(Untitled)

[tearsthrulife]

If there was anything Rahne was good at, it was rolling with whatever was thrown at her. This situation was unexpected, to be sure, and completely unlike anything she'd had to deal with before, but she was determined nevertheless not to let the breakup - and Lord, it sounded juvenile to describe it as such - throw her off too much. There was just

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[thatwasanorder]

"Not your preferred shade, I'm assuming."

Russell stood in the doorway, holding an armful of laundry as he offered Rahne a slight nod. They hadn't talked much since March (understandably), but unlike his relationship with Sookie, which (also understandably) had soured considerably, he didn't feel too odd or self-aware in trying to speak to Rahne. (Getting knocked on one's ass was, after all, a fairly different bag of tricks than trying to feed on someone else's blood.)

[tearsthrulife]

"A bit difficult to pull off when one is a ginger," Rahne pointed out, damp shirt still in her hands as she turned to lean against the washer and face Russell. Whatever had happened, whatever she'd had to do, she wasn't really in a position to hold moral high ground over anything, and it was that which kept her from holding too much of a grudge. Anyway, given everything else, the incident with Sookie from months before was barely on her mind at all. "And what happens when doing laundry while distracted."

[chose]

Buffy has scarcely been seen above ground this month, everything else put on hold with the discovery and continued exploration of Rapture. She feels more herself down there than she cares to admit, and already the insecurities previously lying in wait have resurfaced, making her examine her reasons for continuing to visit the city and questioning her own humanity. Back to being the Slayer it is, the numerous scrapes and bruises newly acquired worn like badges, like scars, constant reminders that she has a purpose once again. Depending on the time of day, these reminders can be welcomed or not; sometimes, the only frustration plaguing her is that of having her finally semi-normal life interrupted. But that comes with its own strand of guilt, feeling selfish for not wanting to help others, and ultimately, Buffy circles right back round to where she started

[tearsthrulife]

"Absolutely," Rahne said with a dry huff of a laugh, not even needing to think before she turned to look at Buffy. As it was, any cuts or bruises didn't faze her; so accustomed to them herself, they were more normal than not, and even if they weren't as often seen here, they came with a part of her life that she still hadn't wholly left behind, even without her powers. That was the thing about distraction, though. It was both a blessing and a curse, giving her something to keep her mind off what she didn't want to dwell on, and keeping her from focusing as hard as she needed to on tasks that required more attention than they should have. "We don't have bleach here, do we? I don't know that I've ever looked."

[chose]

"I don't think so," Buffy laments, carrying her own load to the machine one over. She could really use bleach herself, considering the amount of questionable stains seemingly multiplying throughout her wardrobe. The funny thing is, she would probably do best with simple blood stains, experienced as she's become with those over the years, but the Rapture cocktail blend is less bloody and more gooey (And somehow, even grosser for it). "I guess bleach just isn't as vital as lube around here."

[tearsthrulife]

"Oh, aye, we've really got our priorities in order," Rahne said, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly. Such things made no sense to her whatsoever, but she was at least past the point of trying too hard to analyze it. There was simply no way. Everything seemed arbitrary, as if at the whim of someone controlling this place, but there was no way even to prove that that was the case. Just now, it seemed almost amusing in its ridiculousness, though it was a feeling she was sure would wane. "An absolute essential, that. Who needs bleach when ye can get more ugly clothes for nothing at all, anyway?"

[justsookie]

"Pink's not a bad color," Sookie offered, a basket of laundry propped up on her hip as she made her way into the laundry room. In truth, Sookie had more than enough clothes back in her hut to go without doing laundry for another couple of weeks at least, but these days she made a point of keeping busier than usual. The arrival of Rapture was already jarring enough, but knowing all that people had been through lately, some arrivals and some departures, some injuries and even some unexpected pregnancies, Sookie had decided to walk about the island as frequently as she could, on the chance that she might happen across someone who needed a talk. Someone who needed comfort

[tearsthrulife]

"Not really my shade," Rahne pointed out, tugging at a lock of her hair, though there was a smile on her face at the sight of Sookie all the same. The one thing which gave her, for lack of a better word, trepidation about having broken up with George, it was the number of mutual friends they had; she didn't want anyone to have to choose sides any more than she wanted to be the bitch who'd abandoned her boyfriend when things got tough. That Sookie wasn't so firmly Team George was a relief, definitely. "It's yuirs, if ye want it."

Tossing the shirt into the nearest dryer - she'd dry it with the rest of her clothes regardless - she bit her lip when she straightened, still looking at Sookie as she began transferring the rest of the clothing as well. "And I suppose I'm holding up as well as possible," she said, shoulders lifting in a shrug. "It's been quiet, at least."

[justsookie]

Quiet seemed to be one of those qualities people sought when all else was falling around them, Sookie thought to herself. One of the ways that people consoled themselves. Sure, losses happened, one's personal world could start to crumble under it all, but if everything was quiet, then at least there was something. With a slight quirk of her lips, one far from amused, and more like resigned, Sookie closed the distance between the two of them and gently picked at the shirt, at the uneven shade of pink that had settled into the cloth

[tearsthrulife]

The nice thing about Sookie, Rahne thought in that moment, was that she didn't push, offers there but without any implicit requirement to talk about her feelings the way that seemed to be so frequent among girlfriends. She'd never been a fan, neither of the persistence nor the talking itself, and tended to stay away from such things. As it was, this was simple, anyway; there was little to talk about. George's girlfriend from home had shown up, he was unexpectedly going to be a father, and she had done what was best for everyone, full stop, end of story.

"Oh, I vote we do as the guys do," she said with a surprisingly genuine smile, grabbing an armful of clothes to toss into the dryer, not wanting to waste time on something so menial. "Even if it ends up in talking about it anyway, at least we won't have to sit around being all maudlin about it."

[inch_high_pi]

She'd kept to herself, for the most part. While she'd never been the type to hide from her problems, she'd also never been a fan of drama, legitimate or not. So, she'd moved into an empty hut near the only familiar faces on the island, but that looked at her like a stranger. Like she held a wealth of secrets, all of which they were too afraid to uncover.

But still, there was a life to be lived, whether she'd chosen it or not, and she went about her days with as much optimism as she could possibly muster. It wasn't much, but it was certainly better than sulking in a home that didn't yet feel like hers.

That afternoon, she needed clothes, and she'd gone down to the basement to have a look, but there was already a young redhead crouched by the box.

"Not a fan of pink, I take it?" she drawled, a faintly amused smile curving her lips.

[tearsthrulife]

"More just a fan of not getting so distracted that I ruin a perfectly nice shirt," Rahne said, well aware all the while that she'd have worn it regardless in a pinch. She wasn't a fan, not really, but she also wasn't picky. Clothing was clothing, and it was better than half of what came out of the box most days. Gesturing up to her hair, she shrugged. "Not really my color, anyway."

Turning to glance at the woman, expression even but not cold, she shrugged. Were she a bit more alert, she might have been able to put a few things together -- the pregnancy coupled with the fact that she'd never seen her before, for example -- but as it was, she clearly couldn't even manage to do her laundry properly. She noticed, but didn't stop to think about it. Instead, she just tilted her chin in the direction of the box. "Do ye need to get in here?"

[inch_high_pi]

"You finish up, I'm not in any hurry," Nina said, leaning her weight against the table someone had placed nearby for folding clothes. She wasn't off balance quite yet, and the swelling that she'd been expecting hadn't come, but while she felt better now than she had in the first few weeks of her pregnancy, she still found that she didn't like being on her feet more than necessary.

"The longer I can put it off, the better, really." It wasn't that she minded the box-- she hadn't had any major problems with it before, and beggars couldn't be choosers when it came to free clothes, but she still wasn't used to her fluctuating size.

[tearsthrulife]

"It's a terrible thing," Rahne said, in what was meant to be agreement, though she was casual about it, voice devoid of its frequent bite. Of all the things about this place, the clothes box was probably least deserving of her ire. As such, easy though it would have been to take her frustration out on it, she preferred to try to earn its favor where she could, crazy though she felt for the moments she actually thought of the box as being sentient.

"Ye haven't been here long, have ye?" she asked, turning more fully in the woman's direction. Just looking unfamiliar didn't always mean anything, but she was pretty sure about this one, and couldn't help curiosity. Better to ask than to keep wondering

[ghostinthecity]

It was probably a bit odd, Annie knew that it was, but she couldn't help it. Nina might have shown up and George might be one of her best friends, but Rahne was a friend as well. There was no way that she couldn't say a word. That would just be awful.

So while she was debating what to do, she was puttering about doing chores which was what had led her to the laundry room in the first place. There was no need for this to ruin her friendship with the other girl. Quite the opposite actually. She didn't think there had to be divided loyalties at all.

"Hello there," she said softly with an awkward wave, deciding it was easier to not comment on the shirt.

[tearsthrulife]

Whether it was the voice itself or the fact that she'd been distracted that made the voice come as a surprise, Rahne didn't know, and didn't think it mattered, anyway. Either way, it was true, her eyes widening just slightly before she fixed them on Annie, corners of her mouth lifting in the faintest of smiles. Strange though it was, leaving the others had been one of the most difficult things about leaving at all, and any reassurance that she didn't have to have removed them from her life was a welcome one. She could manage on her own, but she and George had shared a good many friends, particularly ones whose loyalties would have automatically been aligned with him. That she had kept such friendships anyway was welcome, a relief.

"Hello, Annie," she replied, tossing the shirt into a dryer, wrinkling her nose as she did so. The response itself was light, casual, but not dismissive. The last thing anyone needed now was for her to get this wrong. "How are ye doing?"

[ghostinthecity]

"All right. How are you? Are you okay?"

Annie was not one to pick sides. She understood that it was something that people did, but she only liked to pick a side when it was absolutely necessary. Someone had to be gunning for her or her friends in order for her to openly take a side against them. So far this had not been the case. It was just a break up, as simple as that.

"Is there something that I can do for you?"

[tearsthrulife]

"No, but it's sweet of ye to offer," Rahne said, and meant it entirely, a rare warmth in her voice as she shot Annie a small smile. It wasn't much, but a little offer like that could go a long way; she wasn't the sort to harp on loneliness or ever really need anyone, but the knowledge that the others hadn't written her out of their lives, so to speak, was valuable. "I suppose I'm doing alright. About as well as could be expected, anyway."