Pursuing The Invisible » Places

         Marlene woke slowly, objecting silently to the harsh light that had begun to permeate the room. She gave a soft grumble and burrowed her head further into the pillow, but to no use. She was awake, and would have to stay awake. A shame. Taking a deep breath, she rose slowly, twisting to swing her legs off the side of the bed and naturally bring herself to stand. It was something Lenne always regretted, without fail, because her pajamas seemed to get infinitely more constricting during the night. It was both a blessing and a curse that they would be departing soon. Rubbing her eyes with a hand, Marlene snatched up her shower supplies and opened the door a crack, need for care overriding any impatience she could have.

And it was a good choice, too. Ethan had apparently just passed her door, as she could see him for just a few moments as he descended the stairs. Good. Perhaps she had slept too late, but she wanted a shower while she could still get a good one. Her mind reminded her without bidding or want of what she had seen - last night had not been a good decision, no matter how she looked at it. Who knows what could have happened. Shaking her head, Lenne stepped out into the hallway, clutching her things, and slipped into the bathroom. Tory had invited them to her place, after all, and besides, she was a relation. They were leaving today, she could hardly hold it against her. All of her things had already been here as Lenne wanted to be as prepared as possible before they set off. She locked the shower door and began to run the shower, pleased that she could do so and not depart with the night's sweltering touch still on her back.

When she finished her quick shower, Lenne dried off and dressed before she went back to her room. As the almost-encounter with Ethan showed, she could never be too sure. A wraith, Marlene moved back into her room to dress for the day and find the last essences of solitude she may ever get. Clothes? Practical... Practical... Practical... It made no sense to her not to have the ability to adapt to everything that could happen. If they made it out past the border? Excellent. If they didn't? Well, her colors were drab enough to let her blend in to the normal, non-exploratory crowd. It was all good. If she would admit to herself, it was her battle armor. She would never.

For them to start without getting far - that would be the worst. To leave the question unanswered, the sight unseen, the words unspoken and the knowledge unknown. She shook her head at the very thought. Failure was something she wouldn't stand for. This group was formed, the plans made. There was no backing down now. The Region - a land of mystery, where previously there had been none. The sheer allure of the place, shrouded in questions - how could she refuse? Traveling with this many people made her hesitant, but certainly she could make it. As long as they did not expect much of her, she would persevere through it to find the answers. In a world strictly regulated, there could be nothing better. Of course she was nervous, but they would not stand in the way of her goal.

With a sigh, Marlene realised she had sat down on the bed again to think these intolerable thoughts. She gave her head another shake and rose, neatly putting away any mess she had made pulling out her clothes. Lenne brushed her hair back from her face as she did this, coming to the sudden realisation it had been down the entire time. She let her eyes slide close one last time, marking the moment in her mind for when this would all change, and nothing would ever be the same again. Of course, she had done this a fair few times already, but it never hurt to save it for later. Marlene pursed her lips as her hair slid from where it had been tucked behind her ear. This habit of spacing out would be the very first to go - luckily she had begun to make progress on it. Cooly and efficiently, Lenne put her hair up, practise of hundreds of days rendering a mirror unnecessary.

She left the room her relation had so graciously lent her, feeling much fresher and ready to take on the day from the shower. Marlene glanced down the hall, seeing a few more closed doors, but turned her head and made her way downstairs as well, silent as a ghost. Oh. She stopped, evaluating the situation. Ethan and Tory. No one else. It was alright, she decided, and walked straight into the kitchen without a word. A polite smile had flashed across her face, but she wouldn't have known their reactions if she wanted to. She found herself in the kitchen... Might as well help with food this group doubtlessly wanted. Hands on her hips, she glanced about, unsure of where (or what) to start with.