[video]/[action]

[sf_girl_friday]

[The feed clicks on to the strange image of Jan dressed in sweats and running shoes, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. At her hip is the heavy pistol that Conan had left for her. Her expression is carefully neutral as she speaks.]  Jim's been sent home again.

[With that simple statement, she throws the watch as hard as she can at the wall of

Comments

[Action]

[weaponsofwords]

[Well, Lavi is not one to miss a pretty woman going by. But in this case, it's the cursing and her demeanor that catches his attention since he can pair them up with the transmission he just heard. Well, she sounds a bit distressed. He knows who she is; he pays attention to the network and Conan had talked about her often enough. So even if he's not necessarily a distance runner, he tries his best to fall into step beside her.]

Miss Rand? [Oh man conversations aren't the easiest in motion like this.] Sounds like a rough day.

Re: [Action]

[sf_girl_friday]

[When she hears his voice, she almost runs faster, but she can't bring herself to be rude to someone who's trying to help. She slows down so that Lavi can keep pace, but doesn't completely stop.] More like a couple of rough weeks.

[Action]

[weaponsofwords]

[Lavi falls into pace beside her now that she's slowed a bit.] Yeah, that sounds about right. Never much fun losing a friend, even if they are back where they belong. [Ask Lavi about how cranky he was when Allen was sent home.]

[Action]

[sf_girl_friday]

It's been more than just a friend lately. More like most of my friends here.

[Action]

[weaponsofwords]

[Lavi winces a little sympathetically.] Sounds extra tough then. You've been in the city a long time, yeah? [A little grin.] Nothing to do but make new ones though.

I've been meaning to talk to you, since Conan left actually. Kid had a lot of confidence in you, y'know.

[Action] forever

[sf_girl_friday]

[Jan slows to a walk, mostly to think of how to answer his comment about Conan.] I've been here over a year. I think. It's easy to lose track of time.

I - I'm not sure if I deserved that confidence. Especially how I've been acting lately.

[weaponsofwords]

'bout the same as I have, thinking about it. [Here though he offers her a smile.] We all have hard times. [So, Janice, welcome to "Lavi spouts cheesy lines." He does it every so often.] It's all about how you pick yourself back up, really.

Besides, the small fry was sharp. Good judge of character.

[sf_girl_friday]

I haven't been doing a very good job of picking myself backup. It's the third time Jim's been here and went home. It - It's hard. [Understatement 101 must have been one of her courses at the Academy.]

Conan is sharp. [She refuses to even consider Conan's not safe back home.]

[weaponsofwords]

Never too late. I can imagine that's... pretty rough. I had a friend here we lost a few times. Never gets easier, but knowing that she's home where she belongs helps.

[And Lavi believes that these days, even if he used to think it was crap; he's seen too many people leave and return unharmed to think anything else. He beams at that though. And if he had the capacity, he'd wink. Since he doesn't, he just nods.] Can't fault your logic on that one, Miss Rand.

[sf_girl_friday]

[She manages a weak smile despite the tears clinging to her lashes.] Jim needs to be on his ship. He'd never be happy anywhere else. I keep trying to remember that.

I just...don't know what to do now that almost everyone I knew here is gone.

[weaponsofwords]

[Lavi sees the tears, but he won't comment on them. Instead his expression softens just faintly.] Exactly what you are doing. Get up and keep moving on, and work on finding a way out of this place. We'll all get back to where we belong -- on our ships or shores or mountains or wherever it is home might be.

Even if it might feel that way, you're not alone here.

[sf_girl_friday]

[Sighing, she wipes away the tears, grateful that Lavi hadn't said anything about her little breakdown. Later, she's going to be horribly embarrassed by this.]

Thank you. I know I'm not, but it's getting harder to connect when everyone I know keeps leaving. I know that eventually I'll go home. I just wonder why they're keeping me. [It's not a pleasant thought but one she's been considering more and more.]

[weaponsofwords]

Yeah, it's a little disturbing to think that one through. [He shakes his head.] Seems to be both nothing and lots in common with everyone who's here, and who stays here.

[He stretches his arms up above his head before lacing his fingers behind his neck.] If we could figure that out... well, maybe we'd have some ideas about how to get out too.

[sf_girl_friday]

I've been thinking it through for months. Never like any of the answers I come up with.

Maybe the reason they're sending so many people back is because we're learning too much. Some of the people with the most knowledge of this place have been the ones that were sent back. That and the ones that could take a position of leadership.

[weaponsofwords]

That thought's crossed my mind too. Maybe threats are better dealt with by removing them. But then again, who knows why they bring us here in the first place. Some of the people they've brought here are pretty obviously dangerous if given the chance.

[sf_girl_friday]

I think there's a few reasons, and some that we won't understand since we're not like them. They're...different...I'm not sure what they truly are. I think the key is that they don't let the dangerous ones become too dangerous. Some of our hosts may want us harmed, but some don't want their 'toys' broken.