Daycycle 120 [ January 1 - January 7]

[computerized]

daycycle 120

[Jan 1 - Jan 7]

[OOC Plotting for this Dacycle can be found here.]

Early, Early Morning [1200 - 0400]
Room 1204 will be woken up at 1200 when a squadron of Internal Security Gray Ops come to arrest Stiles Stillinski for treason. He will be led away at gun point and his roommate, Cisco Ramon will be immediately taken into IntSec for questioning. He will be questioned about the activities of his former roommate for several hours before being sedated and returned to his room before 0500. Cisco will not remember Stiles' arrest or his questioning when he wakes.

Early Morning [0800 - 0900] — All Troubleshooters Report for Duty

Upon waking, Alpha Specials may feel particularly disoriented this fine morning. In a new effort to dispel treasonous tendencies in the Specials, Technicians in Technical Services have worked overnight to alter the Special's MemoMax files and have attempted to remove all traces of Specials previously arrested and removed from Alpha due to Treason. This is also a practice The Computer has ordered after seeing remarkable drops in happiness among Specials after each arrest. However, altering MemoMax files is always a delicate process that is prone to errors and glitches, mainly because technicians can't actually read memories, just do search and destroy jobs based on loose theories of associated brain activity.

This means that Specials' memories will be haphazardly filled in the best their brains can through the process of logic. If it was a conversation between three people and one of them are no longer present, the memory will simply be altered to have that third person's input assigned to someone else. If it was a one on one conversation, it will be written off as a dream and unimportant or skipped altogether. If there are physical traces of that person left behind - such as the programming Root did for Lydia's robopet - characters might attribute it to someone else's work or presence. This will definitely lead to a misalignment of memories if people compare notes. There is also an added complication in the fact that some will regain some of their memories sooner than others due to a poor MemoMax memory job. The memories haven't actually been deleted completely, just repressed - much like the Specials' abilities. These repressed memories may be triggered by Intense emotional distress, above average consumption of Alpha soylent or a number of other factors left up to the player.

Dick Grayson will also be temporarily removed from the memories of specials due to his association with treason, despite the fact that he is still in Alpha. His physical presence may cause memories of him to resurface sooner than later.

No Specials will be selected for a mission today.

---

Morning & Afternoon [0900 - 1600] — Service Firm Positions
All Troubleshooters not assigned a mission should report to their Service Firm for their daily duties.

The winners of the silent Auction and Raffle at the Charity Ball will be awarded their prizes this afternoon. (These were determined by dice rolls. Teela O'Malley won so many because she bid highly on all the Special items in an attempt to get to know them better and get some dirt on them. She will basically be interviewing you during your sessions.)

Dance lesson with Jack Harkness and Isabelle Lightwood - won by Xeno Fane (NPC)
Self Defense Lesson with Clint Barton - won by Teela O'Malley (NPC)
Steve Rogers Sketch - won by Lulu Benson (NPC)
Double Date with Jack Harkness and Bucky Barnes - Teela O'Malley (NPC)
Teela O'Malley treatment - won by Otto Vaska (NPC)
Gourmet meal - won by Alcide Herveaux
Makeover with Lydia Martin- won by Alexander Ford(NPC)
VIOLET level Spa Day basket - won by Regina Amabo (NPC)
VIOLET level Gourmet Basket - won by Lydia Martin
VIOLET level Artist Basket - won by Steve Rogers
VIOLET level Games Basket - won by V. Alexeyev (NPC)
VIOLET level Citizen's Best Friend Basket - won by Barry Allen

---

Evening [1600 - 2200] — Citizen Improvement
All Alpha citizens are encouraged to better themselves through Alpha’s wide variety of educational, entertainment and cultural opportunities offered each evening. Attending these sanctioned events are not mandatory, but is highly encouraged by The Computer. Citizens choosing not to take advantage of these opportunities, have a growing number of other options available to them in how to spend their hard earned credits and free time.

Tonight’s event will be at 1900 in Meeting Room H, Wagon Wheel, Floor 28 and will be hosted by the Citizen Safety Club. All Citzens are welcome to come by and learn new and improved ways to spot treason and stop it before it starts.

---

Alpha Curfew Restrictions
All Alpha citizens should be in their quarters within the Wagon Wheel by 2200, unless they’ve been given permission from a GREEN or higher clearance level citizen. Sleeping Aid gas is dispelled each night in the Wagon Wheel at 2200 to assist citizens in getting a productive sleeping period.

Confession Booths
There are hundreds of confession booths available around Alpha Complex if a citizen would like to communicate directly with the computer. Please use these confession booths to report mission statuses, report treason or terrorist acts, unregistered mutants, confess your trespasses against Alpha Complex, request propaganda or speak with Your Friend, The Computer, at any time.

Comments

Ronan Lynch | OTA throughout the day

[fictor]

M O R N I N G

Ronan is disoriented when he wakes up, but he's never been much of a morning person. Grumpy is his default. He rubs his hand over his face, gets dressed and makes his way to the commissary to get coffee. He shovels some soylent into his mouth while he drinks his coffee then walks Adam to work then goes on to his trouble shooting duty. Nothing seems particularly out of the ordinary today. Yes, he's disoriented, but he doesn't think much about it. Maybe he inhaled too much sleeping gas the night before. Maybe tonight he'll make certain he puts his gas mask on tonight.

A F T E R N O O N

By the time afternoon rolls around, Ronan is feeling a little less disoriented. He goes to the commissary for lunch, eating a little less enthusiastically than he did at breakfast. It's not anything that's happened today, he's just not as hungry as he was earlier. Ronan isn't social enough to really make many friends, but he has made a few in his time here. He checks on Adam then he returns to his trouble shooting position later feeling like he's forgotten something, but without any idea of what. He remembers the conversation he had with Oliver, but there seem to be big chunks of it missing. Maybe the sleeping aid is having some sort of adverse effect on his memory, or maybe he just slept like shit even with the sleeping gas. Back home he would have days of hazy, disoriented existence when he couldn't sleep.

E V E N I N G

Ronan sure as hell isn't going to some sort of improvement about how to avoid treason. With that in mind, after another suck-tastic dinner in the commissary, he heads down to the sublevels to listen to music in the club there. It's angry and loud, just the way Ronan likes it and he has to wonder why the hell he hasn't come here sooner. Adam is with him and this place almost feels normal. If Gansey and Blue were here--there's that disorientation again-- it might feel normal, at least for tonight.

[adamparrish]

To be honest, Adam isn't used to clubs of any kind and isn't entirely sure about attending one in this place, but after all the violence lately, he thinks Ronan could stand to let off some steam in whatever way is available to them. If this is what Ronan chooses, then Adam supports him. Adam always supports him even if he doesn't always agree with him - and he supposes that even if he can't quite say the words yet, that's as close to love as he's ever known.

They're in here together and Adam is happy enough with that. He wants to talk to Ronan about starting his lessons too, but that can wait until later. Right now he's trying to figure out what to do here, how to fit in. His finger instinctively reaches for Ronan's wrist to seek out bracelets to hook his finger in before he remembers that they have nothing from home here.

Which reminds him. "Oh, I made you something." He reaches into the pocket of his jumpsuit and gets a cloth bracelet. It's woven out of three different colors of material ripped from jumpsuits: red, yellow and orange. That's what he could get his hands on. "Give me your wrist."

[fictor]

Ronan is fully aware that this isn't usually Adam's scene, but he also thinks that it's a scene that Adam hasn't ever really tried. Besides, it's one of the few things that seem somewhat normal here. He definitely wants to let off steam and this is one way that he once used to let off steam. He knows that Adam loves him, knows that's why he supports him. He knows that's why he's here with him.

Fighting lessons. It's something Ronan knows that he has to teach Adam, but it's so not Adam that Ronan is resisting it. He has to figure out how to train Adam without hitting him, without making Adam hit him, because he can't imagine Adam would ever hit him. He will teach Adam to fight, and he'll teach him well. He knows that Adam is searching for the bracelets he used to wear and that makes him even angrier than before. He starts to turn his wrist, to catch Adam's hand in his then Adam is saying that he made him something.

Ronan gives him a befuddled look, but when he sees what Adam has made him he goes quiet, his expression softening. He swallows hard and holds his wrist out for Adam to tie the bracelet on him. It's almost overwhelming, almost suffocating this love that he has for Adam and he's got no idea of how to express it or deal with it.

[adamparrish]

Adam knows that the fact that he'd thought about and taken the time to weave these thin bits of fabric together into a bracelet for Ronan is a big thing. It's almost as big as someone dreaming up hand cream or making a mix tape for him. Yeah, it's almost that big a deal. And partly it's selfish, because Adam misses hooking his fingers into Ronan's bracelets... and now he'll have a bracelet to hook his fingers into. It's a big deal.

"It's a poor substitution for your leather ones, but... I did what I could." He finishes tying it off in a knot and then shows Ronan that he's left it just loose enough for an index finger to slip through against his skin by doing just that. He hooks his finger in the bracelet and if Adam Parrish were more prone to smiling, he would smile at Ronan now - but he's not.

He shrugs. "If anyone tries to take it from you, I can make you another one."

Afternoon

[whosalicewhite]

Parker's going to slide in across from where Ronan is eating, pull out a paper bag, reach into it, and take out a handful of, cereal? Is that cereal? Yes it is. She's eating it dry, and planning to talk to Ronan.

Multitasking level achieved.

"So," She's still chewing, "Adam."

She figures that should make things perfectly clear, right? Time for another handful of dry cereal.

Re: Afternoon

[fictor]

the hell does she get cereal Ronan wonders and decides he's going to have to look harder at the black market. He recognizes Parker so she only gets a little bit of a glare. Adam has spoken to him about Parker quite a bit and he knows that Parker saved Adam the day there were all the explosions.

Ronan quirks an eyebrow up at Parker's greeting. "Yeah. Hurt him and I will find a way to beat the shit out of you."

Nothing personal. It's a standard warning for anyone that gets close to Adam, especially here.

Re: Afternoon

[whosalicewhite]

Parker would starve if not for the black market. It also helps that she works for cereal and chocolate. Money here is too easy to trace.

Parker blinks when he threatens her. She's not angry, just surprised it's the first thing he says. Did Adam not mention her to Ronan? Then again, if he didn't, that makes him even better as a potential thief: he can keep a secret from everyone. She can appreciate that.

"Fair enough," Parker shrugs. If Ronan is Adam's Hardison, it's a fair threat and she understands. "He wants to be invisible. We both want Free Enterprise to hurt. I can help." Now she grins, the slightly insane grin of someone with nefarious plans. "He thinks you can help too. Couldn't see you before. Was in prison to find people."

Parker was hunted, but never arrested. She went to prison on her own damn initiative.

Buffy Summers | OTA throughout the day

[whattingawhat]

Morning

Coffee is Buffy's usual morning fare. She's never been much of a breakfast person and the food here hasn't changed her into one. Once she's had coffee, she goes straight to her trouble shooting duty. Of all the things in this place, Buffy minds her job the least. She actually gets to feel like she's doing something to help the people here. She's not certain if Steve is back on the job or not, but she checks in with him first then proceeds to go about her usual day. She'll work out in the gym a little then patrol around the compound. She's disoriented, but she doesn't think too much about it. It's just a bad night of sleep or not enough coffee, right?

Afternoon

Buffy hits up the commissary for lunch. Afterwards, she returns to work, grateful that nothing blows up, no one's life is in danger and there are no explosions. It's a quiet day and she likes that. They've been deserving of a quiet day in this place. Her disorientation persists throughout the day and she goes back to the commissary for more coffee to try and combat it. She ends up jittery and tired, skeeving out of work and skipping dinner to take a short nap before her date (yes date) with Alcide.

Evening

She grabs a vita-yum bar (not yum) at the commissary then meets Alcide to head to the power services level and The Strobe. She'd spent several minutes in her room after her nap getting ready for the date. Honestly, it mostly consists of brushing her hair, dabbing on perfume and wishing that she had something to wear besides her red jumpsuit. She's nervous because this is an actual date. Sure, they didn't call it that when Buffy asked him, but she knows that's what it is and should she even be dating? This is probably a bad idea, but she's going through with it anyway. Bad ideas are sort of Buffy's thing. Maybe this one will work out for her.

[rouxgaroux]

It's a date. It's their first date, although Alcide isn't sure they're ready to call it that just yet. Or maybe they are. He doesn't know. He just knows that to him, it kind of feels like a date. Which is nice given all the heightened atmosphere after the recent explosions and attacks. There really isn't much prep given that they only have the jumpsuits to wear and he and Buffy live together. Alcide is still kind of excited about it, because it had been Buffy's idea, because she'd wanted to go there with him and had asked him outright.

Alcide meets Buffy in their room and leans a shoulder against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. "Hey. I don't wanna say that you're an easy date, but this feels like it's too easy, right? I didn't even have to think about what to wear." Yeah, he's just going to get calling her a date out there because he wants this to be easy. He could be joking. He could not. Either way, it's out there.

[whattingawhat]

Whether Buffy is ready to call it a first date or not out loud depends on the moment, and her feelings on it seem to change every five minutes or so. Regardless of whether they're ready to call it that or not, it is a first date. It feels like a first date and Buffy is excited and anxious all at the same time. She also feels guilty from time to time because of Spike, but that's back home and this is here and she's trying to tell herself that that makes it okay. Sometimes she manages to convince herself.

Buffy is busy brushing her hair (again) when Alcide speaks. She's trying to coax it into loose curls with only her hair brush and the bit of natural wave she's got. She puts her brush down and turns to look at Alcide, taking a moment to appreciate the way he looks (because she doesn't always do that; sometimes she has to actively remind herself not to gawk appreciate him). She smiles at his words and shrugs. "That's me. Easy peasy," she quips. She pulls at the side of her jumpsuit (she did unzip it just a little lower than usual tonight) and makes a face. "Thinking about what to wear might be nice," she grouses with a sigh then smiles again. "But I did save at least an hour by not trying on my entire closet before I decided the mini skirt I put on first was the best option."

Yeah, it's a date and she's feeling okay about that right now.

"You ready?" she asks as she takes several steps toward him, uncertain now about how they're supposed to do that. Is it okay to take his hand? Or should they maintain some awkward first date space between them for a little while?

Around 14:15 (or you know, 2:15 p.m. if you roll like that)

[a_man_out_of_time]

When Steve gets back to Armed Forces that afternoon, the first person he looks for is Buffy. She’d visited when she could, and he knew that she’d apprehended one of the shooters, but by the time she’d come to see him, she’d looked tired. Or maybe Steve had just been so exhausted from surgery that it made everyone else look tired too.

Either way, someone else on the team points him in the direction of the Commissary, and that she was headed there, maybe for some coffee, and Steve heads that way next. The Commissary, he thinks, wondering if Buffy, after all, would be perfect for the increased security he’d like to see there in the future.

He spots her, when he enters. Around this time, the place isn’t empty but it’s pretty sparse, since most people’s assigned jobs don’t let them wander across the Complex.

“Buffy,” he says, his voice much stronger than when she’d last seen him. “They said I might be able to find you here. I need a quick word.” It’s a good thing this place was relatively empty too, otherwise he’d insist that they go back to Armed Forces to talk.

Perfect timing ;)

[whattingawhat]

Well, she had been tired. It's not as easy to tackle people and bring them down as it used to be. WIthout her extra strength, speed, stamina and constitution it takes a lot more out of her, but Steve would understand about that. She'd also refused to go back to her room until she saw Steve and made sure he was at least alive and would recover.

Despite the disaster with coffee earlier in the month, she still drinks a good amount of it. She spends too much time exploring when she should be sleeping and she's still not used to needing more than four hours of sleep a night.

She's used to doing a lot more wandering during her job to be sure. Patrol is something that's sort of engrained in her. She's been doing it since she was sixteen. She notices Steve when he walks in and starts to walk toward him with a smile. It's really good to see him up and walking, even looking better.

"They were right," she quips. Her brow furrows a bit and she purses her lips. "The they in this scenario aren't shadowy, shady they, are they?" Which is really unimportant. "I can give you time for lots of words, Boss. What's up?"

Zatanna Zatara | OTA throughout the day

[satnalahcsauoyekil]

morning briefing

She doesn't feel quite right when she wakes up in the morning, but Zatanna tries to shake that off and move forward. It's never not weird waking up alone. She knows she has a roommate, but she never sees the girl and while that's probably just as well in Zatanna's opinion, it's weird knowing that she could be sharing this room with four other people and just...isn't. This morning, she can't get that thought out of her head as she makes her way down to breakfast: why isn't she rooming with four other people? What's wrong that she ends up being the only one in the room? Is it her or something more sinister at play? And why in the heck does she feel so…off today?

afternoon

Little bits and pieces of the day before come back into Zatanna's contemplative when the fogginess — from what she presumes to be a poor night's sleep — in her mind starts to lift and she's reminded that something fundamental has been altered in her. She attributes the memory of this news to her off feeling earlier in her day. It isn't something she's really put much thought into until now.

This whole time she's been telling herself that she's not like the rest of the Alphas; she's not a clone. Now, she's angry because she hopes she is, and yet through the haze of HappiTime pills, she's little more alert than a zombie when she gets the message from Steve, whoever he is. Must be nice having your team here, she thinks bitterly as she reads and then finally responds. Because hers is all back home probably losing their minds trying to figure out where she went, by now.

She's sitting alone at lunch trying to appear more approachable and cheerful than she actually is. This place is going to kill her from the inside out, isn't it? It's already started. It's just a matter of time.

citizen improvement

Before heading to Citizen Improvement for probably the first time ever, Zatanna needs to meet with Alcide and then drag him to meet this Steve guy with her.

After that, she's absolutely headed to the Citizen Improvement activity of the night. Al has his date so Zatanna is on her own. She might as well feign loyalty by learning what is it they are using as bullet points to identify treason. It'll be easier to hide her own treason that way, after all.

[rouxgaroux]

There's no way Alcide is going to citizen improvement. He's got too much on his mind right now and is way too uncomfortable with all the violence and disruption in this place without any obvious way to fight back. Alcide wants his wolf and all the senses and strength that goes with that. Not that he's a wilting flower without it, in fact he's kind of a sasquatch, but he wants all of himself to be here so he can fight back.

Speaking of which, he's still pretty bummed that his and Zee's foray into medical had turned up fruitless. Fuck the Computer, he thinks. He's stewing in his own frustration when he meets up with Zee to check on her for the day, as he does every day.

First order of business, Zee gets a big bear hug. Alcide holds on a bit longer than usual. They're both bummed about finding next to nothing about her powers or his wolf. "Hey partner in crime. Was your day as long as mine?"

[satnalahcsauoyekil]

She grins a little in spite of herself at the bear hug, giving a very put-on grunt as if she's being squeezed a little too hard when they both know she isn't. The fact that she's squeezing back probably would give her away, anyway. There's something comforting about the daily meet-ups with Al. It just...gives some consistency and stability to her days which are always far too littered with chaos for her own personal taste.

"Hey Big Guy. Isn't every day?" she asks with a groan as she finally releases him from her half of the hug. She doesn't step away, she's just giving him silent permission to let go if he's wanting to. While Alcide is upset that they found nothing about their abilities, Zatanna's mind is still on the other unwelcome news they found while snooping for it. Yeah, she's bummed she's still no closer to her magic than she had been when they'd started, but she's more frustrated that, if she isn't in fact a clone, then her body has been altered irreversibly without permission and that...

Well, to say it's not okay is the understatement of the century.

"Do you know this Steve guy at all or are we both walking in blind?"

[fateless]

As Allison tries to move along her morning as she generally does every single day, today when she gets to the Commissary and scans for the familiar faces, there's a nagging sensation that takes a hold of her and doesn't let go. Something doesn't feel right but, as much as she tries to figure out what it is, she can't put the pieces together. It's annoying to say the least, because Allison has never liked unfinished puzzles of any kind, but ultimately she chalks off that annoying sensation in the pit of her stomach as maybe some sort of nervousness for her training drill with Steve later.

That reasoning is terrible, though, and even she knows it. She's...something, but she's not nervous about what is essentially her 'audition' for VSF. And maybe she should be, but she's confident in her skills. Yes, she's young, and she didn't really develop like v her fighting skills until a couple of years ago, but she has the drive to be in VSF. She is determined to do something, anything, other than just making sure weapons are in working order, so she wants to try. It's hard to tell if Steve will give her a chance, and very deep down she's already preparing in case his answer is ultimately a no, but she's not planning on backing down easily.

Telling Lydia will be the interesting part. She knows her best friend had to live through her death, so she knows there's a possibility that she won't be very happy with the fact that Allison is throwing herself in harms way, but the way she sees it, they're all in the crossfire. Civilians have been getting hurt, and who's to say her department won't be next? She would rather have a leg up in all this, and be able to do something and move in to help instead of just waiting on the sidelines. Late last night she thought about sending her a message to let her know about her conversation with Steve, but ultimately she had decided she would let her know until she had an actual update rather than just the possibility of joining VSF.

On her way to the morning briefing, too wrapped up in her thoughts and running through messages on her PDC, she accidentally bumps into the other girl. It's a testament to how distracted she is this morning, that she hadn't been alert enough to notice her, and she's quickly reprimanding herself mentally for the slip up. She better focus before this afternoon, she thinks, because distractions won't help her during her meeting with Steve.

"I'm so sorry," she apologizes quickly. "I'm a klutz this morning, apparently. Are you okay?"

[satnalahcsauoyekil]

The fact that Zatanna's lost in her own head trying to force together fuzzy pieces of a puzzle whose image is just darkness probably adds to the fact that this other girl walks right into her because it means Zee's not alert enough on her own to step aside or prevent it, in any way really, from happening. The collision does knock her out of her train of thought, though, and she looks around until she catches sight of the other dark-haired girl.

She's wearing ORANGE. Zatanna instantly trusts her less.

"Oh, I'm fine. It's okay, don't worry about it. Happens to the best of us," she says with a false cheerfulness usually reserved for people at work: regular Alphas. Zatanna doesn't know if this girl is a Special or not because, honestly, she doesn't know who most of the other Specials are, but what she does know is that, either way, ORANGE is higher than RED and Zatanna Zatara isn't an idiot. She's not going to snap at someone with more power than she has. "Are you okay?" she asks.

[im_ironman]

Morning through evening (except for lunch time) | OTA
[Doc contains both morning and afternoon talk with Steve.]

After visiting Steve in Medical Services first thing in the morning, Tony makes his way to work. Which is generally a good thing, because work helps to ground him in a way that literally nothing else can, but today it doesn't work. It's hard to tell if it's because how hellish he has been feeling since the night of the ball, or how poorly he has been sleeping, or because of what happened yesterday with Steve, or if it's because of his conversation with him this morning, but today he just can't focus. At all. Two days ago he had finally caved and had gone to Medical Services to get his left hand checked out, after breaking it the night of the ball, so he could even blame his lack of concentration on the pain that lingers as his hand finishes healing.

Ultimately, really, the reason doesn't matter. He just finds himself annoyed as he accidentally burns himself with the soldering iron, and he hates the hard brace he's wearing for his hand because it feels like the lack of mobility is what's causing him to keep making mistakes, so at one point he even takes it off. Maybe that'll do the trick, he thinks, but it doesn't work. He ends up just more distracted, and with his hand aching more than it had been originally, and he hates it.

By lunch time he stops by Steve's apartment as promised, then goes to see him again, before going back to work to finish his shift. His luck with work doesn't seem to improve, especially after his conversation with Steve over the network, and by the time he's off for the day he just goes for a long walk because he's tired. Fuck, he's so damn tired, so maybe a walk isn't the best idea, but he needs to just get the hell away. To clear his head, and to not smash his PDC just as an excuse for something to do.


21:00 hours; closed to Steve
Not bothering to grab anything to eat in the Commissary, after his walk Tony just goes straight up to his room. His mind still feels like it's everywhere and nowhere all at once, but whatever. He's just tired, and today has been a rollercoaster in every sense of the word, so maybe he just needs sleep.

At first he's tempted to just turn in without even bothering to wait for the sleeping gas but, before he can truly contemplate that idea, there's a knock at his door. Deep down he already figures he knows who it is, so there's a very real temptation to not even bother opening the door, but sure enough he opens it anyway.

And, sure enough, Steve is on the other side.

The annoyance is still very clear in his eyes, a distinct difference from the expression he had while they ate lunch, but Tony doesn't bother to hide it.

"Oh look, you didn't land back in Medical Services," he comments with a biting tone, even if he really is very glad that he is not actually hurt.

So late. I suck. Sorry! Morning-ish

[preemptiveforgiveness]

The excuse Matt gives his assistant when he leaves the office is grabbing more coffee. She offers to do it for him and he tells her he needs to walk anyway. Once in the commissary, he heads straight for the True Alpha store. He'll grab his coffee on the way back to his office. He says hello to Lydia, chit chats with her a little (makes sure that she's okay) then makes his way through the store and it's back rooms. He wants to make sure that there aren't any threats, no ticking that shouldn't be there or people lurking that ought to be elsewhere.

That's where he runs into Tony. He hears him and navigates his way using his cane through the machines to the table Tony is working out.

"You must be Tony Stark," Matt says in greeting. He's got his sunglasses on and the white cane he carries with him. There's probably no mistaking that he's blind. "Lydia told me you were doing some work for her." Of course, he knows who Tony Stark is from his world, but he's not going to open with that.

no worries bb!! <3

[im_ironman]

Seeing people in the back of the shop isn't very common, so even if Tony is pretty distracted, the sound of footsteps catches his attention. He may not know Matt personally, but he has seen him around and has heard of him, so he's familiar with him, and that is the only reason why he doesn't jump to being defensive right off the bat.

"Hey, yeah, I am," he answers, setting down the screwdriver he had been using to work on the circuitboard he's putting together. Adjusting the brace on his hand, he stands up; he would offer Matt a seat, but it's not like his lab is really designed to host visitors. Standing up seems like the best option.

"You're Matt, yeah? It's nice to meet you."

21:00

[a_man_out_of_time]

Steve hasn’t eaten either. He didn’t exactly plan it that way, but after getting released this afternoon, responses from his fellow Specials started to roll in and well … he met one person after another and before Steve knows it, it was 20:00. Time to deliver his list to Romanoff. When the handoff is done, Steve takes a few minutes just for himself.

He goes back to his apartment and sees that he’s won the VIOLET artist’s basket. It’s been delivered to his door, and carefully, so as to not disturb any of the things inside, he picks it up and goes into his apartment. A few days ago, having access to something like charcoals would have dominated his entire night. But today, Steve doesn’t even unwrap the plastic covering the basket. He leaves it on the table before pulling out a chair and opening up his PDC.

Resting his elbows on his knees, he swipes a few times and pulls up Tony’s text. He reads it again, and the whole thing somehow manages to feel both longer and shorter than he’d remembered.

… So, yeah. I'm a little ticked that it hasn't been THAT long since I thought I lost you and you are STILL healing, and you're back at it again like it doesn't even fucking matter if you get hurt or not.

Steve’s body is motionless for a second, and the pale glow of the screen the only thing illuminating the furrow across his brow. The only things moving in this entire apartment are his eyes. Left to right, over and over again, as Steve tries to figure out what to do, or say.

He can’t do this over a device.

The PDC closes with a sharp snap as Steve stands and leaves his apartment. His steps are brisk as he makes his way to the elevator, and pushes the button for the RED floor. Not long after that he’s knocking, and hoping, that Tony’s there.

The first thing Steve sees is irritation — an emotion he’s all too familiar with on Tony’s face. But he expects it. Just like he expects to hear the same annoyance in Tony’s voice.

“Can I come in?”

Steve’s in his GREEN jumpsuit again and he’s standing upright, which is a change from when he last saw him at lunch. If Tony could see through the fabric, there would be two new scars on his otherwise scarless torso. One in the front, and one in the back. But Steve’s standing, and he’s asking to come in. His voice is steady, but not forceful — he’s really asking Tony for permission.

[im_ironman]

If this morning wouldn't have happened, Tony's answer would have been a sharp no before closing the door. Or, rather, he wouldn't even be standing at the door right now, brown eyes locked on Steve instead of avoiding even turning in his direction altogether, but for a second he finds himself not knowing how he wants to answer. He can guess where this talk is going, and he really doesn't want to hear Steve's excuses as to why he sent out that message. He's just so damn tired and he wants to sleep for once, but his grip on the door tightens only to pull it open so that Steve can have enough room to come inside.

His room is empty - he guesses Emma is somewhere around the complex - so it's just them, the room 'decorated' with the usual amenities given to them in the RED sector. The brace he had been wearing on his hand is laying carelessly on his bed, since he had taken it off shortly after getting in, and as a result his left hand is in full display again. The coloring around his knuckles is still off, the faintest traces of the old bruises still showing through since Tony hasn't exactly been resting his hand today, but there's no sign that it bothers him as he moves it to tuck it into the pockets of his jumpsuit. It's the best he can do to not flat out cross his arms, and he leans against the closed door.

"So, you made it and you're fine. Are you here to prove me wrong from what I said? Because I don't regret what I said, so if you're here for that, you should know that right off the bat."

[a_man_out_of_time]

Steve had expected Daycycle 120 to be difficult, not because he doesn’t believe that he’d be able to recover, but because everything is starting to pile up. Multiple missions are being kicked into gear and for the first time since he’s been here, Steve finds himself actually short on time. The day passes, faster than he’d like, but Steve’s careful not to let anything slip. There’s too much riding on … everything.

[ Hospital, 09:00, for Bucky ]

Ever since that evening up on the track ring with Natasha, Steve’s been struggling with the idea of what he should tell Bucky. It’s irrational and he knows it, but part of him is worried that Bucky will abandon him, once he knows.

Bucky, who has stood by him through thick and thin, through life and death. And yet, somehow, a little voice in the back of Steve’s head won’t let it go. He’ll think you’re sick. That kind of reaction had been pounded into them at such a young age, even if Steve, and he thinks Bucky too, never quite agreed or understood why. But things stick when you’re young, and all the adults around you keep sayin’ the same types of phrases over and over again.

Still, there’s an order to how things should be done. Actually telling Tony came first, which he’d done that morning. Now, Steve’s run out of excuses to stall, so he uses his remaining time to prepare himself for whatever reaction Bucky might have.

I’ll tell him this morning, as soon as he gets here.

There’s a gentle smile on Steve’s face when he sees his best friend walk in. Right on time. He wouldn’t have expected anything else.

[ Training Room, Very Special Forces, 15:00, for Allison ]

Steve ordered Allison’s temporary transfer from Weapons this morning, around 11:00, to have her report to VSF at 15:00, just like he’d promised.

He doesn’t know how other departments inside the Armed Forces handle new recruits, or if it anyone ever asks to transfer into their sector if they weren’t placed here by the Computer. But he doesn’t plan on asking. He has his own criteria, and after everything that’s happened today, he’s thankful to have this, in particular, to focus on.

When Allison arrives, the training room for VSF is cleared out. It’s a gym, that part is clear, but all the equipment looks mobile, like it can all be arranged and re-arranged based on specific drills that continuously change. Even the walls don’t seem like they’re entirely static.

What he has her run through first, is a series of seemingly ordinary physical fitness drills. They sound innocent enough, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, sprints and runs, but the speed at which she needs to complete each drill is what makes them difficult.

If Steve approves her request in the end, training inside of VSF itself isn’t designed to get you in shape, like it is in the Army back home. Instead, it’s designed to take those in excellent physical condition and push them further. Make them stronger, more versatile, with even more specialized skills. There’s a baseline to being able to handle the kind of training and operations they undertake — and Steve needs to know how close Allison is to that line.

So. Allison, are you ready?

42 pushups in 2 minutes.
2 minute break.
50 situps in 2 minutes.
2 minute break.
1.5 mile run, complete within 11 minutes.
2 minute cool down.
6 pull-ups. No time limit. But your hands can’t come off the bar.

If the time hasn’t run out and you can do more? Do more.

And Steve’s paying attention throughout. He’s recording whether she can accomplish these goals, but if she can’t, he’s paying special attention to how she reacts. Frustration? Determination? Indignation?

Regret?

[ Exchange of Information, 20:00, for Natasha ]

Wherever they agree to meet, Steve has a piece of notebook paper, torn from its binding, in his hands. As promised, it’s all hers.

There are only two names.

[fateless]

There have been butterflies in her stomach all morning; not because she's nervous, but because she's really looking forward to the training drill that Steve scheduled for her. She's still not sure if he should be out of Medical Services, because it feels like it's too damn soon since the shooting, and it's still crazy to her that someone can heal that quickly, but she also believes that the medical team wouldn't release him if he wasn't okay, so...she had to trust that.

And, well, she doesn't really know him well enough to give him shit about being out of bed so quickly. Plus, she would hope that he's logical enough to know not to put his neck on the line if he's not healed yet, so she waits for confirmation that she can leave work early. When the time finally comes, she goes down to the training room, her hair already in a bun to keep her hair out of her face. She doesn't want to waste time in fixing her hair once she's actually in the room, and thankfully Steve seems ready for her to start, so she doesn't bother with small talk. She's here for a job, after all, not a social visit.

If there's any sort of surprise at the tasks that Steve throws her way, she doesn't show it. Allison has been an athlete from a young age, between gymnastics, self defense, swimming, archery, and running just for the hell of it, so it's that training that allows her to not struggle with the drills. It also helps that, even if she hasn't really been 'hunting' here, she has kept up with at least stretching every day, wanting to keep her body limber and ready for a fight, just in case. The first two drills are relatively easy, but she comes in a little over a minute late for the run. Which is frustrating, yes, and for a moment she's half expecting Steve to call this off, tell her she obviously failed (and she's ready to fight him for another chance), but...that moment doesn't come. She's still allowed to finish the last task, and once she stretches her arms, she doesn't hesitate before beginning. She knows better than to burn herself out by trying to demonstrate how quickly she can do pull-ups, but she keeps a steady pace.

Steve may not be the drill sergeant type, but he doesn't need to be. In her head she hears her mother's voice, and that's almost worse. Whenever she thinks she's about to falter she hears her, taunting her, reminding her that she's an Argent, that she's better than this, that she needs to do well, that she can't give up even if it's ridiculous that she's doing this at all, and--

And she doesn't give up. Not for her mother, as horrible as that might be, but more as if to prove that ghost that she still carries with her that she can do this. That she will continue living up to that code that she and her dad had decided to live by before her death.

Once she finishes, she lets out a breath as she picks up a handtowel she had grabbed so that she could wipe her hands.

"What's next?" It's not said to be cocky, or to brag about being able to finish what he set out for her. It's a genuine question, because her father and her grandfather would still be 'testing' her right now, and she's fully expecting more tests. Maybe with weapons to show her effectiveness with them. Maybe there's just something else he hadn't mentioned. Either way, it's obvious that she's ready to continue, and there's not an ounce of regret at being here right now.

[a_man_out_of_time]

Steve doesn’t show it, but he’s pleasantly surprised. It’s not that he didn’t think Allison could do it — though, part of him had wondered if she could — but he’d been rooting for her, in his own way.

But ever since he mentally caught himself projecting yesterday, he’s trying hard not to do the same today. Rooting for her too hard might cloud his judgement, and put both Allison and other people’s lives at risk.

When she comes in late on the run, there is no objection. He just makes a note that they need to work on her cardio, or pacing, depending on which was the real problem. But when he really is surprised however, is watching her do the last set. Six pull-ups with no time limit.

His notes are concise.

She takes her time doing them and doesn’t burn out. Discipline.

She completes the entire set. Strength? he jots down, shaking his head for a moment as he thinks. Proficiency in an activity that frequently requires upper body strength.

He looks up when she asks what’s next, taking in the tone. If she had sounded cocky, he would have ordered her to do the entire drill again. But he doesn’t detect even a slightest bit of arrogance in her tone.

“How many more pull-ups do you think you can do?” he asks, tilting his head back towards the bar.