[Opposite Plot] Pre-Play

[forhawkeye]

Everywhere I went, people stared; I could feel their eyes trailing me all day long, as though they were paparazzi for the utterly unimportant. Much to my chagrin, changing into an unassuming outfit of a purple plaid shirt and a pair of ratty jeans hadn't convinced a single person to look elsewhere. I felt uncomfortable in my own skin and, as the

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[sink_nor_swim]

Had it been up to Mikal, she wouldn't have even left the hut. There was no telling what could have been out there lurking in the jungle, and even if she made it to the Compound in one piece, she'd never been comfortable in that building; it was so cold and so full of people that there was no way for her to trust it

[sink_nor_swim]

"Oh, my gosh," Mikal managed, her own breathing just as heavy, though she remained standing several feet from the door. It wouldn't have been right to take a seat anywhere without Kate's permission first, even on the floor, and she couldn't ask and risk being denied. Biting her lower lip, she turned to look back at the closed door, as if expecting the monster to start pounding against it at any moment. "I can't believe we made it. Thank you so much, you must have saved my life."

[forhawkeye]

"Don't worry about it," I assured her, gesturing towards the bed so she could sit down and catch her breath. It didn't feel right to be thanked for something that any decent person would have done, after all.

[sink_nor_swim]

Hesitantly, even after Kate had made the offer fairly clear, Mikal took a seat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward as she tried to catch her breath. "Here," she said, still a little winded, one hand resting beside her. "Why don't you come sit down, too?"

[forhawkeye]

Swallowing thickly, I nodded and made my way over towards what passed as a bed, collapsing back onto it with no grace whatsoever.

[sink_nor_swim]

Mikal shifted a little when Kate flopped down, not wanting to risk getting in the way or invading Kate's personal space. "We - we should probably stay here a while longer," she said after a moment, hesitant, in case Kate would want her to leave sooner than that, in which case she would have no choice but to oblige. "You know, in case that thing is still out there."

[forhawkeye]

"Good idea," I agreed, nodding as much as I could, given my position. "Who knows what that thing was. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

[sink_nor_swim]

"You're so sweet," Mikal said, shaking her head a little, incredulous. She hadn't done anything to deserve that kind of behavior from Kate. "It's good we ran into each other. I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you, either."