you can live in this illusion | you can choose to believe

[fucktennyson]

Characters:  Sydney Bristow and Shiori Sakita [closed]
Location:  Apartment complex A-4
Planet: Coruscant
When: During the Bikini curse
What: Sydney tries to get information out of Shiori about why she might have been picked for this weird experiment.
Rating: G/PG I'll assume

Comments

[lily_schlaflied]

As it happened, Shiori was alone in the apartment. She opened the door smiling broadly at Sydney. "Welcome! Please come in." She stepped aside, giving Sydney room to enter, before letting the door close behind them as she hurried into the kitchen. "Would you like some food, or something to drink?"

It was probably obvious to someone like Sydney that Shiori was avoiding eye contact like the plague.

[lily_schlaflied]

The librarian nodded, standing up and beginning to pace. "He is, if I can help him remove his...garment. If I can't - and I can't - I'll owe him."

[fucktennyson]

"You mean he--?" She trailed off, raising an eyebrow at the other woman. By the look on her face, the answer was 'yes'.

Well then.

"I don't think you'll have much luck."

[lily_schlaflied]

"No, I won't. I'll take the debt on, though. If this leads anywhere, it might not matter in the end." For the first time since getting herself into this mess, Shiori felt positive.

"But, tell me...why would you be taken, too? Is there a reason?"

[fucktennyson]

"I don't have any superpowers, if that's what you're asking," Sydney said, trying to dismiss the subject with a warm, joking smile. "But I was also top of my class."

[lily_schlaflied]

Shiori's cheeks turn a bright red at the mention of superpowers. "I don't really consider it a superpower. It just is. I don't know."

She gives Sydney a good look over, nodding slowly. There was a resistance there, definitely, but that was fine. Shiori understood that not everyone could trust people implicitly like she could. "I definitely believe you! That Japanese accent is perfect."

[fucktennyson]

"Well, an extraordinary ability at least," Sydney relented, still smiling slightly. The girl's modesty was obvious, and refreshing too. In the hands of someone more egocentric, that kind of power could be extraordinarily dangerous. Which just meant that Sydney felt even more inclined to protect her from being manipulated by people with less-than-moral ends in mind.

Her smile widened at that, and she shook her head. "Not quite, but I stay in practice. Do you think this Riddick would be willing to bring two of us, or should I try to find my own way?"

[lily_schlaflied]

"I'm going to speak with him tomorrow, so I'll ask. I don't see it being a problem. He seemed more eager to set off than anything when I spoke to him briefly over the network."

Despite being more confused than she had been since arriving in this place, Shiori also felt more confident. She had a goal, and even though Catty wouldn't be joining her, here was Sydney, ready and willing to lend a hand. "Thank you. Really. It means so much that I won't be doing this alone."

[fucktennyson]

If he was in a hurry to get out of there, it would be less likely that he'd want to spent a lot of time arguing the extra passenger. She could use that to her advantage. Good news left and right, it seemed.

"Great," she said, with a smile. "Just let me know."

She reached over and gave Shiori's hand a quick friendly squeeze. "Sometimes, just having a friendly face along can make situations a little less frightening."

[lily_schlaflied]

Shiori looked at Sydney's hand on hers, nodding. She was glad she had been so honest with the other woman. If she hadn't she might've been on another alien planet, but this time with no roommates to look out for her.

"I'll leave a message on the network when I know what's happening. I think Richard is one of us, one of the taken, so I think he'll understand."

[fucktennyson]

"I'll keep an eye out then," she said, rising to her feet, and putting her untouched coffee on the center table. "Thank you, Shiori. For telling me the truth."