Shoot the Breeze

And then it finally comes out. The Sniper stares, nonplussed at this sudden confession.

"…Wait. What do you mean? Like..today??” 

"No!  It was last week.  When I got really drunk.  And snuck over to RED."  Des slaps a hand over her eyes.  "I wanted to talk to Rosie about our battle which was THE NEXT NIGHT and Tamer found me in the hallway and….!!!  I guess I jumped him??  I don’t remember!  I just remember waking up on top of him buttass naked!"

Deep down, Julien knows how awful it must’ve been for Des to harbor having to fight a friend. She’s said time and time again how the whole “performance review” was a pile of bullshit. It was natural for the Pyro to seek out a way to cope with it. Weed and booze were her go-tos, and she tolerated it. But this..this was too much. 

"If you were scared, I just-" Her voice starts to waver.

Her confusion is short lived, once Des reveals her rather free-spirited outlook on sex. There are plenty of people who sleep around for fun at this base, but not when they're in a relationship! And if they are, she's pretty damn sure that'd be something pretty damn important to discuss first?? Julien shouldn't be feeling such an intense heat simmering in her gut, her heart shouldn't be hammering so, but it is. Muscles tense and fists clenched, she rises from the bed and takes a few steps away, glaring at the floor. 

"So you just...just decided to NOT tell me and do it anyway?! Yeah, that makes me feel a LOT better." She briefly glances back at Des, her tone is sharp but there's a clear sense of hurt behind it. "You know better than anyone that I don't have a lot of dating experience. This is..something about you that I should know about, dont' you think? How can you just...assume, that I'd be okay with it? Did you honestly believe that I'd be okay with being in the dark like that?! Because that's selfish."

When Julien sits down, Des grows silent again.  Fuck, she’s here.  In her room.  Ready for anything Des wants to dish out.  What did she want to say again?

"I…."  Des freezes up again.  Hallucinations are few and far between now, finally, but she’s hoping she’s hallucinating the room getting hotter and it’s not her face turning red.

And then it finally comes out. The Sniper stares, nonplussed at this sudden confession.

"…Wait. What do you mean? Like..today??” 

"No!  It was last week.  When I got really drunk.  And snuck over to RED."  Des slaps a hand over her eyes.  "I wanted to talk to Rosie about our battle which was THE NEXT NIGHT and Tamer found me in the hallway and….!!!  I guess I jumped him??  I don’t remember!  I just remember waking up on top of him buttass naked!"

Deep down, Julien knows how awful it must've been for Des to harbor having to fight a friend. She's said time and time again how the whole "performance review" was a pile of bullshit. It was natural for the Pyro to seek out a way to cope with it. Weed and booze were her go-tos, and she tolerated it. But this..this was too much. 

"If you were scared, I just-" Her voice starts to waver.

Such as right now. 

When Julien sits down, Des grows silent again.  Fuck, she’s here.  In her room.  Ready for anything Des wants to dish out.  What did she want to say again?

"I…."  Des freezes up again.  Hallucinations are few and far between now, finally, but she’s hoping she’s hallucinating the room getting hotter and it’s not her face turning red.

And then it finally comes out. The Sniper stares, nonplussed at this sudden confession.

"...Wait. What do you mean? Like..today??" 

Such as right now. 

She returns to her spot on the bed, hands clasped on her lap. Maybe she should tidy the room, wash the laundry pile Des has. Something to do while she rests. 

Julien moves closer, reaching out a hand to rub her arm briefly, only to retract it when Des suddenly grows more agitated. She immediately hops off the mattress and scans the room. 

"Uhm, trash can-hold on Des." 

Julien moves closer, reaching out a hand to rub her arm briefly, only to retract it when Des suddenly grows more agitated. She immediately hops off the mattress and scans the room. 

"Uhm, trash can-hold on Des." 

It was worrisome. She’d considered asking her teammates if they’d seen her, but decided against that, because was it really her business? Maybe Des just went into town for the day, it’s not like she needs to check in with Julien wherever she goes. Still…to not check in at all, it was harder to fall asleep than usual last night. 

It was worrisome. She'd considered asking her teammates if they'd seen her, but decided against that, because was it really her business? Maybe Des just went into town for the day, it's not like she needs to check in with Julien wherever she goes. Still...to not check in at all, it was harder to fall asleep than usual last night. 

Randall complies with her request, though he makes an effort to do so in the most visibly reluctant way possible. The better he feels like he’s staying in character the easier it is to manage the exciting anxiousness that beginning to build in his chest. He scoots his legs away from the Sniper with a sheepish grin and a fluttering of eyelashes (because, well… that just feels like something Des would naturally do).

"Mmmmmm… I’m doin’ okay…"

He tries to not let his grin falter too heavily as Julien begins bypassing what he considers casual conversation… not only does this make his job more taxing, but it’s likely that the Sniper might bring all of this up at another time with what will surely be a confused, inebriated Pyro. Hopefully, all that marijuana Des smokes has begun to run it’s course on her memory. 

"Not really keepin’ anything… not like it’s fucking fun to fight your friend you know—ayyyyeeee!—"

Without thinking Randall yanks his ankle away, holding his breath and starring deer eyed before letting out a shaky laugh and scooting a little further. 

"S-sorry… think I twisted somethin when I was fighting today, wasn’t payin’ attention," he smiles again, "You might be right about me being occupied. You’re a good friend. But you shouldn’t fuckin’ worry too much, man, I’m tougher than shit. 

As the other woman stutters with a reply, Julien frowns. Even if ‘Des’ had hurt something, she wouldn’t recoil from her like that, and suddenly want to leave. This was strange..very strange. 

Randall knows a lost opportunity when it goes flying by. He shouldn’t have humored the conversation to begin with, he should have just looked for an opportunity to fuck off before Julien could engage. The Spy is beginning to question how genuinely beneficial these field trips of his actually are, or if he’s just doing it for the thrill of it… when the Sniper requests a kiss. 

A kiss.

They’re an item. 

Well isn’t that just peaching-fucking-keen. 

Needless to say the expression the Spy sports, at least for a moment, is the last thing Julien would anticipate. 

Denying her request would be like grabbing the nearest sharpie and writing ‘IMPOSTER’ in big, black letters across his forehead… but to go along with it would be an invasion of privacy. And though what he’s doing now certainly constitutes as such kissing somebody without their consent doesn’t sit well with him. Not to mention he has a far vaster collection of stubble than Des does. 

"Well, I… that’d be… really nice." 

As the Sniper leans toward him Randall attempts to move in. His hands make an awkward attempt at cupping her shoulders, but the touch alone feels disrespectful. He doesn’t even get his lips close before he just sighs and shakes his head, pulling himself away and off the couch. It’s not worth it. 

"No, I—I can’t. I’m sorry, no, that’s just… I’m not doing that."  

Randall breaths heavy and rubs his face. He examines Julien’s body for the appearance of a weapon, already trying to remember where the nearest window is. 

"I’m sorry for the trouble, miss… I don’t know you’re name but I am VERY sorry I had NO idea I was impersonating your girlfriend and I meant NO harm I’m simply doing this for practice—

Julien backs away, her eyes still on Des as she reaches for her crutches. "You-" When she finds them, she quickly gets herself upright, her face flushed from embarrassment and a rather extreme invasion of privacy. "Oh my god, I should've known. You..what the HELL, AUGH you asshole!" 

She covers her reddened face with her hands, knowing that she was so close to kissing..god knows whatever Spy decided to be annoying today. At least they stopped, but it doesn't stop the feeling of vulnerability she has. 

These people are certainly making it a challenge to disguise as one of their own and invade their space inappropriately. But the sudden challenge of a friend is motivating (and he’s gathered, through general observation, that they’re at least that much. Though he hasn’t considered the thought they could be anything more then that). Randall shifts his position on the couch lightly and waves his fingers at the Sniper lazily, though not without a friendly smile.

"Heeeeeey.,. Alright I guess."

It’s a curious question. Has she been sick lately? Hopefully his lazy demeanor makes it seem like ‘she’ isn’t feeling too hot if that’s the case. 

"Being lazy? Heh, nothing new from you then." Julien moves closer to the couch, raises a crutch and prods at "Des’s" leg. "Move over, I’m handicapped. It’s the law." If she won’t comply, the Sniper will simply sit on her legs; either way she’ll sit down. 

Randall complies with her request, though he makes an effort to do so in the most visibly reluctant way possible. The better he feels like he’s staying in character the easier it is to manage the exciting anxiousness that beginning to build in his chest. He scoots his legs away from the Sniper with a sheepish grin and a fluttering of eyelashes (because, well… that just feels like something Des would naturally do).

"Mmmmmm… I’m doin’ okay…"

He tries to not let his grin falter too heavily as Julien begins bypassing what he considers casual conversation… not only does this make his job more taxing, but it’s likely that the Sniper might bring all of this up at another time with what will surely be a confused, inebriated Pyro. Hopefully, all that marijuana Des smokes has begun to run it’s course on her memory. 

"Not really keepin’ anything… not like it’s fucking fun to fight your friend you know—ayyyyeeee!—"

Without thinking Randall yanks his ankle away, holding his breath and starring deer eyed before letting out a shaky laugh and scooting a little further. 

"S-sorry… think I twisted somethin when I was fighting today, wasn’t payin’ attention," he smiles again, "You might be right about me being occupied. You’re a good friend. But you shouldn’t fuckin’ worry too much, man, I’m tougher than shit. 

As the other woman stutters with a reply, Julien frowns. Even if 'Des' had hurt something, she wouldn't recoil from her like that, and suddenly want to leave. This was strange..very strange. 

-Tamer matches her smirk with a sheepish smile, well it was nothing like that, really he just wanted to follow up and see if Des was okay after he drunken recovery. He would feel more like a heel to just hit it and quit it.-

You are taking care of Des? -Tamer quirks a brow, well that was convenient, perhaps she could tell him where Des could be found, just so he could check up on her.-

Yes I saw, it is always a terrible thing to have to fight ones own.

*she suddenly realizes how weird that sounds* I-I mean, sorry. I mean that as like, because of how my legs grew over the years. *Julien will distract herself momentarily by enjoying the aroma of the tea before scooping it into the steeper. Tamer probably understood her meaning, and she probably just made it even more awkward. She’s good at that.*

Mhmm. Yeah, she’s been out of sorts the past week. I mean, she’s really into the liquor and weed, more than usual. Not that she’s taking in dangerous amounts of it but..it worries me. Like she’s doing it to escape what’s going on here. I keep trying to ask her, but she keeps telling me she’s fine. So..I guess I have to believe her, or at least wait till she’s ready to say something. *Julien blushes, not really feeling like she deserves to be complimented so, but she appreciates it.*

So your legs have been messed up for years? How did you survive the industry with such an ailment? You must be a very strong woman indeed.

Well she did have to fight one of her best friends, it is barbaric, I am a military man myself, I was indoctrinated into fighting by my own accord, and I could not find it within my heart to have to viciously brutalize my friends either.

Not that I have too many to begin with, I do keep to myself, yes.

Well I am glad she is fine, i came to check on her myself. The last time I Saw her she was sitting in a stupor by miss Waterman’s door.

*Julien continues to prepare Des's tea as Tamer talks. It's interesting to hear the different walks of life her teammates have, even if they are tragic, as his seems to sound. She frowns sympathetically, knowing that Des had gone to RED, and wonders what happened. * It all sounds like some ruse, this performance review. Like it's just a game, or something entertaining for Bathory because she's bored. I'm glad I wasn't part of it.

Tough toenails, BLU, but there’s a heck of a lot more of you than REDs that he’d rather report. And there’s a quota to be filled, whether he likes it or not. 

Except this time he makes sure the person he’s impersonating is, you know out of the fucking building this time. Once he’s more than certain Desidéria has stepped out (hopefully for a while) he casually steps out of the shadows and strolls inside in the form of a ridiculously tall woman. Fortunately, he’s not that much different than her in height, which makes the illusion pretty easy to keep up. 

These people are certainly making it a challenge to disguise as one of their own and invade their space inappropriately. But the sudden challenge of a friend is motivating (and he’s gathered, through general observation, that they’re at least that much. Though he hasn’t considered the thought they could be anything more then that). Randall shifts his position on the couch lightly and waves his fingers at the Sniper lazily, though not without a friendly smile.

"Heeeeeey.,. Alright I guess."

It’s a curious question. Has she been sick lately? Hopefully his lazy demeanor makes it seem like ‘she’ isn’t feeling too hot if that’s the case. 

"Being lazy? Heh, nothing new from you then." Julien moves closer to the couch, raises a crutch and prods at "Des's" leg. "Move over, I'm handicapped. It's the law." If she won't comply, the Sniper will simply sit on her legs; either way she'll sit down.