During jailbreak [She's been waiting for this; all the prisoners have. Normally Shirley would have felt more frustration over having failed to do anything useful, but with Madoka gone getting out ASAP becomes even more of a priority and she can't feel anything but relief when a rescuer comes to open their cell. She's past exhausted, but manages to summon enough energy to get up and hurry out at slightly above walking speed, giving the person at the door a grateful look.]
Thank you.
[And then she forgets herself and hits her arm against the door frame. That's not pleasant to begin with, but the contact with a recent burn mark makes her stagger and cry out. So much for dignity.]
Post-jailbreak A [Shirley's sitting mute in wait for medical treatment, not wanting to budge for aggravating any of her injuries. While not cruel, the monitors had been merciless and more than slightly vindictive as they tried to work any hint of her magic out of her stubborn silence, or see what they could make of Ferines biology thanks to her mistake in telling them. Burns, bruises, plenty of needle punctures from things injected or withdrawn...nothing close to life-threatening, but the marks are plenty. They've even cut one of the braids from her hair, something she hasn't quite been able to cover up by redoing the rest.
But she's alive, and everyone else is too. Nobody has been killed this time. Almost one of the better outcomes to such incidents she's seen, Shirley tells herself, so everything is fine in the end. She is fine. She is the Merines. She hears the voice of Nerifes. She is strong. Focusing on that thought, Shirley glares daggers at the wall and repeats the mantra in her head. Or maybe it's not a wall she's glaring at, and an unsuspecting person instead. Sorry.]
Post-jailbreak B [When the truce message comes, Shirley stares at it for a good minute. Reading. Rereading. Comprehending. Then something snaps, and she chucks her ID card away without thinking. Peace is a lie; it certainly hadn't done Fenimore any favors.
It's a long moment before she remembers herself and gets up to retrieve it, ignoring her bandages and apologizing to anyone in the vicinity.]
no subject
[She's been waiting for this; all the prisoners have. Normally Shirley would have felt more frustration over having failed to do anything useful, but with Madoka gone getting out ASAP becomes even more of a priority and she can't feel anything but relief when a rescuer comes to open their cell. She's past exhausted, but manages to summon enough energy to get up and hurry out at slightly above walking speed, giving the person at the door a grateful look.]
Thank you.
[And then she forgets herself and hits her arm against the door frame. That's not pleasant to begin with, but the contact with a recent burn mark makes her stagger and cry out. So much for dignity.]
Post-jailbreak A
[Shirley's sitting mute in wait for medical treatment, not wanting to budge for aggravating any of her injuries. While not cruel, the monitors had been merciless and more than slightly vindictive as they tried to work any hint of her magic out of her stubborn silence, or see what they could make of Ferines biology thanks to her mistake in telling them. Burns, bruises, plenty of needle punctures from things injected or withdrawn...nothing close to life-threatening, but the marks are plenty. They've even cut one of the braids from her hair, something she hasn't quite been able to cover up by redoing the rest.
But she's alive, and everyone else is too. Nobody has been killed this time. Almost one of the better outcomes to such incidents she's seen, Shirley tells herself, so everything is fine in the end. She is fine. She is the Merines. She hears the voice of Nerifes. She is strong. Focusing on that thought, Shirley glares daggers at the wall and repeats the mantra in her head. Or maybe it's not a wall she's glaring at, and an unsuspecting person instead. Sorry.]
Post-jailbreak B
[When the truce message comes, Shirley stares at it for a good minute. Reading. Rereading. Comprehending. Then something snaps, and she chucks her ID card away without thinking. Peace is a lie; it certainly hadn't done Fenimore any favors.
It's a long moment before she remembers herself and gets up to retrieve it, ignoring her bandages and apologizing to anyone in the vicinity.]
Oh. Sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.