Finding Strength (CLOSED)

Calum nodded, appreciatively. "Thank ya for that. He woulda laughed at me convinced I was jokin'.". He chuckled as he span around, heading over to his computer. He quickly pulled up Spotify, skimming a playlist, and starting up the mentioned song. He went back over to his paper work, smiling.

"Not a bad choice in song" Katherine said with a chuckle before continuing with her work. She looked really tired, but she was soldiering on. "Alright, so that's the video and the letter. Starting on mine now." She stretched a bit before carrying on with her work.

Calum had a quarter of the original stack left, and the playlist had shifted to some light piano, for general soothing. "Ya don' wanna know tha amoun' of times Id had tah write ou' the words 'I trus' tha new recruit, and believe they have tha aptitude an' control tah join mah Brotherhood'. Ah reckon they gave up 'alfway through this paper. At least the rest has been aboot different stuff."

"I suppose you're gonna have to go through all of this again for me? Especially after they see this" Katherine said as she gestured to her laptop. "I have no intention of lying to the Assassins." Katherine clicked her neck before looking up at Calum, a slight smile on her face. "I apologise in advance."

Calum shook his head. "Im doin' the paperwork for you, Mikey, my leave to help you, why I trained you... Ugh. Jus' doing it all so ah don' feel guilty lookin' at it.". He paused, stopping his writing as he looked at a specific question. "Woul' - would ya classify us as boyfrien' an' girlfrien' or wha'? Paper's askin'."

Katherine blushed a bit, looking up a bit from her laptop. She wasn't sure what they were, and she really didn't want to force a relationship onto him.
"I... uhh... I don't know, maybe?" Katherine wasn't the kind of girl that, after a night of sex, automatically assumed it was a relationship. "I don't know what we are, to be honest. I mean, I think we are, but I'm not forcing you into anything. If you want to keep it casual, that's fine with me" Katherine said quietly as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Calum thought a bit before saying, "...I dunno. I... I definitely felt something that night, and totally still do. Of course, ah'd need yer word before ah actually put sumfin down.". He turned in his chair, lightly blushing. "As lon' as it don' interfere wif my lessons an' ah don' show favoritism, the Brotherhood ought be 'ight wif it."

"Then yes" Katherine said with a smile. She closed her laptop, and set it aside before heading over to Calum, and gave him a gentle kiss. "Besides, you don't treat me any different anyway, so it shouldn't really matter to them." She looked at him with a warm smile before heading back to her laptop.

Calum smiled, turning back to his paperwork. "Glad ya think the same way.". He continued writing here and there, reading it. "As a reminder, it's still tha weeken' so ya won' be seein' many other people yet. It's abou' near technically Saturday, so ye oughta have a lotta time tah do what ye wan' an' get used tah shiet 'ere."

"What I really want to do is sleep. Haven't had a proper sleep in a while." Katherine saved all her work, and put the files on a usb for the Brotherhood before shutting down. "Right, that's the videos, and the letter with my signature. I'm off to bed. I'll see you in the morning." Katherine handed the usb to Calum, smiling before heading to the storage room, and curled up on her mattress under her blanket, snuggling up with her body pillow, bathed under the soft warm light of the fairy lights, her vape emitting the faint scent of strawberry and vanilla cookies.

Calum gave a thumbs up and a smile as she left. After about half an hour, he finished up the rest of the paperwork. He made sure the USB was next to the stack of completed paperwork, let out a sigh of relief, and promptly got into his bed as soon as he was undressed, briefly able to appreciate being back in his own bed after so long before going into a deep sleep.

Michael wasn't having as good a time. He finally finished his last report, and nearly went into the elevator before somebody yelled at him.
"Where do you think you're going?!". Michael clenched his fists and grit his teeth.
"I'm going to sleep. Now, I REALLY recommend you leave me alone. Besides, don't you have a coffee shop to babble in?"
"Why, you-" they threw a punch, Michael easily grabbing their arm with an iron grip.
"Now, as I said, leave me the fuck
alone. Right now, I can snap yer fucKIN' ARM. GOOD. NIGHT.". He promptly went down the elevator, found the closest and largest bed he could find in the sleeping area, and promptly dozed off.

Katherine fell asleep relatively quickly, somewhat comfortable on her mattress. At some point, she started talking in her sleep, mostly about food, as usual. After a few hours, she tried to sit up, only to hit her head on the desk above her causing her to wake up.
"Fuuuck... I guess that works then" she grumbled as she rubbed her forehead before lying down, and falling asleep again. Katherine was still asleep at around half past ten the next morning, buried under her blanket, and curled up in a tight ball.

Calum was the first to wake at about ten, and decided to let Katherine sleep in for a bit. He'd just finished making some tea, and got a cup of it before walking off down the general hallway. He rapped his knuckles on the two doors - the storage room and the sleeping room - waiting for a response from either as he sipped at his tea lightly, pleased with his current lack of mustache.

Katherine leapt up at the sound of knocking at her door, and hit her head on the desk again.
"Oh for the love of... holy shit..." Katherine climbed out of bed, and pulled on her hoodie as she headed to the door, rubbing her forehead. She opened the door wide, revealing her cosy little setup. "Oh, morning Cal."

Calum raised an eyebrow. "You alright? Heard a loud thunk.". He looked over her shoulder, and lightly grinned, similar to the picture on his desk. "Ah... Hit your head, I take it. I 'ssume that's your counter measure for your condition?". He backed up a bit, out of the doorway. "Made some tea if ya want some. Plus, it's kinda near eleven. Reckon I oughta let ya sleep in jus' a bit."

"I'm good, yeah, it's one of the precautions" Katherine said with a chuckle, looking back at her bed, "And it makes it feel all safe and cosy." She turned back to Calum, a warm smile on her face. "Yeah, I could go for some tea. Just let me change quick." Katherine closed the door, and quickly got changed before emerging from her room, smiling. "Eh, sorry about that."

Calum started heading back to the kitchen, saying, "Yeah - I'd imagine it's quite effective. Do ya know if it worked, yea? I dunno if ya can remember wakin' up and cravin' sex, but it's worth a shot.". At that time, Michael opened the door to the sleeping area. He waved at Calum silently, walking off to the bathroom to take a shower.

"Oh, it worked, I woke up when I hit my head last night. I don't wake up craving sex, it all happens while I'm fast asleep." Katherine was a bit embarrassed about her condition, as most people would be, but she had figured out ways to deal with it. She followed Calum closely to the kitchen, still a bit tired. "I don't remember anything that happens when I'm asleep, aside from the dreams, obviously"

Calum nodded. "Yeah... No clue 'ow it works, so I'll take yer word.". They made it to the kitchen, the pitcher used for the tea near full spare the bit that Calum drained out with his cup. He got a cup out for her, and poured a reasonable amount in, setting it next to the kitchen. "So - any plans for today, eh?"

"This is pretty good" Katherine said after taking a sip of her tea. She thought about what she would do that day. "I was gonna head out and get an actual mattress, then stop at at my place and get some more blankets. I definitely need to get more food." Katherine took another sip of her drink, smiling. "Why? Did you have any plans or ideas?"

Calum shook gis head. "Nah. Prolly gonna spar with Evan, Kyle, or Mikey. Maybe all o' 'em.". At that, Michael entered, hair still a bit wet as he got a cup of tea.
"Mornin' ye two. Hope y'all had a nice night's sleep. Ah had tah threaten tah snap CSL's arm."
"CSL?"
"Coffe Shop Lady."
"Oh, her. Sheesh, that was a disgrace, good grief..."

"I shouldn't be too long, I'll be about an hour at most." Katherine took a sip of tea before looking to Michael, smiling. "I see you're making friends already, Mikey. Pretty sure I'm not gonna be too popular around here either" Katherine said with a laugh. She didn't really care what people thought of her, she only cared about the people she liked."So does anyone need anything while I'm out?"

"Ah, why wouldn't ye be popular?
Yer a great lass. As fer needin' anythin' while yer oot... Nah. Ah reckon ah'm good.". Calum nodded, essentially agreeing with everything Michael had said.
"Yea, same 'ere. Got a good deal o' stuff already. Buildin' on wha' Mikey said, why wouldn' ye be popular? Cos ye will kick their arses? Or cos yer in tha storage room?"

"A bit of both, I think. I'm happy not being popular, I like having a small group of friends." Katherine finished her tea, and cleaned her cup before putting it in the cupboard. "I learnt my lesson in college, never expect to make friends, because they leave as soon as everything is done. I'll see you later" Katherine said with a smile before heading off.

Calum nodded, understanding, and waved her off with Michael. Calum had taken to washing both cups, as Michael talked with him.
"Ya ever realize how old we are,
Cal?"
"We're both in our early thirties Mikey. We're still young."
"Yea, but ah know a good deal o' people celebratin' their five year marriage anniversary by thirty, and some wif children at our age."
"So what? We're not everybody else. We're both at least half cybernetics. We're tangled with Assassins and Templars. Only reason I found anybody is I found somebody to be with as bizzare a life as us."
"Yea, but she's still young. She's in 'er twenties still, 'ell, near erryone is. Evan. Ky. Jules.
They got it better.". Calum merely shrugged, putting the cups in the cupboard.
"Maybe we weren't born tah live normally, Mikey. Maybe we weren't."