Bang Bang
what can I say except
To: KnightSergeant
RE: KATHERINE
Location: Cosy Cafe, L14
Bureau Notes: information redacted for safety
LORE | CHARACTERS
Classified
Feeling the Admiral's eyes on her the whole time did nothing to ease Katherine's nerves. She was nervous for two reasons now, one wholly justified, the other the reason she was here at all, doing this. "Thank you," she murmured, running her finger about the rim of her mug before, deciding she was in greater need of distraction, she plucked one of the two forks up and with it took a small corner off of the cake. "I must ask also that, for now, you refrain from questions. I promise to answer them all, but... it's a difficult story to tell. For us both." Glancing to the grumpy barista, Kat smiled a little. "And do not worry, this place is safe from outside eyes and ears. One of my own private indulgences with the provided funds; I confess, I'm rather like a child when it comes to sweet things. I don't know why, I never was before— ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ."
And with that, Kat began her story. "I suppose the easiest place to start is with myself. I- well." She had to look elsewhere, because as she truly faced what she had to say, she knew that within a handful of minutes, the Admiral would be looking at her not with the gaze of someone who'd call her 'Kat', but rather with the eyes of someone intended to shoot her at the first chance they got. "▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇." Kat laughed nervously, drawing a meaningless shape in the air with her fork. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ so- I suppose starting there is a good idea. You must understand," Katherine interrupted herself suddenly, looking up at the Admiral in alarm, "you can tell no-one about this. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. They don't even need it in the first place, not really. I think the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. I'm not telling you so that you can spread the word; I'm telling you so that you can act accordingly. If you really take the throne— well. At least... ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇."
"This will sound delusional, I know ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ - please, just, bear with me for a moment. None of us are.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. It's hard to explain... ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ I suppose, or there about. That's why we chose ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇." Kat was no longer meeting the Admiral's eyes on any occasion, keeping them glued to the cake as she whittled it down tiny piece by tiny piece, not even eating, just cutting. "▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ There were those among us who were sympathetic ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ When we ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. It took decades— ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ But, we did not."
"I'm sorry this is so long, but I want you to understand;▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Not most of us, anyway. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Not to begin with. You see, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ How they kept it secret from us for all that time, I'll never know. Spite, probably. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ - ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇which is why we were, at the beginning, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ We were getting close too, I think. And then ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ came."
"▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ carefully and delicately ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ensure▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, and then and only then, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. We were supposed to initiate a▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, and in return, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ I- I'm one of the lucky ones. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ from ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ transferred ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. It's not ideal— ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ But it was all we could do, given the circumstances. But then ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, and then there was of course ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. We didn't... we didn't see that one coming. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇."
"▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ three years ago. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. Back in my old life, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. Thus, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. I spent two years studying you. Two years reading psychological profiles and articles and classified briefs and the Eyes' psychoanalysis and threat evaluations. I was not lying when I said I admired you greatly. But... well. I don't really know why I'm telling you any of this. I shouldn't be. Obviously. I've known you all of ten days, but... ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. Actually meeting you. It's not just a game of strategy anymore. I can't- I don't want you,▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, to be harmed. You know, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. We assumed▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. Seeing that fall short... I suppose, unconvincing as it may sound, that gave me hope▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ is another matter."
Her tone, which had been melancholy, apologetic, sentimental, now turned to one of facts and business, taking on urgency as she learned forth in her seat and met Lyud's gaze levelly. "I'm telling you all this because ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇— and if ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ does not stand a chance."