Sgt Vandingo

The Room

*Zeta nods to Xan and awkwardly rubs her shoulder.*
Zeta: Uhh... yeah, everything's fine now. Thanks for worrying, but it was just something I had to do.
*She then gestures Xan to follow Jillian, because she starts doing so.*
Zeta: Hey, Jill, I understand about what you said before. The past brings up a lot of things you want to forget, so it's hard talking about it.

---

*Beatrix understands the ghost part, because everybody in her team has a backstory. She also looks at Laura, and would be glaring if she wasn't such an old woman.*
Beatrix: If we're talking too loud for you, we'll quiet down, obaa-san.

The Room

*Zeta nods understandingly at Jillian, opens her mouth to say something uplifting, but is cut off by Xan, who she is actually also happy to see.*
Zeta: Yeah, I'm back. What'd I miss?
*She half-knows she's going to get hugged, so she braces herself for it somewhat.*

---

*Beatrix lifts an eyebrow at the fact that John didn't have to pay for the drinks, then shrugs and downs her own glass as well.*
Beatrix: Oh. Well if that's the case, tell me what you're actually thinking about. I'm not dumb, you obviously spend the majority of your time here for a reason.

---

*Eustace is unmoved, and doesn't share Finnick's smile.*
Eustace: Explain and specify. And do you take payments?

The Room

*Zeta nods, also looking at the cigarette instead of puffing on it because she doesn't really want to make more of a fool of herself.*
Zeta: I... can kinda understand that. And umm... Jill... you mind if I call you that? Anyway, if you have anything on your mind that you feel like you need or want to talk about, I always have ears. Just an offer, not pushing to learn about your backstory or anything if you don't want to say anything.
*Zeta awkwardly smiles, and takes a puff of the her own cigarette, which makes her eyes water again, despite her coughing a little bit less than the first couple times.*

---

*Beatrix rolls her eyes then taps the glass she's holding. She finally manages to speak properly seeing as though she cleared her mouth of the soap, and washed down the taste with the alcohol.*
Beatrix: No you idiot, I'm not mad about that. You still owe me drinks. Pay up.

---

*Eustace finishes loading/reloading his rifle, which unknowns to anybody, he has done in a very specific way where each bullet he loaded is different in a way, then stands up and wanders over to Finnick seeing as though they're in the forest.*
Eustace: What kind of mage are you?

The Room

*Zeta catches the sad look in Jillian's eyes despite her own eyes being full of tears from her coughing, but doesn't press for an explanation.*
Zeta: Yeah, life here might be fun. I-if it isn't my forte I'll just go out and explore.
*She goes into another coughing fit, and this time comes out of it laughing slightly.*
Zeta: I find it funny how you can do this without a single cough.

---

*Beatrix continues eyeballing Thoth, but eventually breaks it to look at John, then takes his glass and downs it in one, all the while staring John in the eyes.*

The Room

*The corners of Zeta's mouth curl up to what almost resembles a smile at Jillian saying 'sucks', and nods, before taking a huge puff like she watched a certain somebody back where she comes from, then instantly coughs, and only by luck manages to catch the cigarette as it flies out of her mouth. She has a several second coughing fit, before she finally straightens up with watery eyes.*
Zeta: Ughhh that is bad... And uhh...
*She coughs before she finishes her sentence, so she spends a few more moments clearing her throat, still with teary eyes.*
Zeta: It's that reason, but also uhh... treason. Even if my organisation is seen guilty of all the crimes in the book, I still went against my oath. I can think of at least three skydoms that would sentence me to death... and the other four will probably imprison me for the rest of my life.
*She hesitates, but she takes another puff of the cigarette, which results in her having another coughing fit, albeit a bit more intense than the last. She still manages to smile, partly because it reminds her she's still got a lot to experience in this life, and that Jillian is super skilled at smoking.*

---

*Beatrix is taken aback by the soap in her mouth for a fraction of a second, before her taste catches up to her mind, which results in her coughing up the soap onto the table. She rubs her tongue with the palm of her hand for a few seconds before scolding at Thoth, seeing as though he's the only one in the general vicinity that seems capable of doing magic like that.*
Beatrix: What te fuf burd?! Cun'!

The Room

*Zeta sighs, and accepts the cigarette, mimicking how Jillian holds it in her mouth seeing as though she hasn't smoked anytime recently lol. She waits for Jillian to light it for her, but shakes her head.*
Zeta: Yeah, I feel if I tell them what is in it, then they'll be with me on handing it over to one of the Luminary Knights. They can take it to them without my help, because if I go back I'll be hunted until I'm either caught or dead. Sucks huh?

---

*Beatrix waves her hand in front of Thoth's eyes, wanting a response.*
Beatrix: Hellooooo? What else you gonna ask, the colour of the creatures' eyes that killed the bird-headed dude?

The Room

*Zeta sighs, and nods unconvincingly. She looks to have aged another decade since the last time she spoke to anybody except Beatrix, the stress simply being too much for her to remain unscathed.*
Zeta: No, to be honest. We weren't on the best of terms, but I didn't want him dead. But... he is. And there wasn't much I could do.
*She quietly brushes her hair out of her eyes, then wipes them.*
Zeta: I'm going to give them the ledger. They'll do with it as they see fit, I don't think they're going to hand it back to the Society and go back to their normal lives.

---

*Beatrix slides on over to John, and taps the table. She forces a smile, but something about it is genuine.*
Beatrix: Drinks on y- OH JESUS FUCK SHIT NIGGA, if you gonna appear, announce yourself first!
*She glares at Thoth in anger but also slight awe at him mastering magic like that.*

---

*Eustace silently loads his rifle, then unloads it, then loads it again, getting faster every time, to the point where it becomes unknown to almost everyone but himself whether or not it is loaded or not.*

The Room

*Beatrix watched the entire funeral with a mixture of emotions, though she herself remained silent throughout it. She watched the people come and go, thought to pay her own respects, but decided against it. She sighed in frustration, then went off to get black out drunk at the bar; the loss of Vaseraga still weighing heavily on her heart, seeing as though she saw him as a father of sorts, as did Zeta.*

---

*Zeta stands behind Jillian for a while, remaining silent as to not disturb her or the funeral, then finally speaks up after everything's done and dusted.*
Zeta: H-hey... sorry for cold-shouldering you a couple days ago. Things were hard.

The Room

*Beatrix looks towards Horus' funeral, then shrugs and walks towards it. Zeta looks between the room and the funeral, then goes off to find Jillian.*

---

*Beatrix stands beside John, and holds her nose to avoid the smell of vomit. She stares blankly at Horus' body, seeing as though she didn't really know him that much, but she still cares enough kinda to be there.*

The Room

*Zeta and co return to the room, though Eustace breaks off before they get past the trees, and sits down, opting to meditate instead of participate in talking to others. The others nod, and continue walking towards the room, only stopping a bit of distance away from the old woman, neither chick looking like they want to fight, but will if the woman is a hostile in disguise.*