#magentax

"Dunno. I was training with the new recruits."

His doe eyesturn up at her, blinking curiously.  "Ithought the training wasn't supposed to end for another two hours?"

"Itwasn't,” Magenta shrugs, starting to shred the loose threads of her sleeve. “We stopped early.  Lieutenant No-Balls decided we needed to stop so thenurses could get in and take care of the pussies who were bleeding." She rolls her eyes, lifting her shirt over her stomach.  "If you'regonna bitch from a broken nose, what fuckin use are ya when you get shot on thefield?" 

Magentasnorts when Ajax lets out an embarrassed moan, listening to his feet shuffleagainst the linoleum to turn away as she drops her shirt to the ground.  "Right.  We should shoot everyonebefore we clear them for field work."  He lets out a sharp, chokedlaugh, his words tinged with sarcasm.  "To make sure that they can really handle it."

"Ajax,that might be the first thing you've ever said to me that makes any realgoddamn sense." 

"Ihate to be, you know, the bearer of bad news, but I don't think that’ll passthe ethics board.”

"We'retalking about shooting people to test their pain response, Babyboy.  Ethics ain’t much of a concern." Shewiggles her toes on the linoleum, squinting at the harsh light when she walksinto the bathroom.  "’Sides, ethics are overrated!"

"Ican't tell if you're a sociopath, have the meanest sense of humor, or if you'vejust been spending too much time with Iris." 

Magentalaughs, the noise cracking off the harsh white lights, shattering against themirror.  Her skin looks sickly under the bright light as she runs a warmcloth up her arms, washing away the bloodstains.  As though she was just acollection of speckled white sand, stitched together with blue veins, dark andlifeless.  She runs her fingers throughthe knots in her hair, watching the stains slowly spread down her arm,muddled with water and slowly thickening as it continued to travel to the cliff-dropof her elbow. "Ajax, sweetie?"

"Yeah?"

"Youtrained as a nurse for a while, didn't ya?"  

"You'rebleeding."  Ajax's footsteps march closer as he makes his way intothe bathroom.  "You saidyou weren't bleeding--You could at least put a shirt on!"

Shehuffs, pulling his hands away from his eyes. "Please.  You're friends with Iris.  That means you knowhow to handle yourself around a pair of tits." 

Tomatoboy scowls, face flushed a ripe red. "Look, I—just shut up and let me look.  At yourarm.”

Magentaholds out her arm, grinning wildly at the look on Ajax's face.  "Iwasn't lying--most of it wasn't my blood.  You worry toomuch.  I mean, hell, it's just a little itty-bitty knifewound."