clashing spirits // arx

[Python]

NIMIAN LOGAN.

It was an ordinary day when it happened. Nimian was chewing away at a vegetarian burger in her favorite café, relaxed as the clear skies and light traffic. The only subject on her mind was the tanginess of her orange juice and the list of chores she had for the day. Most of them she could prolong until Soren or Saraiya picked up the slack (and she would pretend as if she ‘forgot’ so she wouldn’t get painted as the lazy bum she truly was). It was the perfect plan – but of course, something was there to ruin it. Her back pocket vibrated.

”Sup?” Her voice had a higher pitch to it, as if she were always excited to have a conversation, even with her boss.

”You’re needed at headquarters,”

She took another bite of her sandwich. It was such a vague description that she wasn’t sure how to respond. Why was she needed at headquarters, and when? Was it serious, dangerous, not important? Information was key! However, she settled with ”Be there soon,” and hung up before he could say anything else. He would certainly ask her to rush when she was in no mood to do so. This was her brunch, she wanted to enjoy it. Usually the rest of her teammates would join her for a cheap meal, but some were catching up on paperwork and the others were too picky about the vegetarian selection to attend. Not cool.

Headquarters was expansive. It encompassed five bedrooms for each team member and additional rooms for each of their superiors, complete with a kitchen and gym – and that was only half of it. They were fresh out of the training academy, so they were stranded in this awkward phase between graduated and not yet experienced enough to be stationed on their own. Despite being top of their class, they were forced into a team. Nimian thought of herself as a temporary intern. She didn’t mind it as much as she thought she would. All of her teammates were her best friends, and they meshed well together.

After a leisurely stroll back to headquarters, Nimian sauntered into her boss’ office with chewing gum in her cheek. Ravenna was there too, and that made it evident the matter was serious. Apparently it was about the tsunami that struck District Four only a day ago. It was all over the news. She hadn’t paid much attention to it. She didn’t even know what a tsunami was until yesterday, although the scientist in her genes screamed ”You should’ve known, idiot.” Oddly enough, that inner scientist’s voice sounded exactly like Ravenna. When did that happen?

A request had been broadcast for more Peacekeepers to be stationed in Four. Controlling chaos was of the utmost importance to them; arresting thieves, searching for survivors, and keeping the peace. Their boss wasn’t sure whether to offer all of their resources, so a duo was being sent first. Nimian and Ravenna. A field trip to Four! Her heart pounded wildly with excitement because she had never been to District Four. Apparently the ocean was gorgeous, the wildlife was abundant, and the beaches were paradise. It would be a completely different world.

Then, of course, Ravenna had to remind her that this was not a vacation. They packed their bags and shuffled into a train that afternoon, Nimian still in high spirits because she couldn’t suppress her inner child whenever she was experiencing something new and interesting. She stared out of the window, allowing only an occasional glance toward Ravenna’s brooding form. It was probably more appropriate to adopt her attitude about the severity of the matter. These were lost lives and damaged houses, after all. But there was that optimistic side of Nimian that had to say, how bad could it be?

The train slowed to a smooth halt. Nimian couldn’t see anything beyond the tunnel curving around the vehicle, so for once she could focus on organizing her belongings. They had been told to pack light, but Nimian was not about to take chances. This was a unique type of mission, one she intended not to fail or take lightly. With Ravenna as her partner, this was especially important. She was never impressed with Nimian’s accomplishments. Hell, she didn’t even crack a smile at her jokes, but she intended to change this. Sooner or later, she was going to get a reaction out of this woman. She wouldn’t be surprised if she injured herself in the process.

The doors of the justice building opened and they were greeted with an eager afternoon sun. She squinted because it was somehow brighter here, and raised a hand to shield her eyes. Several more steps earned her a view of the District’s devastation. She had to pause.

Ruin. That was the one word she could think of. Houses reduced to jagged piles of wood that resembled booby traps. People huddled around the square, blankets covering bleeding shoulders. There was not a single smile in sight. When she turned, she could see the blue glimmer of a beautiful ocean in the distance, but chaos surrounded it. Almost half of the District looked as if it had been flattened by the enormous wave. Finally, Nimian understood.

”Not good,” she muttered.

[arx!!]

RAVENNA ROTH.

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 hope 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 mission within minutes.  She already had a good idea of 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.

Ravenna had seen plenty of terrible things in her life. But what she saw as she stepped through the doors of the Justice Building was enough to remind her that she was not rid of her feelings, but only suppressing them. Bodies were piled in the backs of trucks, houses were nothing more than piles of wood strewn haphazardly, and despite the fact that there was an ocean so close by, the only glimmer Ravenna could see was the glint of fresh blood pouring from broken flesh. It was enough to have her feeling weak in the knees, to cause her stomach to churn.

District 4 is in utter ruin. This was nothing less than a disaster. "Not good," Nimian muttered next to her. And for once, Ravenna couldn't have agreed with her more. This definitely was not good.

But she let it pass by quickly; she took a deep breath. She wasn't about to have her judgement clouded by fear or grief or shock. She threw her bag over her shoulder and took in as much useful information as she could. Food was being distributed, apothecaries and doctors were giving medical attention, and other Peacekeepers were already ordering citizens from other districts into different assignments. The only thing she could think to do was walk the perimeter and watch for thieves. In other words, do as the job title suggests: Keep the peace.

"Come on," Ravenna said, beginning to weave her way through the people curled up on the steps of the justice building. "We're on perimeter detail."

Ravenna knew it would be simple enough, perhaps even the simplest job anyone here in District 4 could have. She wasn't rebuilding houses or giving out condolences to the grieving or burying the dead. She was simply watching. And when all the watching was over she would return to the Headquarters with a full report for her superiors and go about her regular duties. There wasn't much to it. Looking intimidating, keeping quiet, and great diligence—all things Ravenna excelled at.

...which of course only meant that Nim-rod Logan was terrible at it. Just the incessant smacking of her gum was enough to set Ravenna on edge. She couldn't help but growl.

"Ever heard of this thing called, 'silence?'"