the way.~ ~I know, and guess what else? I'm going on a mission in a few hours, so I get to field-test them!~ She pauses, then adds, ~Not that I intend to get hit or anything.~ * Keiko blinks, then says slowly, ~Mission? Just you?~ She then glances about and adds, ~Can I go sit on your bed?~ * Luana blinks, then sits down on the bed first. ~Sure. And it's not really my mission, It's Pavla's first mission and Togo and I are coming along as support.~ * Keiko floats herself up slowly to try and sit on the bed with Luana. ~Oh... Pavla.~ Beat. ~She's having a hard time of things. I... kinda relate.~ ~...What was Heinrick talking to you about?~ * Keiko settles in and pets her duck a little. ~Why I went up after Jonas alone, some other things.~ ~He wasn't really horrible about it, was he?~ * Keiko licks her lips and says, ~Not really. Just... Heinrick. Quiet, pressing, always acting as if knows more than you.~ ~He -is- a lot more experienced than us, you know. They all are.~ * Keiko frowns and replies, ~But he doesn't... I was the best person to go up there, and stay away from his touch. I... couldn't let him get away. They're too busy being angry I didn't stand around and do nothing.~ * Keiko closes her eyes. ~I'm not stupid. I did what they wanted, and now they're angry because... something.~ * Luana blinks. ~Keiko, everyone was -worried- about you. They're upset because you were bleeding like crazy. Anyway, I know you did the right thing, even if you really need to work on not getting shot.~ * Keiko looks over at Luana oddly, then thinks back, ~How can they be worried about me? They're.. this is what they're training us to do.~ * Keiko taps Luana's now-armored chest. ~Togo got you this because you're gonna get shot at some point.~ ~Yeah, but now it won't hurt as much.~ ~No one wants us to die in the line of duty. We're human beings at best and valuable resources at... well, at almost-best.~ * Keiko shakes her head and thinks back, ~Well, I didn't die. I didn't die when Eileen wanted to torture me, or kill me, or when I was captured, or when the man of death stood there, or when I felt the death of hundreds or--~ she cuts off her rambling with a slightly wide-eyed look at Luana, then looks away. * Luana starts running a hand through Keiko's hair. ~Knowing that you feel those things is one thing. Seeing you gush blood is another.~ ~We already knew that they value our physical health over our mental health, or Rose might not have microwaved Ten. That's why we have each other.~ * Keiko looks over at Luana and puts her hand on Luana's thigh, thinking back quietly, ~I... I didn't mean to spook you, no, I just... the others in white felt her die, he killed her, and I--there's so many reasons I went up.~ She shakes her head and looks more towards Luana with a smile, letting her blue-ribbon-tied-back hair be stroked. ~Did you explain?~ * Keiko thinks back, ~Multiple times.~ She looks down at Luana's thigh and begins to rub it lightly, thinking, ~At least Togo seems to understand you most of the time.~ * Luana thinks cheerfully, ~I'm a girl of simple needs! He praised me when he gave me these clothes, and I'm -still- thrilled!~ * Keiko lets out a small giggle and thinks back, ~Yeah.~ She continues smiling and leans over on Luana's shoulder, thinking back, ~It makes you easy on the mind. Helps me be happy, at least for a little.~ A moment, then she adds, ~You're usually good for that...~ * Luana moves her hand to Keiko's shoulder and rests her head on Keiko's. She thinks ecstatically, ~I have new clothes, and they're -useful-.~ * Keiko wraps the arm on Luana's thigh around her, instead, in a hug, and thinks back, warmly, ~They are. They mean you'll make it back even if I'm not there.~ * Keiko adds, ~That's definitely a good thing.~ ~Hey, I'm not the one who got shot in the leg.~ * Luana pauses, then adds reluctantly, ~If I stay like this for too long, I'm gonna fall asleep, and I really can't miss the mission.~ * Keiko smiles weakly and thinks back, ~Well, I could set the alarm. Telekinesis.~ * Luana gives her a quick hug, then straightens. Out loud, she says, "I'm not going to be sleepy on a mission. If I look lazy, it'll reflect badly on Togo!" * Keiko sighs and lets go of Luana's side, thinking back with a faint smile, ~Nice act for the cameras.~ Hush, you. (I don't really have anything else to talk about?) * Keiko lets out a small laugh again, then goes back to having her hand on Luana's leg with a small smile as she thinks at her, ~I have a forcefield... I don't fall down easily. I don't need my leg to run, or fight. You do.~ (Not gonna ask that 'what do you wanna do' queston?) (Sorry, I meant, if you wanna do more, you'll have to keep leading the conversation.) (+when you grow up) (Oh!) (Right!) ~I can't hear it when people say silly things in my head.~ * Luana turns towards Keiko suddenly. ~Oh, I've been meaning to ask! What do you want to do when you're done working for Blitzkrieg? I mean, they're not going to keep us as wards forever.~ * Keiko looks slightly puzzled at that comment, but then looks surprised at Luana's question, ~I... am not so sure about that.~ A moment, then she looks down, pressing her duck against her stomach. ~I'd... I'm not sure anymore. I don't know if I could just do nothing, like my mother wanted.~ ~She wants you to sit around and do nothing all day? Really?~ * Keiko chuckles weakly. ~Well, not _nothing_, but... safety. Never being hurt. Normal stuff.~ A weak smile as she glances to Luana. ~I'm not normal. I'll... never be normal. I don't want to just... stop using my powers.~ ~You could paint telekinetically?~ * Keiko smiles a bit and thinks, ~Maybe. It loses something.~ A moment, then she closes her eyes and thinks back, ~Luana, I do have something I'd... really like one day.~ ~What is it?~ * Keiko thinks back, ~You'll think it's weird.~ A beat, then she looks over at Luana and reopens her eyes before going ahead, with a little hesitance, ~I... if they ever let us go, I would... I'd really like the chance to be a mother.~ * Luana 's eyes open wide and she exclaims, "That's great!" She covers her mouth and thinks excitedly, ~You'd be a fantastic mom!~ * Keiko 's eyes soften and even shimmer slightly as she looks at Luana and presses her duck against her own stomach, reaching her hand up to touch Luana's face. She thinks back, ~You... you really think so.~ ~Of course I do! You're so good at taking care of me and Jamie, any kids you have will be really lucky!~ * Keiko blinks slowly and then looks down, thinking quietly, ~Luana, I... oh god--~ and then she leans forward and wraps both arms around her in a tight hug, thinking, ~Thank you, I... I hope you can be there with us. I think my daughter would be lucky to know you.~ She shakes and starts to cry, thinking more quickly, ~Even if she isn't my child, I wouldn't care, I just...~ * Luana seems startled, then hugs her back. ~You want a girl, then? And anyway, isn't it normal for girls to want to be mothers? I'd like to have children someday too, although, I mean, it's not my life's ambition or anything.~ * Keiko thinks back, ~I didn't realize it was normal, I thought it just... happened.~ A moment, then she adds, ~I'd... I think I'd name her Suki, even though I already...~ She trails off, then adds, even as she tries to pull back the tears, ~It's not... I don't know what I'd get to do if I were free, Luana. What do telepaths get to do?~ ~You could go into psychology?~ ~Or become a private investigator, or join the police, or plenty of things.~ * Keiko is silent a moment, then thinks back, ~It's... I want to have a choice, but I never thought I'd get one.~ A moment, then she adds, ~But you... you don't want to work here forever, do you?~ * Luana swings her feet off the edge of the bed. ~Actually, I do! I'm hoping that if I work for Blitzkrieg long enough, I can be a guardian here for future generations of wards. I don't know if the program is going to run that long, though. I kind of feel like we might be an experimental group for genemodding anti-terrorist agents in general. It's just a theory, though.~ * Keiko looks surprised, then manages to sit up, thinking, ~Couldn't... couldn't we do better, though?~ ~What do you mean?~ * Keiko wipes her eyes as she thinks back, ~Better than Blitzkreig.~ ~But... I like Blitzkrieg. I like you and Jamie, and Togo, and the doctors are pretty nice too. I'm useful here.~ * Keiko shakes her head and says, ~Togo worked other places too, din't he? And they use this heavy conditioning, and threaten everyone with wiping their minds... we're all one bad day away from being killed by our supposed allies.~ She finishes wiping her eyes with her duck and presses it to her stomach again. ~We could do better. I... could even help you.~ * Luana thinks back stubbornly, ~The conditioning helped keep me from trying to burn everyone alive when I got here, and the best way to change a system is from the inside out. Keiko, this is my home. I know it bothers you, but I really love what we do. And I'm safeguarding the people of my -country-. I'm a German, I grew up here.~ * Keiko thinks back, ~Luana, I don't hate Germans, I just... look at Zarina, at Jamie, at Pavla, hell, even Sebastian. I hate him, but... Luana, they could order us to die. They could order us to kill eachother. We're... not even. Not free.~ She looks away and thinks back, ~There have to be other ways to help.~ * Keiko shakes and adds, ~You're lucky Togo is good like you.~ * Luana shakes her head. ~Togo is fantastic, but Keiko, I'm willing to die for my country. Everyone has attachments and reasons why they're willing to do one thing and not do another. I don't know, maybe one day I'll find a cause that I want to help more than Blitzkrieg, but right now, I have everything I've ever wanted.~ She pauses. ~Except a boyfriend. But most of everything I've ever wanted.~ * Keiko thinks back at her, quietly, ~It's not... Luana, I stayed with you. I... I do want to help people. Seeing my powers in use has let me see something else, but... there are other ways to do everything. We could work outside Blitzkreig. Freely. Without people making it so I can't even use my eyes...~ she trails off, then rubs her own thigh as she thinks, ~There's other things than boyfriends too.~ ~Maybe eventually. I'd just like to give back to the people who helped me, you know?~ * Keiko nods a little and thinks quietly, ~I know how that feels, Luana.~ She looks back to her and smiles a little. ~I want to give back to you, too.~ * Luana grins and gives Keiko a quick hug. ~You help just by being here.~ * Keiko hugs back and thinks, ~I... thank you. You just... you help me so much, and I feel so close to you. Sleeping with me to help with my nightmares. I... just... it means a lot.~ ~Well, thank you for staying with me, too.~ [End!]