no one will ever save you

[fayzedandconfused]

WHO: Brianna and anyone who'd visit her
WHERE: Mexico
WHEN: Feb 21 - onward
WHAT: TRICKERY
WARNINGS: Will add if necessary



February 21st, outside the apartment complex (pre-programming)

[ Brianna steps into the sunlight, blinking, and raises a hand to shade her eyes. She feels sick and uncomfortable being so far from Heropa without permission from the Soviets. It makes her want to turn around and run back. Coming here was a bad idea. The only thing is, she'd need to stock up on food and water first, not to mention other supplies. She should at least spend a little bit of time in Mexico before she goes back. After all, no one can force her to stay, right?

Right. ]

a few days later, Brianna's apartment (post-programming)

[ Brianna lies curled up on the bed in her apartment, staring at the wall. She feels… empty. It's not like her, but all she wants to do is sleep until all of this goes away. The brainwashing, the deprogramming, all the strangers she's being forced to share a building with, this universe. All of it. All she wants to do is close her eyes and wake up back in the FAYZ. Better yet, wake up in her own bed, with her mom brushing her hair back from her forehead and telling her everything will be okay.

She knows it's stupid to wish for that. But she wishes for it anyway. ]

Comments

Pre-deprogramming.

[helladoomed]

[Chloe had gotten the text from Brianna a bit earlier saying she was almost there, so by the time the teenage speedster arrived, the blue haired girl was perched on a railing outside of the apartment complex, smoking a cigarette and scanning the area for her.]

[She was...a bit tense, really, but hiding it as best she could. This could turn into a disaster and she knew it...]

[fayzedandconfused]

[ When Brianna sees Chloe, she approaches hesitantly. She can't stop fidgeting, wiping her hands on her jeans and then wringing them together. She looks sweaty and a little ill. She's never had an anxiety attack before in her life, and has no idea how to recognize one, but she knows that she doesn't feel right. ]

Hi.

[helladoomed]

[Chloe couldn't hide the relief on her face when she actually saw Brianna approaching, and she hopped down off the railing and grinned.]

Hey kid. Welcome to Mexico.

[And then a quick survey of the younger girl.]

...Rough trip?

[fayzedandconfused]

I don't feel great.

[ She wipes her sweaty hands on her jeans again, looking around at the apartment building. ]

This was a mistake.

[helladoomed]

You're probably just jetlagged or something. [Chloe had no idea how jet lagging worked, to be fair.]

You'll feel better once you've eaten something. [She grinned.]

Come on, there's this little cafe down the street.

[fayzedandconfused]

[ Well. Okay. Even freaking out, she can still find room to eat. ]

Okay. Cool.

[helladoomed]

[Trust Brianna's bottomless stomach.]

Cool. They do these things called street tacos...well, I don't know if they're called that, that's what the guy who told me about them called them. They're like tacos without cheese and with some other stuff but they're hella good.

[She tosses her cigarette away as she starts walking.]

pre-programming

[protects_the_small]

[Kel had been trying to wander as much she could, but still seeing people she recognized was a novelty.]

Oh hello! [small girl who's name she had never gotten]

Did you just get here?

[fayzedandconfused]

[ Brianna twitches a little bit in surprise when she hears Kel speaking to her. She's normally not very jumpy, but she can't help but feel paranoid about being out of the country. ]

Um. Yes. I did just get here.

[protects_the_small]

[Kel sees the twitch, and squats down, bringing their heads level]

Sorry, I was a bit lost last time we talked and I didn't get your name. Mine's Keladry if you forgot too.

[fayzedandconfused]

Brianna.

[ She wipes her hands on her jeans and then crosses her arms, fidgety. ]

[protects_the_small]

Very glad to meet you, again, Brianna.

[If this girl just got here, that meant she had been back in America for much longer than Kel had, and after Perry's reaction to the seminar, she doubted it had been much fun at all.

Slowly, carefully, she stands up straight again and brushes invisible dirt off her knees]

Is this world like your own much? Do you think you could answer a question for me?

[fayzedandconfused]

It's pretty similar. [ Except for the Cold War and the hovercars and who knows what else... ] What is it?

Post-programming.

[helladoomed]

[When Brianna wakes up the first time after her ordeal, she's in the apartment the Mexican's had given to Chloe. The apartment is pretty quiet otherwise, and she'll find Chloe asleep in a chair next to the bed, legs stretched out onto the edge of the mattress, a book on her chest. She'd fallen asleep waiting for her to wake up, it seemed.]

[fayzedandconfused]

[ Brianna sits up in the bed, confused at first about where she is, but when she sees Chloe, it all comes rushing back. Part of her is still furious about what Chloe did, but mostly she's just embarrassed that she let things get that bad in the first place. Yeah, it's not like she's never had illusions used against her back home, but that was different. They were temporary. All this Russian stuff was a whole different level. She should have seen it coming and been able to stop it herself.

She needs to get the hell out of here before Chloe wakes up and tries to have a conversation or something else embarrassing. So she tries to sliiide off the bed without waking Chloe or disturbing the precarious balance of the book on her chest. ]

[helladoomed]

[It almost works, too. So close, Breeze! But the second her feet touch the floor, the bed shifts away from her weight, which shifts Chloe's legs, which shifts the rest of her...which sends th ebook sliding to the side of her chair, which startles her awake.]

Mm...

[She'd been in the chair for hours and hours though, so she kind of sat up slowly and frowned at Brianna before remembering what was going on.]

Oh shit. Kid. You're awake. You were starting to freak me out... How do you feel?

[fayzedandconfused]

I feel great. Thanks for all your help.

[ Sarcasm, it's happening. But some of the bite is taken out of her words by the fact that she can't seem to look Chloe in the eyes. She hugs her arms to her chest and stares at the floor instead. ]

[helladoomed]

[Well shit. She probably should've expected that, huh? Chloe slipped from her chair and around the bed slowly.]

Look...I'm sorry for what I did, alright? But you're fuckin' fast, Breeze.

[She sat down on the edge of the bed next to where Brianna was standing.]

It was the only way to make sure you weren't halfway back to the damn commie's before I had a chance to help you.

[fayzedandconfused]

Who says I needed your help in the first place!

[ Brianna slaps a hand to her own chest, hard enough to hurt, for emphasis. ] I don't need anyone's help! I take care of myself!

Post-programming

[subourbon]

[When Alison had gone to check on Chloe after she'd missed breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she hadn't expected to find Brianna there or to hear about the whole brainwashing and subsequent deprogramming ordeal. A large part of her feels guilty; she'd thought about reaching out to Brianna and countless other young imPorts before escaping to Mexico, but had put her family's priorities first. How many other kids out there were going through the same thing right now? What if she could have prevented it?

She knocks on the door and waits a minute before opening it, loaded down with a tray of breakfast foods that any average kid would wolf down. But she has a feeling that Brianna is anything but average, especially after this.]

... hello, Brianna. How are you feeling?

[fayzedandconfused]

[ Brianna's first thought is "oh, god, she told Alison." Her second thought is "maybe if I pretend to be unconscious she won't try to talk to me." So she gives a little snore, hoping that Alison will give up on feeding and/or talking to her, for once. ]

[subourbon]

[She's watched her kids pretend to be asleep enough times that she can recognize it, but she simply sets the tray down and takes a seat, waiting to see what Brianna will do.]

[fayzedandconfused]

[ She holds out for several seconds, but the fact that Alison isn't going away, plus the smell of the food on the tray, eventually lures Brianna into a semi-upright position, propped up on her elbows. ]

You're seriously just going to sit here?

[subourbon]

[She answers that by standing and carrying the tray over to the bed.]

I brought some food just in case you're hungry.

[fayzedandconfused]

I don't know.

[ She crosses her arms, staring straight ahead. ]

How am I supposed to believe it's not drugged?