Little Miss Sunshine [ota]

[whenheavenfalls]

They dropped her off before the sun had even hit its highest point; as watery as the light was Ororo knew its position the way a person knew that they had a hand at the end of each arm. It cast weak shadows across the plain building

Comments

[sixinchnails]

The cold wasn't a discomfort to Yuriko personally. In truth, not much was a personal discomfort for the woman. Her bones however, fused with the synthetic metallic component, they protested.

She clicked more as she walked, having to crack her fingers more often. Her practised arts were rough and stiff. But she still pressed to walk outside, still patrolled the grounds as were her duty. She was dedicated to her position, and her responsibilities would not suffer simply because of a bodily discomfort such as the cold.

Stepping outside, her heeled boots different from the military provided boots of the others, Yuriko placed the dark sunglasses over her pale eyes. Depending on the time she spent outside, she would require them.

She wasn't half way across the base when she stopped. Her feet unmoving despite her initial routine to walk the entire base twice during patrol. She was too surprised at the sight before her. Yuriko stood still in the white, her head to toe black uniform making her a sore thumb. She still couldn't move though.

[whenheavenfalls]

The light crunch of footsteps was distinctive in the otherwise silence of the early afternoon. It was quiet around here, which, after the hum of the city, always put Ororo a little on edge. It was like the snow muffled everything.

The sun was too weak to make her squint much as she turned her eyes up; Ororo lifted a hand to brush white hair out of her eyes the better to see the dark figure standing not far away. "Hello?" she called out, her voice deep, resonant.

It wasn't polite to stare.

[sixinchnails]

It may not have been polite, no. But Yuriko found herself continuing to stare, even as she stepped closer, her steps far smaller that they naturally would be.

It was hard not to recognise the face before her, older yes but still as distinctive as all those years before. Yuriko found herself surprised, which was not the natural order of things.

"Hello." She spoke evenly, her face a blank sheet as she continued until she stopped a few feet from the white haired woman. Her former best friend.

[whenheavenfalls]

Ororo's annoyance turned to confusion and then to dread as that darkly-clad figure stepped closer and closer to her. Dark hair became black with a familiar sweep of bangs just as an anynomous face became high cheekbones and small, thin lips that Ororo used to know so well.

Had known, because the woman standing in front of her was dead. Had been dead for eight years.

Ororo managed one backward step before freezing completely. A sound strangled in her throat before it could find air, which was better. She might have screamed. What was this? Who was this that looked so much like a cold, dead picture of Yuki?

Her blue eyes were wide with recognition, her lips slightly parted in shock. Under Ororo's dark skin she was pale.

[slimy_droog]

Mortimer had to find some other things to do besides get drunk and smoke. He had not indulged in alcohol ever since La Posadas and all the cigarettes he had been smoking caused a massive buildup of mucus. And this was not a simple problem to spit into the waste basket every so often. This mucus problem was a walking hazard on the floors.

So now the Toad was outside, hocking up one massive dragon bogie after another, practicing his accuracy. You never knew when something like that was going to come in handy, after all.

He hardly knew anyone else was there until he heard the crunching of snow.

[whenheavenfalls]

That was... interesting.

Ororo had stopped well out of range of the sickly-looking man's display of target practice, her white eyebrows slightly raised up her dark forehead in rather amused disgust. "I would offer a hankerchief," she said when it seemed she'd gotten his attention, "but I don't think it will make a difference."

[slimy_droog]

Mortimer did not look at the source of the voice at first.

"Hahahahaha. Ahurhurhur..." He spat out another gob and swallowed the rest, tilting his head in her direction like some kind of ugly green bird.

"Ain't seen you, around. You fresh meat or someatt?"

[whenheavenfalls]

Ororo watched the glob of thick mucus hit its target with a wet sound and a small wrinkle of her nose before she looked back to the man who had spit it.

"Fresh meat," she repeated with a huff of sound that was almost laughter. "I suppose it depends on your definition. I do not intend to be anyone's meal."

[createdevidence]

Nicky had been out on the roof trying to get some peace and quiet away from the tension inside when the new person had arrived. He'd watched her for a moment waiting until she was close to the door before dropping down to the snowy ground.

He quickly popped up onto his feet looking her over. Nicky thought it was best to meet the new people before they got sucked into life in the camp.

[whenheavenfalls]

Ororo looked right back at him, one hand tight on the strap around her bag over her shoulder. What sort of place was this that had little boys falling from the sky? "Hello," she offered. It wasn't particularly kind-sounding, only obligatory for someone who had ended up in her way.

[createdevidence]

"Hello,"he gave her a stiff nod. She didn't sound friendly so he held back no need to try and make friends with someone that didn't want them. "You here to replace the dead girl?"

Nicky thought he might as well find out.It seemed when one went down more than one showed up in their place.

[whenheavenfalls]

"I..."

But that had surprised her. Ororo wasn't under any false impressions that this would be safe--safety wasn't something that generally concerned her; it was too often only an illusion. But to be asked if she were a replacement for one of the deceased?

Perhaps being alone had its merits, because until right then Ororo had never felt like a number.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.