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[witness_this]

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[Furiosa spends most mornings in the gym. Honestly, she'd prefer the Enclosure, but she needs to be moving long and often enough that she can't justify using more than her share of the precious time in the false environment. She works out quickly how to run on the treadmill, but most of the other machines remain a mystery to her. If the right person is using them, they may see her watching, or so may decide to approach.

Some mornings her prosthesis is on, and others it is off, tucked protectively and nearly underfoot, out of habit, though this doesn't seem like the kind of place where anyone is likely to get any ideas.

When she is done, she usually ends by slipping upstairs, showering quickly, and permitting herself what feels like the decadent luxury of putting her feet into the pool. It takes her until about the fifth time to get up the nerve to walk in to the water, to lower herself down in it until she feels it lap up around her neck, then to hold her breath and gingerly, cover her mouth and nose, and cautiously, gingerly slip under the surface and just let herself float, suspended.

She can be found in any of those places.

Still, a workout isn't the same thing as practice, really, and the conversation that has been going on here has weighed heavily on her, though she hasn't participated. So, finally, she takes a break one morning in the gym and turns on the feed.]

Video

[She has to clear her throat to start, and wipe the sweat off her face. She's sitting in the frame, bare feet apart, elbows rested on her knees, metal arm down at her side. Furiosa isn't comfortable, exactly, talking to a little plastic box that will take her words all over the ship, but this is important to her.]

My name is Imperator Furiosa. I'm human. No powers. I'm in the gym.

If you need, I've been teaching people a little about how to fight. If you don't need, but you're--

I could use the practice.

[Short, unceremonious, she disconnects.]

Comments

[chillestrogue]

Sounds like we've got something in common.

[He picks up a tray, moving along the line]

Experience can mask itself as intelligence sometimes.

..And don't say supposed to be. It makes you sound weak. You're a warden, so own it. Nothing to be ashamed of.

[witness_this]

[She huffs a short laugh.]

Nothing weak about being an inmate, either.

[But she'll take his point. And she takes, very gingerly, a plate of pasta, using the opportunity of his company to ask;]

What is this? I keep accidentally taking desserts, is this real, edible food?

[chillestrogue]

No. But if they see you self-doubting, some of them will try ripping you apart.

[He leans in to look over the food, and there's only a beat of hesitation before he answers, attempting to treat the idea of someone not knowing what pasta is as no big deal]

It's pasta. It's a hard grain when you harvest it, and you soften it in boiling water.

Yes, it's real, and yes, it's edible. I'd give it a try.

[witness_this]

[She doesn't doubt herself. She does, however, doubt her place here sometimes- but whether he understands that nuance doesn't matter. He's right; they won't, and there's no sense opening herself up to them.

So she takes her pasta without comment, and heads over to the coffee, which is about the only thing she'll drink other than water.]

The food here is better.

[She's sure that won't come as a surprise.]

[chillestrogue]

[He follows, but Cold always goes for iced coffee; never hot.]

Compared to most prisons, it's decent. And where you come from, I can imagine it being that much better.

What've you found that you liked most?

[witness_this]

Fresh fruit.

[Which perhaps isn't a surprise, and might not count as cooking, but also;]

Meatloaf.

[chillestrogue]

Meatloaf.

[He repeats it, smiling]

Remind me when I get out of here to take you to get a big old Central City burger and fries.

[witness_this]

Oh yeah? What's that?

[As far as she knows, she hasn't had either.]

[chillestrogue]

Like meatloaf, but better. Trust me, I used to know all the best burger joints in the area.

[witness_this]

These are places that exist just to sell meat?

[The vagaries of life before her time are endlessly fascinating.]

[chillestrogue]

Sure. There are places in the bigger cities that exist just to sell any type of specific food imaginable.

[witness_this]

I'm eager for our first trip to port. See a proper city.

[So far all she's looked at are pictures.]

[chillestrogue]

The ship picked me up in Paris, France. You would have liked it.

Lots of culture, good food, decent weather. Wish I could've stayed.

[witness_this]

What was your life like?

[She doesn't quite know how to ask this gracefully yet; she has no 'what did you do?' or 'where did you live?' under her belt.]

[chillestrogue]

...Challenging. But I liked it that way.

[He gives a bit of a smile, pleased to talk about his own exploits]

I'm a criminal, and I hurt people, and I steal things that no one else can steal. But the risk makes it fun.

Last year, I thought I'd finally found something worthy of keeping my attention. Didn't know it would eventually land me here.

So not as hard as your life. I had amenities, I knew how to operate within the boundaries of my world. It was a bad life, but I felt good with the way it was running.

[witness_this]

Then living up here, you must be very, very bored.

[Because if he chases risks like that, likes that kind of adrenaline hit... Well, she's sure there will be brief periods of terror and chaos up here, but the times between are sort of interminable.]

[chillestrogue]

Extremely. But I find ways to keep myself entertained.

[He looks a little off, though. If Cold wanted to confront his feelings, he'd realize just how much he missed the company of his crew. Mick and Lisa. He needed to be there for them.]

I'm not the kind of guy who likes taking time off my work.

[witness_this]

I thought I was. I was relieved, when I arrived, that I wouldn't have to drive again. Less than a week until I ended up in the Enclosure, shooting at a training simulator.

[As she starts in on her pasta.]

You're right- this is good.

[chillestrogue]

Yeah. They do all right by the food here.

Well..you miss it. You do one thing for so long, even something you hate, and you have to learn to define who you are outside of what you've always done.

[witness_this]

So how will you learn to define yourself, now?

[She can't help but wonder, if that's his perspective on it.]

[chillestrogue]

[He pauses for a long few seconds, before answering with unnerving certainty]

I'm going to do everything in my power to break out of here.

[witness_this]

Try not to be one of those people who gets the rest of us killed doing it, but if it happens, I'll understand.

[She promises him, after a moment's thought, forkful of pasta paused halfway to her mouth.]

[chillestrogue]

No. You're good people here. I don't want to see you get hurt when you're all just doing your jobs.

The ship is safe from me, for now.

Going to rat me out?

[witness_this]

To who? I'm pretty sure the Admiral has a pretty good idea that you're trying to book it.

[But seriously;]

I'll keep it to myself.

[chillestrogue]

Thanks.

...Wouldn't mind doing that again, sometime. Fighting.