What You See Is What You Get

[Fluffy]

A cascade of hot water crashed onto Lola. Arranged neatly on the bathroom floor were the armor pieces she was still wearing. She borrowed a squeeze of the masculine smelling shampoo she found in the shower, knowing he wouldn't mind. The whole time she cleaned herself up, she was thinking about him. She kept seeing his melancholy face, the hopefulness in his eyes drowning in pure sadness. All because she couldn't pull up a single piece of evidence that she remembered him. What seemed so simple was annoyingly complicating.

Lola wasn't giving up yet. After rinsing off the last of the suds on her body, she reached out for the helmet she set on the counter. The waterproof feature was something she liked very much about it. She was allowed to wear it during showers back at the government building she was kept in. It allowed her to listen to music or watch films while she unwound in the shower.

A little compartment in the back of the helmet was slid open so she could pull out the plug. She got the headgear secured, then inserted it in the slot on the back of her neck. The screen lit up with a solid blue background; the color helped keep her calm. Within a few seconds, she gained access to the folder she labeled as 'dreams.' Sighing, she looked through the titles of the saved documents, hoping to find something that might involve Travis.

"Huh..." Lola found one that she named 'grey'. That single one stood out to her for a reason she couldn't explain. All she knew was she had to look into it. She watched ellipses blink on the blank screen until a video appeared with a giant play button in the center. When it started, she noticed the dream recording was completely in grey; that explained the title. There was no audio, either, so she made sure to pay extra close attention t what she was looking at.

What she saw was a high school field trip. Students walked on a nature trail, recording species of plants and animals in their notebooks. They were studying wildlife for a science class, and then they would turn in their journals of discoveries. Lola, age fifteen, got her jeans snagged by the limb of a thorny plant. She fell behind while she struggled to free herself, finding that her movements only caused the plant to tangle around her leg. When she yelled for help, no one came. She felt so afraid, alone, and invisible; back then, she was the shyest and nerdiest in the class. No one noticed those types.

Colored pencils fell to the ground while she clutched her notebook to her chest, her spectacles falling from her face as she lowered her head and wept. Then, she felt the plant's grip loosening around her leg. When she looked to her side, there was a boy knelt down, using his bare hands to tear the plant off of her. Once she was freed, he quickly recovered all her colored pencils, knowing how much she liked to color her pictures with those. Even though his palms were cut by the thorns, he still smiled and wiped her tears away...

The recording was paused on the ending. She stared long and hard at the boy who was rescuing the fifteen year old version of her. The facial features were very similar to Travis'. It matched perfectly with one of the photos he showed her too. There definitely were some snippets of memories that weren't locked away.

There was a horrible ache in her heart just then. This had to be him, there was no doubt about it. What made it hurt worse was there were other dreams with him in them. The peeks she took into the other documents told her as much. She didn't know who he was until now. Hell, she didn't even know that was her in the dream until Travis showed her what she looked like as a teen. Before this, they were two mystery people! Every little thing she had relating to Travis was stored in her brain, so that he'd be less of a stranger to her. There was a lot more work to do, but this was a nice start.

Once the helmet was properly shut down, she unplugged it and shoved it back to the counter. The shower was quickly turned off, but she didn't yet get out. With her back to the wall, she slid down, a bright red painting across her face while big, fat tears fell from her eyes. Being wet and nude, she curled up to help keep warm. For about five minutes, she sat there until she felt more stable.

Lola stepped out wearing the clothes he offered. They were baggy on her, but they were comfortable. Certainly made her look more normal without the armor, too. She was attracted to the scent of these clothes; it had a comforting affect on her. Her bare feet stepped out onto the deck, her binary eyes watching him nervously. Shyly, she met him at his left. "Where were we at, Travis? When we went on that nature hike freshman year..." The question was a genuine one; she wanted to know what her dream couldn't tell her. As well, it was her way of saying she, in a small way, remembered him.

 

[Jumi]

Finishing his cigarette, he stuffed the butt into an empty can that was tapped to the deck rail, and exhaled slowly, letting his shoulders sag as he leaned against the railing. It must have been ten minutes he stood there, until the sound of Lola's voice brought him back to reality. Looking to his left, he saw her without all that funky armor on, but wearing the clothes he'd offered.

She looked... normal, but more importantly she looked happy. Then she asked about their hike from freshman year. Turning his head slightly, as to try and hide the tear that was forming at the mention of a shared memory, Travis looked at his left palm. The scars from that day were still visable, though they were woven in with calluses, and other life lessons he'd picked up through the years.

Silent for several moments, he managed to get his bearings, and then looked back at her. "Some research center in Minnesota. It was a wolf habitat, but I can't remember the name. All I know is Mr. Kraigson was pretty adamant about me not going. Said I wouldn't learn much, other than how to drink, and skip out on a weeks worth of school." Laughing slightly as he turned his head to look out over the ocean, Travis turned his left hand, and placed it on the railing.

"Guess he never knew that my dad was a nature whiz in his day, and forgot about Strangle Thorn plants. Pretty shitty for teacher who kept talking about Earth, and low carbon footprints, right? My hand still tingles from time to time from the nerve damage."​

 

[Fluffy]

Lola was happy to be hearing details about her memory that the dream sequence couldn't tell her. There was so much she wanted to ask him about himself, and about her. She held her tongue, though. That's all he needed was the constant reminder that she couldn't remember anything. In time, she could fix the issue herself.

For a minute, she wondered what her family was like. She had her mother, her father, and her older brother. Were they still alive? What were they up to? In all honesty, she wasn't even aware she had siblings at all; the most she could do was use the broad term of 'they.' Ironically, she did the same with the staff members who were responsible for her. There was no mom, dad, boss, sir, or ma'am--just 'them.'

There was Travis, though. Finally, somebody she knew on a first name basis. Even though her brain was missing some pieces, the rest of her was still drawn to him. She felt like getting closer to him for comfort, and she liked to hear him talk. There was no stronger indication that she had a bond with him. Usually, she was too terrified of every human being to so much as try to say hello. 'They' didn't want her socializing.

Lola forgot she wasn't wearing her helmet. Out of habit, she was trying to research Minnesota research centers, Strangle Thorn plants, and the one Travis called Mr. Kraigson. Her eyes crossed while she straightened her posture, the lack of information making her shake her head. There was nothing out here for her to do research on, just the boat and the ocean. She wasn't complaining, though. The scenery was serene, unlike anywhere else she ever been before.

"Will you be here in the morning when I wake up?" Lola was used to being woken up by the people in lab coats. This time around, she could probably wake up at a time of her choosing. She didn't want to be alone, though. This world was scary. If he had a job to go to or errands, whatever really, she wanted to be prepared for his absence. Otherwise, there was a good chance she'd wake up instantly thinking he was taken by the government for harboring her. She could end up punching his boat to the bottom of the sea, like what she essentially did to that car earlier this evening. Needless to say, she was highly paranoid. For his protection and her own, Lola wanted to stay near him.

 

[Jumi]

Watching her, Travis tilted his head slightly. More curious as to what she was thinking about. Not to mention it warmed his heart to see her doing something that filled his mind with old memories. Lola always had that look on her face when she was thinking. It was one of those little treasures of character that she had, and no one else. Turning around, Travis leaned against the railing, and watched her until she seemed to shake herself from her thinking.

It was that she asked "Will you be here in the morning when I wake up?"

Opening his mouth in speechlessness, Travis then rubbed his head, and looked to the deck of the ship a moment, before turning his eyes up to her again. "Yeah, Lola. I'll be here when you get up... I'm not going to lose the girl I love again." A second later, his mind registered just what he'd said, and his face began flushing. Looking away slightly, he rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. 'Great dude... real smooth letting your mouth go running. She just fuckin' found her life again! Why'd you go saying that shit!? It wasn't like she showed any interest before.' He literally screamed inside his head.

Looking back to Lola, he put his hands together, and began tapping his thumbs together. "I... I shouldn't have... I mean..." Taking a deep breath, Travis tried calming himself, and settling his now racing heart. "Well... it's out now so what the hell... I'm probably going to sound crazy, but... before you dissappeared, I was actually... I was going to ask you out."

Turning slightly, averting his eyes, Travis started rubbing the back of his head. "Took me twelve years, and I still managed to time it wrong. But I won't try anything, I swear! I'm not a creep, and you'd probably beat the living shit out of me if I did try anything."​

 

[Fluffy]

The way he replied wasn't at all what she anticipated. Lola was expecting a simple 'yes' or 'no', then maybe an explanation as to why he answered the way he did. Afterwards, she'd go off to bed. Instead, he talked about love and about 'going out.'

Scarlet painted her cheeks, her eyes staying on the water they were floating on. She didn't doubt his words in the slightest. He promised he wouldn't try anything; if he was lying he would have already tried by now. He was right, too. She could 'beat the living shit' out of him if she really wanted to.

Right then, Lola wondered if she had any boyfriends before. That would be inappropriate to ask Travis, so she kept the question private. For now, he was all she could really think about. Speechless, she touched the fingertips of her right hand to her lips. Just when she didn't think this night could get any crazier, too. Being seen without her helm made her feel nervous. With that on, she could hide her emotions. Right now, she felt vulnerable as ever. Her eyes wouldn't stop misting with tears, and her heart constantly ached in ways she couldn't properly describe.

With her head down, she stared at her feet while she sidled up to him. This man claimed to love her so much that at one time, he was going to ask for her heart. The fact she couldn't remember him completely was hurting worse than before. She looked to his hand on the railing, then suddenly wrapped her fingers around it. Travis' hand was picked up so she could hold his palm close to her face, her eyes studying the marks he received from the plant he freed her from when they were only kids.

"I know you'd never hurt me, Travis. I dreamed about you all the time. You were always...protecting me." The memory snippets she saw in her dreams were stored in her brain now. She hoped that after this, she would see more of him, even if the dreams were re-runs. From what she remembered, those were the happier times during her years of solitude. There was sometimes music involved, too, that she guessed to be related to his musical career.

With his hand still in her grasp, she let her weight fall against his. Her face buried into his chest, her body welcoming every ounce of his warmth. The human contact was sublime, especially with somebody she was familiar with. Lola was scared, too. He was the only one she knew she could trust in this world, filled with people hellbent on ruining her life. He had solid proof that they knew each other; she had no reason to mistrust him.

"Can we stay like this? This is... Nice." Lola was still clinging to Travis, comfortably leaning against him with her eyes closed. There was even something alluring about the smoky smell on his breath. The poor girl was tired as all hell, but she didn't care. This precious moment was as magical as the romance scenes she read in her novels. Until now, all she could do was dream. "I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to find you again. When I get my memories back, I'll set things right. I promise. You, no..--we--can be happy."

 

[Jumi]

Seeing her avert her eyes, and step closer to him, Travis stood up against the railing. As he grabbed his hand in hers, and leaned against him, Travis put an arm around hers, and rubbed his thumb against her hand. Feeling her face resting against his chest, sent a wave of comfort through him. Though it quickened his heart some as well. He was nervous, but it wasn't the kind of nervousness that someone got when they were scared. It was more in line with the nervousness that came when you were used to things always going wrong... and then suddenly things seemed to be going perfectly.

Looking down at Lola, he gently rested his chin on her head, and hugged her tightly. "Glad to see that I didn't fade into obscurity for a change... I should have known where to look, and what to do. I always knew before..." Breathing deeply, he could taste the sea air, and sighed. "We could stay like this, but I can taste the rain. It's going to start pouring soon, Lola." Lifting his head then, he lamented the lack of feeling her silken hair caressing his face.

"One day at a time, girl. Let's take it one day at a time." Moving his free hand, he gently lifted her chin to look her in the eye, his thumb lightly running against her chin. "But I can tell your exhausted. So let's see to you getting some sleep, ok?" Kissing her on the forehead, Travis began leading her towards the cabin. "Learning to sleep on a boat is hard enough for landlubbers."​

 

[Fluffy]

Lola felt silly all of a sudden. She'd forgotten than rain existed. During rainy seasons, they preferred to move her from place to place in a vehicle all the time. If she had to walk a ways from the car, they were always nearby with large umbrellas above her. All of that special treatment was unnecessary, she thought. A little bit of rain on her equipment would not ruin it. Plus, she was curious about how rain felt on her skin... Sad as it was to say, that was a sensation she was robbed of. She felt a strange adoration for weather altogether. For some reason, it deeply depressed her that she was always being sheltered from it.

The crimson in her cheeks darkened all over again when he tilted her head, allowing them to meet gazes. Shyly, she looked away when he kissed her forehead. She enjoyed those little signs of affection, however she was still figuring out how to respond to them. The feelings stirring up within her couldn't be solved with logic, which was all she knew during the years she was trapped. It frightened her, to say the least.

On their way inside, she looked over her shoulder for a few seconds. She acted as if she saw somebody, but she was just glancing at the rain. It was starting to get heavier, so she was quick to respond to it. Childlike wonder was in her eyes as she watched. She managed to tear her gaze away, then rubbed at her eyes after they took on a more tired looking appearance.

"I, uh." Lola stammered for a minute, making a frustrated look before she tried talking again. "Nothing bothers me when I sleep, so you don't have to worry." She was trained to be adaptable, but she also could 'shut down' her brain, so to speak. A lot went on in her mind when she slept, somewhat like a computer doing maintenance through the night while its user went to sleep. Lola could be laying on a bed of rocks and still be able to sleep.

When the bed came into view, all she did was stare at it. She was standing behind him, holding onto fistfuls of his shirt while looking over his shoulder. After going so long without sleep, she could honestly say she was afraid to try. When she slept, she was easy to kidnap because of how unresponsive she was at bedtime.

 

[Jumi]

Looking behind him, Travis then moved his arm, to slide around Lola. "Well if it doesn't bother you, then your should be out in no time, eh?" Reaching down he flipped the sheets aside, and pointed to the bed. "Get some sleep Lola. We both need it, and I can't sail on empty. When we get up, I'll set sail for Houston. They've got a college there, and that should mean they've got some supercomputer or some shit."

Gently pulling his shirt from Lola's hands, he removed it, folded it, and tossed it into a basket at the foot of the bed revealing the five bullet wounds that seemed to be exits on his back. Along with a knife scar, here and there. The sound of rain striking against the hull of the ship began to resemble a lullaby, and Travis rubbed his face.

Then there was rustle from under the bed sheets. A soft chirping followed by a soft meow, with a kitten poking it's head out from under the sheets. Turning it's head, it looked at both Travis, and Lola with it's blue eyes.

"Oh, there you are, Juno." Travis said with a yawn, and picked the kitten up in his hand. Turning to Lola, he held the kitten out to her "Here. You can deal with her tonight."​

 

[Fluffy]

Lola could rest a little easier knowing that he knew where to find a powerful computer system. The moments that followed added to her uneasiness, though. She recognized the cause of the scar tissue he had, having been pitted against others in combat before. Seeing that he had to suffer from those kinds of injuries made her feel melancholy. Had she not gone missing, could this have been prevented? Lola had no way of knowing. A lot of her questions wouldn't advance beyond a simple 'What if?'

When the kitten poked out from the covers, she squeaked and took a step back. As if her story wasn't sad already, she was afraid of animals. She wasn't taught how to interact with them, plus giant dogs were sent to chase her when she escaped. When she lived her days as a normal girl though, she was quite the animal lover. She wanted to visit every zoo in the country; her dream pet was a parrot of some sort.

"I don't--I never--" Lola accepted the kitten into her hands, staring at its adorable little eyes. 'Oh god, what does it want!? I don't have what it wants, it's going to kill us all!'

Lola kept her arms extended to their fullest lengths on her way to the mattress so that the kitten would be kept a safe distance from her face. She sat carefully, hastily setting the critter on the foot of the bed. Her hands quickly retreated to her lap, her posture slumping while she looked away from the two of them in embarrassment.

The gentle rocking of the boat and the weather's symphony distracted her from her anxiety. She managed to stay calm enough to lay down on her back, her fingers lacing below her breasts while she gazed up at the ceiling. The vibrancy of her eyes faded until there was nothing to see but the whites of them. Her eyelids closed at that instant. The whole night, that's how she would stay. It was routine for her to sleep in that specific position until she was ready to work again.

 

[Jumi]

To say that Travis was dumbfounded by what transpired next would be an understatement. Defeated by a kitten, it would seem. When Lola laid down on the bed, it was like watching a machine power off, and the thought unnerved Travis. Knowing that she wasn't the same as when they were kids, it still felt like perhaps there was a chance that it wasn't her... but instantly that thought was pushed from his mind. He wouldn't go sabotaging hope at a time like this. Better to be wrong and ignorant.

"So... good night n' stuff..." Travis murmured softly, and then pitched himself a bed roll on the floor. A moment later there was a dropped weight on his chest, followed by the kneaded of small claws. Grinding his teeth, he kept quiet the entire ten minutes Juno made her bed ready, and then as she curled up, he closed his eyes as well. Soon, he himself was fast asleep. Though it wasn't a pleasant night.

Travis had always had troubled dreams. Some classified it as nightmares, and others night terrors. Whatever it may be, often times through his life, he'd find himself in some strange place being hunted down by something he couldn't see. It always ended up with him waking in a scream, but for this night... he was allowed a silent hell, and would wake in a cold sweat, shaking.​

 

[Fluffy]

Lola's night wasn't too pleasant either. She fell asleep hoping to be dreamless. Instead, she had dreams about the place she called "home" for the past ten years. How she was only allowed outside when she had a tracking device around her ankle, and injected with drugs to enhance her fitness performance during tests. She was told how to dress, when to sleep, what to eat, even how to feel... They purposely deprived her of a social life so she wouldn't attempt to make friends or take an interest in hobbies that might interfere with her obedience to them. As a result, she had such little confidence in herself out here...

"I want to go to school."

"Why? You're already one of the smartest people alive. School would be a waste of your time."

"I don't know... I'm bored. I want to see what it's like."

"Your brain and abilities are too valuable. Someone might try to hurt you or take you away. Would you really endanger your country like that? That's selfish."

"But--"

"Go back to your room, Lola. I don't want to hear about it again."

When Lola awoke, a long, slow breath of air pass through her lips. Slowly, her lids open, releasing streams of tears from each eye. For a moment, she couldn't see anything. Not until her irises faded back in, the scrolling of binary running across them.

She rolled onto her side, spotting Travis on the floor. All she knew at that moment was she needed comfort. Empathy ached her heart too; he didn't look happy. Right then, she stopped feeling bad for herself. Her concern for her friend dominated that. The feelings were strange, different... But she went along with them.

Lola crawled across the bed, letting her weight fall to the floor so she could scoot her way over to him. A lot about her changed, but her kindness never did. Though for this man in particular, she was experiencing a special type of fondness. A comforting arm was draped over him, her inhuman strength allowing her to pull him towards her with ease. One hand comfortingly smoothed over the back of his head while the other simply held him. He was shaking and covered with sweat; it made her heart feel sad.