arx's trash tbh

IRIS ECKHART

The day could not have been more mundane. She awoke before the sun rose over the buildings, just as she always had. She meditated until the blinds in her room weren't enough to keep the light from streaming in, just as she did every morning. And after a few laps around the compound, she returned to her room with the hopes that she could sneak in a few chapters of her book before she was called to duty. Ravenna ignored the knocks on her door, opting for a day of peace and quiet rather than one filled with bad jokes or hair braiding. It was perfect. Today would be simple, easy--

But of course she should've known better than to think she could stay in her room for the entirety of the day. The very firm knock on her door followed by an order—("Roth, my office. Now.")—was enough to have her out of bed, properly dressed, and standing in her boss's office waiting for some sort of direction. She already had a good idea about what her orders would be as she watched the various television screens reporting on the tsunami in District 4. She had never seen the ocean, but the thought of drowning was nothing new to her. The baptism rituals back home were enough to deter her from being all that curious about the ocean.

"When Logan finally shows up, you'll both go--"

She wasn't one to protest, but it all slipped out before she even knew what she was doing.

"Sir, might I suggest--" She was cut off as the door opened behind her.

Might I suggest anyone but her?

But of course she knew all orders and assignments were final. It had been difficult enough for Ravenna to get used to the idea of working as a team. She made it through the academy almost solely based on her intellect and strength. Her interpersonal skills were... well, apparently poor. But she really did try. It was easy enough to get along with Soren, and even Saraiya was tolerable when she was making attempts to get to know her. But Nimian?

Ravenna could hear her chewing her gum from a few feet away. She was slouching. In front of her superior officer. And despite the somber situation, she looked giddy. Could she ever take anything seriously?

While Ravenna spent the train ride reading reports and silently meditating, Nimian spent the ride gazing out the window. And it wasn't just her dazed optimism and poor manners that made her so off-putting. Her jokes were atrocious, she was always screwing up, and from what Ravenna had observed, she didn't possess a single ounce of maturity. Of course some of Ravenna's discomfort stemmed from Nimian's unbridled emotions, but that was the discomfort she had with most everyone on the team. Nimian was the only one with a list of grievances as long as a novel.

As the train slowly slid into the station, Ravenna collected her thoughts. All discomfort she had with her partner was going to have to be pushed to the back of her mind. There was an assignment and mission at hand, one that she couldn't afford to be distracted from. There were other more important things to worry about.