♛ 43

[emit.livejournal.com]

[Backdated to the first group returning from the trip]

[Even as the ding of the elevator signals their arrival on the third floor, Kallen still doesn't wake from her nap as Rookie carries her piggyback out of the lift. She mumbles a bit, but ultimately stays unaware of her surroundings.

Welp.]

Comments

[emit.livejournal.com]

Probably not, no. [Kallen shifts a bit, getting comfortable before she speaks again.]

What about you?

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

[Head tilt and a questioning look.] What about me?

[emit.livejournal.com]

What's something you miss from home? I know you're not too interested in talking about a lot of it, but there's got to be something.

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

[There's a tiny smile.] You mean besides spaceships?

[emit.livejournal.com]

[A nod.] Yeah.

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

[He appears to be a little conflicted on how to best answer that, taking a few moments to sort of sit there silently in order to think about what it was he actually missed about home.

When his memories proved to turn fuzzy and unclear - as they often did when involving things like this - he settled for something more recent.]

My teammates, I suppose. [Slight pause, rethinking.] Or maybe it's just being around other ODSTs in general.

[emit.livejournal.com]

Makes sense, but... what exactly are ODSTs? You've never really explained that to me.

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

[That gets a snort.] Do you want the short version or the long version?

[May as well ask just to be safe.]

[emit.livejournal.com]

Okay, just for that, I'll take the long version.

1/2

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

[FFFFF. Nooooo, that means he actually has to talk.

He'll allow a light-heartened sigh, however, before leaning forwards to prop his chin on his hands.] All right.

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

ODST is short for Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. We're also sometimes called Helljumpers, since as the name suggests, our main purpose is to drop from orbit and directly into the firefights below.

Not always the safest way to travel, but that's what we're best known for. [Slight pause.] It's also why all ODSTs are volunteers.

[emit.livejournal.com]

You volunteered for that job? [Her expression is a mixture of curiosity and concern.] How many of you were there?

1/2

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

Yeah. [The faintest of smiles.] The option was there, so I took it.

[Then he's giving a considering pause.]

If you mean in general? Too many to count. The unit I'm with had around twenty thousand before -- ... well. There's still a lot of us left.

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

Each unit also tends to be divided into Battalions, which can range from eight hundred to one thousand of us. Then Platoons, which are around forty, and then Squads, which can vary in size.

There are five others in mine, though.

[emit.livejournal.com]

[He gets a nod in response to indicate she's following his explanation.]

They're who you miss then, huh?

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

[He's going to go ahead and chill out on the talking in order to just silently nod instead. Since he didn't really see much need to expand on that.]

[emit.livejournal.com]

There are people I miss a lot, too, but... [Her expression turns thoughtful.] Here's really the only place I'd be able to see them again.

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

I suppose that is one good thing about this place.

[Rookie sounds a little more cautious, if only because he's not sure if he should ask - or want to know, really, about what she meant by that.]

[emit.livejournal.com]

[She nods, catching the change in tone.]

What is it?

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

Ah. It's -- [Nothing, is what he wants to say, but.] -- just that I know there's some people who don't have much time back where they're from, so...

[Falling silent and looking ridiculously embarrassed, because he didn't really mean to draw attention towards that topic. But she did ask, and he was curious.]

[emit.livejournal.com]

[Kallen takes a moment to get what he means, and when she does, a soft smile appears as she shakes her head.]

First of all, don't look like that. You were curious, and we're friends; you have a right to ask that stuff. If you have questions about my life at home, just ask, and I'll only answer if I want to, okay?

For this one, no, I don't mean me. As far as I'm aware, I have a nice long life ahead of me. I'm talking about people I care about who have... well, they're not so lucky.

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

[There's a slow, understanding nod. Even if he still didn't plan on prying into her personal life too much. At least, not without a very good reason, but it did prove to make that tension in his shoulders dwindle a little as he returned that smile.] Sounds fair.

But that's... [Awkwardly shifting his weight, because lol this conversation.] Good to know. That you have something to go back to, I mean.

[emit.livejournal.com]

[She sits forward a bit and reaches over to swat him lightly on the arm. When she's sure he's paying attention now, she looks him right in the eyes.]

Why are you so uncomfortable? If it's something I did, tell me.

[helljumped.livejournal.com]

[The smack causes Rookie to flinch away out of reaction, but it worked in terms of grabbing his attention. At least long enough for him to quickly shake his head, seeing as the question obviously caught him off guard.]

Kallen, no, that's not -- [A sigh, before he's raising a hand to ruffle his hair.] You did nothing wrong, I promise.

[emit.livejournal.com]

[She blinks, then nods, but responds before sitting back.]

Sorry for the smack, but you'll tell me if I ever do. [It's not a question.] You're not comfortable with the conversation, so you try and pick a topic.