The wheels squeak slightly as she turns towards you just a fraction, just a little fraction, eyes bright and accusatory.\n\n"They've asked before. What makes them think I'll come back this time."\n\nThat's a [[good question|doubts]].
Her lips are chapped. That sweater looks like its going to eat her alive.\n\n"What do they want with me? What could I possibly do for them?"\n\n"You could do what I'm doing for them- [[help|over and done for]]."
She turns to [[look|loki, an act of desperation]] at [[you|buttoned your shirt wrong]].
"I'll leave soon enough, but they just wanted [[this|this]] [[delivered in person|a full month's pay]]."
"But it's steady pay and board. You even get to be involved in humanity's last stand. I want you to come back, Snowfur. Least then I'd have someone [[to talk to|please look at me]] at the secret booze meetups."
This is the ugliest kitchen you have ever seen.\n\nEven worse, she doesn't even have a coffee maker. \n\nIt's difficult to choose which to comment on- how [[quiet|quiet]] it is, how painfully [[ugly|ugly]] her kitchen is, or how she doesnt even have a [[coffee maker|coffee maker]].
You really need a smoke. \n\nYour throat hurts.\n\nHer hands are shaking.\n\n"Look, I'll go to hell in a bit. They just wanted [[this|a full month's pay]] delivered in person."
It looks like alien there, with it's bold blue ink and disgustingly [[official stamp|RSVP]]. At least it kind of matches the pile of bills next to the dish drainer.
Straightening your shoulders and giving the shitty kitchen a glance, you sigh.\n\n"I'll go to hell soon, alright. They just wanted someone to deliver [[this|this]] [[in person|a full month's pay]]."
Come back with Me
"I really hope they didn't pay you for that, Loki, because that was the fucking worst speech I've ever heard. Just tell me they don't send you out to find recruits besides nostalgic cripples and I'll come back with [[you|End.]]."
She looks at you with disbelief, arms crossed and jaw set.\n\nHer lips are thin.\n\nYou're losing.\n\n"I was in your head once, Snowfur."\n\nYour voice is too high, and god, oh god you so desperate.\n\n"We were drift compatible-"\n\n"[[Once|Once]]," she finishes for you.
Your mouths is dry and your heart is [[hammering|you've never been good at speeches]].
Wrinkled uniform, uncut hair, yellow tinged teeth and broken finger [[nails|loki, an act of desperation]].
(A strangled, desperate job market is starving many.\n\nA bad attitude isn't helping [[her|coffee maker - deal]].)
One you've asked yourself before.\n\nYou came back because you're like a lost dog- you had nowhere else to go. You're not even sure what your job is with them; they don't even give you ration cards for cigarettes but here you are.\n\nBut her?\n\nMaybe the alcohol has finally rotted your brain, but you can't come up with very many ideas.\n\nEven so, you still put the [[letter|but less alien than a kaiju]] down.
"Once. Yeah. We were drift compatible once, Snowfur. We were the bottom of our class, and we were the only ones compatible for each other."\n\nYou dont even know what you're saying at this point. \n\nSearching her eyes, hoping maybe you can hit the right button and she'll listen.\n\n"Look. I dont fucking know why they want you back- hell, I don't even know why I was asked back. It's not like we could get back in a jeager. But they're asking us back, and I accepted because I'm useless, this was the only thing I was good at, and I don't know why you should come [[back|alcohol is prohibited though]]."
"Are you broke, or do you just have something against kitchen appliances?"\n\nEven in this shit light, and with her back to you, it hasn't been long enough for you to forget how to tell she's smirking. \n\n"Something [[like that|broke]]."\n\nYou allow yourself to at least relax slightly, clearing your throat to [[speak|coffee maker - deal]].
She isn't meeting your gaze, half turned from [[you|legs shaking palms sweaty]].
A letter, thick parchment with bold, blue ink stamped across it.
You try to speak, to say something about how her nieghbors must be dead because when you lived in the city you never got a single night of silence, but your throat is too tight.\n\nHer hair looks so dark in this shitty lighting.\n\nThe circles under her eyes are even darker, though, and it's the sight of them and how thin her wrists are that make your throat constrict further.\n\nWhen was the last time she even [[ate|guilt]].\n\nYou can't [[just stand here|quiet - deal]] all day.
"Did your neighbor's kid puke on the walls or somethin', because your kitchen is ugly as fuck."\n\n[[silence|shit]] is her answer.
"The program is over, Snowfur. It ended when the kaiju tore our shatterdome to the ground. But."\n\nBut what. You don't give speeches. You don't know how to do this.\n\nBut you want her back.\n\nThe program could go on without her, but you want her back.\n\n"But that wall they're building? It's not going to last. The kaiju are going to keep coming until they've brought hell on earth. Want to know what's left of K-science is telling us? That the kaiju are going to start crawling up out of the Breach like never before, that we're going to start having double events and triple events until we have kaiju coming out of there what- every four minutes?"\n\nYour throat is too dry, it's making your voice quiet.\n\nYou straighten your back, feel the complains of old buises.\n\n"We have the skeleton of what used to be the Pac Paficic Defense Corp. We are down to four jeagers from the thirty that were recently patrolling those waters. The governments abandoned us to hide behind a wall, Snowfur. A wall that both you and me won't fucking last- what's left of Sydney is proof of that."\n\nHer shoulders are too tense. God she looks fucking small in that sweater. When did she last eat.\n\n"We have four jeagers out of thirty, and we need all the help we can get, Snowfur."\n\nYou [[cough|rude]].
(Too long, too long her stomach squirms.\n\nToo soon, too soon her guilt [[whispers|quiet - deal]].)
"What's it this time."\n\n"A full month's pay and an invitation for you [[to come back|please come back]]."
Humanity's Last Stand goes horribly.\n\nBut she goes to the secret booze meetups with you.