ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ɴᴏ ᴇxᴘʟᴏsɪᴏɴs ʜᴇʀᴇ ( ᴏᴘᴇɴ )

[perfecting]

Who: Nancy Wheeler + you!
Broadcast: no
Action: heron, iskaulit
When: all through march.



( A; Heron - Arrival )

[ The new arrival can't be more than seventeen-years old. Carrying a school bag, pins in her hair, wearing a pale pair of jeans and red jacket above her sweater. Nancy looks like a high-school girl on the way to her locker.

She had given those who had seen her arrival a little tight smile before slinking off. She never really had the new-school jitters. In Hawkins, everyone knew everyone since they were children. Nancy knew the kids in her high school since pre-school. She never really had to deal with so many strangers before.

She finds a room and places her bag, takes out her books an pencil-box. It's far from her room but it's still better than the Marsiva.

If you pass by her room, you might notice the door is open. If she sees you, she'll get up and call out, a hesitant and yet certain, 'hey'. ]

( B; Heron - nights )

[ the new security officer doesn't really sleep. She tries, however. Nancy lies in the dark and closes her eyes and manages a little sleep but in the end, it's always the same. She hears a terrible growl, sees a dark, cold world and a faceless monster and wakes up gasping.

You might find her wandering at odd hours, making herself tea in the kitchen, going to sit in the shuttle bay or in the armory, reading one of her study books, writing names of people and worlds and terms in a notebook she names FLEET. ]

( C; iskaulit )

[ when she learns the truth of her destined job, she accepts it without a fuss.

It gives her easy access to what she wanted since her arrival, weapons. She places the broken piece of glass she armed herself with on the Marsiva beneath her pillow and goes to the armory.

Instinct leads her to a handgun and she takes it with her, hidden in her jacket pocket. She knows better than to try and use it inside the ship. She goes through the network, reading files and messages until she finds what she's looking for.

She knows nothing about this world but she had seen enough to let herself think she might not need to use one again. It's harder on her own, harder without Jonathan and their conversations but she pushes nerves aside. This isn't any different than shooting cans and it is certainly easier than shooting -

the thing. the monster.

It's the monster she thinks about when she enters the firing range. No beast that she has ever heard of is one of its kind. If there is one, there is another. if there is another than this time, Nancy Wheeler is going to be prepared for it when it comes.

She looks up at the lights, draws a breath when they remain steady, not a single flicker.

It's just me, she thinks, it doesn't like the light.

She thinks about the monster, she thinks about what it had done to Barb ( there is a scream in her head, dead, dead! ) and pulls the trigger once and then again and again and once more.

The noise doesn't startle her, her hand remains steady. Some people are fine dancers or singers. Nancy Wheeler is a good shot. Sixteen years old in jeans and a sweater, she loads more bullets and tries again. ]

Comments

[perfecting]

I don't mind. They're just guns.

[ but she seems to realize how it sounds and she hurries off to explain, adopts Jonathan's story as her own. ]

My dad would take us hunting twice a year.

[ even if it were true, Nancy assumes he would only take Mike. A woman handling a weapon - she almost smiles when she thinks how Hawkins would take to that. ]

[axiomed]

[ He nods. ]

There are certainly people your age who are proficient in fire arms. I'm sorry if that came off as condescending.

[perfecting]

It didn't. It's -

[ she shakes her head. is it all going to be a mixture of lies and truth from now on? she chooses to stick to the more truthful side of the story. ]

Where I come from it's mostly a thing for boys, hunting, weapons.

[axiomed]

[ It takes him a few minutes to parse that. Mostly because 99% of the women Charles seem to know are the ones handling firearms. ]

I keep forgetting that.

[perfecting]

I guess it means I would have liked being a girl in your world.

[ she doesn't bite back the smile, not this time. ]

[axiomed]

That or I was always fortunate enough to know extraordinary women.

[ He smiles back, pleased to see she's settling. ]

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

[perfecting]

There are many of them, only - not all of them give that impression, at first.

[ she thinks about Eleven, about her shaved hair and how she wore nancy's old dress and the things she could do. ]

I - I wasn't sure if we have a schedule or?

[ it feels silly, a question a child might ask an adult. ]

I mean, are we expected to get up early or - is there a curfew? How do we know when to work and when to get out? do...we know, any of that?

[axiomed]

[ Rubbing his chin, Charles deliberates on that. On a team, there would be schedules, though nothing fixed or exacting. ]

As far as I know, we don't. The Heron has always had fairly responsible members involved so the ship has always run smoothly.

[ Barring the few exceptions, of course. ]

You're welcome to interpret as you like. Certainly neither the Captain or myself expect you to be guarding the ship all the time.

[perfecting]

Who - will I be guarding it from?

[ she tries, tries very, very hard not to sound nervous as she asks this. mike would have thought this was all very brilliant but nancy has done her fair share of monster hunting. if she can avoid that, all the better.

if not, then at the very least, she's experienced. ]

[axiomed]

[ The thread of fear easily slips into Charles' mind. He absorbs this quietly, giving a measured response. ]

Most likely? Nothing in particular. We had an attack from pirates a month ago, but I don't foresee that happening again.

[perfecting]

Pirates?

[ she arches an eyebrow, testing if he's joking.

he's not. ]

What were they going to steal?

[axiomed]

Anything they could get their hands on.

Unfortunately, they couldn't get their hands on much.

[perfecting]

You fought them off?

[ oh but does she look charmed by the idea. pirates > monsters, right? ]

[axiomed]

[ He smiles. ]

No. I merely suggested they rethink their position on stealing.

[ And Charles' suggestions tend to take. ]

[perfecting]

[ she narrows her eyes, half amused, half suspicious. ]

That's the whole story?

[axiomed]

[ His smile is wry. ]

That's part of the story. At least it's part of my story. I'm very convincing when I want to be.

[perfecting]

-- You're kind of weird, aren't you?

[ but she's smiling, as if she's quite used to weird. ]

[axiomed]

[ Charles notes that she's loosening up with a hint of relief. ]

Oh, certainly. I run a school of weirdness.

[perfecting]

For people who can -- convince other people not to steal from them?

[ she can't imagine the how, she accepts it anyway. ]

[axiomed]

For people like myself. With extraordinary, unusual gifts.

[ He finally says with careful consideration. ]

I'm telepathic, you see.

[perfecting]

You - can read minds?

[ he would have liked eleven, the thought makes her heart clench for a moment. ]

That really is extraordinary.

[axiomed]

To some.

[ To many others, it's a cause of fear and alarm. ]

[perfecting]

Makes lying to you kind of useless.

[ which means her previous dishonesty might have been of no use at all. ]

[axiomed]

[ He shakes his head. ]

I wouldn't recommend lying to me, no. That being said, I won't read your mind without your permission. I'm afraid I might pick up feelings, though.

[ With a hint of apology. ] I can't exactly turn it off.

[perfecting]

It's okay.

[ an odd conversation to have. nancy has protected so many secrets for so long from so many adults in her life. still. this one isn't really a regular adult. ]

It's not your fault. It's not the weirdest thing I've ever heard of.