The Last Bastion: Bunker Chicago [Collab] Kiku and Carolyn - Stealing into the Night

LimeyPanda

The Bearer of Bad News
After a week of being turned away by Carolyn's guards, Kiku had had enough of waiting. She understood that Carolyn had a new role to fill. She understood that the stress piling up on her kept her busy. That was why Kiku was insistent on getting a word in though. She was trying her damnedest to provide something other than stress and work for Carolyn. It didn't have to be anything complicated. It had originally just been planned as a quick five minute chat, but now that wouldn't do.

So, with a clinking burlap sack slung over her shoulder, Kiku made her move. She'd snuck to behind Carolyn's workshop in the late afternoon-early evening period, when things should start to wind down for the Old Guard. She'd spent a few hours collecting tiny stones, and as she looked up to the office window, she started to throw them at the glass. The first few tosses missed, hitting the wall, or just missing entirely. One managed to bounce off of the window ledge and bounce back and hit Kiku's forehead. Eventually though, she started hitting the mark. Tiny 'clacks' of noise alerting the occupants that someone was heralding them in a...unusual way.

Quietly, though suddenly, the window opens as Kiku tosses another pebble. As Carolyn sticks her head out to see who was throwing rocks at her window, a pebble hits her in the face. Though she flinched, she shakes her head and rubs the bridge of her nose with her hand in exhausted disappointment, seemingly with herself. She shouts down to the woman who threw pebbles at her window, and though her tone starts off frustrated, it quickly turns a mixture of confused and surprised when she notices who it is. "Would you stop throwing... Kiku? Is that you? What do you need?"

Kiku looked up and smiled when she saw the window swing open, only to shift into a look of shock and horror when the pebble hit her face. "Oh crap. Sorry! Um...I just want to talk, y'know? No guards or anything, just a friendly chat and stuff...if you're free." She paused for a moment as she reached through the sack and pulled out a large glass bottle, and two plastic wine 'glasses'. "I brought a drink, if that helps. Totally didn't steal it from some asshole from the market who refused to sell to Mutants." She smiled up at the distant woman, trying to make light of things in what must be a burden of a time.

Carolyn rubs the bridge of her nose, but motions for Kiku to head inside. "Just leave the alcohol behind, I have had way too much to drink lately as is." Kiku would notice the guards outside of the machine shop step aside for her, as they were overhearing this shouting match of a conversation.

"Oh, well...Sure." She shrugged as she half-skipped into the building and up to pass the guards. When she did pass one, she pushed the bottle into his hands. "Have a present. I don't like drinking alone." With that, she ascended the steps up to the second floor, making sure to knock before poking her head through. "This isn't a bad time, is it? I can fuck off somewhere if ya want. Just thought you might want a friend to talk to, y'know?"

"What's there to talk about, Kiku?" Carolyn says as she sits back down in her chair. On her desk a single, simple candle was lit, allowing her to read over a pile of hundreds of papers. They appeared to be records of some sort--primarily transactions. "It's... Funny. How little value an I-O-U has when I need them the most." She tosses one of the papers away and rests her chin in her hands. She wasn't wearing much, just a tank top and a pair of jeans, with a light jacket tied around her waist... Leaving the candle to illuminate the scuffs of dirt on her arms, the ink stains on her hands, and the hints of dandruff and grease in her hair. It also smelled like she hadn't left the room in two days. She sighs and rubs her eyes. "I miss the good old days, Kiku. I miss when my biggest concern was whether or not Jenive could come out from her farm and hang out with me in the colony. I miss when my father used to listen to records, and tell me about what my mother liked about each song. I miss... I miss a lot of things..." She wipes away at her eyes. "I just don't know what the hell talking about it is actually going to do."


Kiku walked into the room and felt her nose crinkle a bit at the smell of sweat and malignancy. She'd smelt a lot worse in her time; some of her worst memories made this place smell like a perfumed bath house, after all. As she listened to Carolyn speak, about the good old days and what she missed, Kiku took in the little details. Kiku walked over and found a seat opposite Carolyn. She leaned herself back and crossed her feet as she found herself staring back at a woman who'd lost so damn much. It hurt, in a way; but she didn't want to show that. Not to Carolyn, anyway. "There's plenty of things to talk about, Carolyn. Memories and all that? They're about as important a thing as a person can have. Hell, even the ones that feel like scars are important." She frowns for a moment as one particular memory flashes into the fore of her thoughts, but pushes it back quickly enough. She forced a smile onto her face as she reaches out to touch Carolyn's arm. "I'm not super good at this...talking stuff. But, well...If we don't talk, how do we plan for stuff, and how can we try and know stuff we weren't there for? I never got to know the good old days. I didn't get to see Jenive on a farm, or hear Devin's favourite record. I never got to meet your mom. Now though, I get a little bit of it; y'know? Not much, but a little bit." She slumped her chin onto her knee for a second, as she looked into Carolyn's face, and sighed. "And the memories that hurt? The ones that feel like scars? We can use those too. We can use them to light a fire up our ass, or to build something that's just...better than the scar. Y'know? A place where we don't have to be afraid about some fear-spreading fucks who want to tear the bunker apart. A place where slavers don't get to steal kids and moms off of farmsteads. A place where we don't have to make a decision between what's right for ourselves, or for everyone else." She bit her lip, thinking about that last one. Thinking briefly about Jenive, and what nearly was. "Look, I'm sorry; I'm talking too much but, like...You don't owe me shit, and I don't owe you shit. We're just two people who've had some awful shit happen to us. So let’s have some food, let’s talk about shit, and let’s fucking kick butt so some other poor schmuck doesn't have to."

Carolyn sits silently, appearing uncertain as to how to reply. A troubled look enters her blue eyes as she looks up at Kiku, sharply. It seemed, in spite of the tears edging into her eyes, she was still determined not to break down. She swallows back her pain, and speaks. "I do owe you for staying by me through all of this, Kiku. Don't think I've forgotten all the risk you've put yourself through." She grasps Kiku's hand on her arm with her own, and squeezes Kiku's hand gently. "You can keep talking, Kiku. I don't mind."

Kiku's expression lit up at the reciprocated touch, and when Carolyn gave her leave to keep talking she just giggled a little. "I kind of used up my good talking for the day. Why do you think I brought wine?" She stuck her tongue out, before readjusting the position of her hand on Carolyn's so that she could return the tender squeeze. "As for owing me, how about you agree to stay alive? If you're gone, they'll probably try and put Marie in charge, and that'd be bad for everyone involved. I lose time with her, she probably kicks both U-ARM and TC square in the jaw, and I won't have a pretty boss to flirt with...No one wins there, y'know?"

"Pretty, huh? Y'know, you keep flirting with me... How about we talk about that?" Carolyn smiles a little, and snorts in amusement as she lowers her blue eyes from Kiku's face. "Why? Even when I just dismissed you, you kept coming back... I don't get why. What's your motive here? What are you trying to do?"

Kiku listened intently at the sudden change of topic, perking up with an obvious interest at Carolyn's own smile. When all was said and done, the Asian listener just shrugged. "Why not? If you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty simple person to get. As long as it ain't hurting anyone, I think people deserve to be happy and do what makes them happy. And you and me? I think we're people...so...Y'know? Sex, food, love, talking, lust, drinking, romance, or whatever little distraction a person can grab a hold of to be happy? I'm all about that. Cus let's be honest, the alternative for me is shooting guns, and doing push ups. I might live with Marie, but doesn't mean I want to be her." She smiled, giving Carolyn a gentle-if-not-affectionate hug.

Carolyn pecks Kiku on the cheek, and holds her gently. Her lips reach Kiku's ear, and she whispers, softly. "Keep it up, and we'll see where it goes."

She perks up at the kiss on the cheek, and as she hears Carolyn's voice in oh-so-inviting whisper, Kiku leans back a little; pleasantly surprises but glancing into Carolyn's eyes. "Should I keep talking then? Cus I can keep talking. I can shut up too, but I'm like...super receptive to instructions right now. Normally I go for more casual flings and, well, I'd rather not start this off as just some casual one-nighter...unless that's what you're after and...Oh hell, I'm actually a little nervous."

Carolyn laughs and lets Kiku go, taking a step back and shaking her head. "I'm not sure you want to get involved with me for more than one night, Kiku. It's rather dangerous. I have a lot of enemies, and very few friends... And, I don't think my father would have ever approved of me dating a woman, but... It's how I've..." Carolyn trails off, as she looks at the floor. Whether intentionally acting coy, or seriously struggling underneath the weight of everything going on, she coughs, and starts talking again. "I don't know why. I've just ah... Look, there's a reason why my few dates with men never went anywhere, and why I focused on work so much. If you're really serious about the romance thing, then let's just take it slowly, okay?"

"Slow, huh? I can do slow." She nodded, trying to ignore the strange complexities of Carolyn's last relationships as best she could. It would do none of them any good to try and dissect her grumblings about why she avoided certain groups, or how her father wouldn't approve, or how dangerous this move was for the both of them. "Should I...stay for the night? Get us a bite to eat? I can spring for a little more than steamed vegetables, if you want. I know this nice place that sells these little baked dough things, they cover 'em in sugar. Then we can talk about...anything other than work, or this. I don't think we should talk too much about this." She shrugged, before leaning in and taking Carolyn's hand. She gave it a little affirmative squeeze. "Plus, if nothing else, I've clearly shown that I have a terrible sense of avoiding danger." She laughed for a second, before lifting up the woman's hand and giving it a neat little peck as she turned towards the door. "Dough balls and girl talk! This is...definitely what I expected when i came here with a bottle of wine and a couple fake glasses."

"I think it would be better if I spent the night alone, Kiku." Carolyn says, though her voice wavers. It was clear she wasn't entirely sure on that answer. "I wouldn't mind your company for a while longer, I just think I should get more work done, then clean myself up."

She shrugs at the mention that perhaps the night should be spent apart. Instead leaning back on the seat. "I mean, I can help you out with a bit of work, then we can go see to everything else. I don't promise I'll be super useful...In fact I'll probably try my best to distract you, but when the time comes, you can kick me out whenever." Then, with a playful giggle, Kiku lets herself fade from sight. The chair hovered on its two back legs. "Besides, you can always spend your night 'alone' if you'd like."

"A distraction might be nice," Carolyn whispers under her breath, as her eyes run along more paperwork. She takes a few papers off the desk, slips them into a file folder marked as confidential, and puts them back in the desk for later. She then locks the drawer with a padlock, and slips the key into a pocket of hers. "Stay... Though I don't know how much longer I'll be awake for, Kiku."


Letting the chair drop back onto all four legs, it wasn't until she was a couple steps away from Carolyn that she dropped her cloak and reached forward, embracing Carolyn's head with a smile. "And when you fall asleep, I'll still be here. Let’s go get you washed up." She smiled, dropping her hands down to Carolyn's, pulling her towards her own quarters. "And I won't take no for an answer."

Carolyn smiles sweetly as she's pulled away, sighing and shaking her head. "Fine. I suppose I can get... Cleaned up."
 
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