<div style="text-align: center">《 Rachel 》<br/>
<i>Location: Shuttle pick-up location<br/>
Addressing: Rebel</i>​</div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: justify">To her surprise, the carriage rolled away from them, moving like a ship slowly leaving harbor. Hale had promised he was providing an opportunity for a better life. Passengers on the <i>Titanic </i>had been promised a similar result from their voyage to New York. Just look how that venture turned out. Rachel couldn’t help but steal another glance as they pulled away. They were both taking on a new role, however permanent or temporary, in an effort to help their new family on their way.<br/>
<br/>
The two stood together now, alone for an undetermined amount of time. Rachel couldn’t be sure who else had yet to join them. The boys would be back eventually, but the others? Would they choose to return to Abendblume’s halls to gather their things, or were they so rattled that they would rather do without?<br/>
<br/>
Rebel’s response made her laugh, luckily, before the anger set in. Stupid boys and their stupid brains.<br/>
<br/>
“You think that what <i>I</i> said was sexist?” Rachel stared at him incredulously, eyes growing wider as she processed every single word he said. “Are you kidding me right now, you fucking hypocrite? You are standing here, guarding a <i>woman </i>because a <i>man </i>told you to. I might not be your boss, but Ezra isn’t the fuck either.”<br/>
<br/>
Who the fuck did this recon-outside-patrol guard-wannabe think he was?<br/>
<br/>
“Which one of us are you listening to right now, hm? Me or your not-boss? And don’t say any shit about agreeing to Ezra’s request ‘because he asked first’ because that is some <i>actual </i>bullshit.”<br/>
<br/>
<i>We start breaking ranks and all Hell will break loose.</i> They were already in Hell and Rebel was worried about things getting worse?<br/>
<br/>
Rachel gave a small laughing-groan and ran her hands over her face.<br/>
<br/>
“I actually really don’t care if all of this goes to Hell for you.” The nurse gestured to the property behind him and brought her gaze back to the patrolman. Abendblume could go up in flames. Rachel didn't wish for her friends to be left without a home, but Hale deserved to have his castle taken from him. “Do you know where I am going to sleep tonight? Do you know what we are going to eat after the single granola bar and bottled water we're each given is gone? Because I sure as hell don’t and I don’t think anyone else does, either. Hale, included.”<br/>
<br/>
Rachel stared at him, her eyebrows raised in a manner that told him she was looking for an answer to her question. Not that she actually expected it. “You come over here with your friend, talking about how we will have time to get our possessions, how we shouldn’t scatter, but you don’t care. Not really. Why should you?"<br/>
<br/>
Rachel supposed that she understood what that might feel like. Rebel felt that it was his responsibility to help them on their way, all the while feeling grateful and relieved that he wasn’t forced to join them.<br/>
<br/>
“Just call yourself Cinderella, honey, because this <i>façade</i>," she gestured to him, "will disappear at midnight. You will tuck yourself into your nice, warm bed and think of all the good you did today by helping those nice, but extremely unfortunate, transients on their way."<br/>
<br/>
She doubted that many of the evicted would want to remember the people that graciously saw them out. Rachel guessed that it was probably a quite similar feeling for the people who didn’t have their name on the winning lottery. They wanted to move on with their lives and allow the poor souls to fade from their minds and memories.<br/>
<br/>
<i>Feminist tinted glasses. </i>Rachel scoffed, shaking her head as she stared at him. She had to physically stop her eyes from rolling back in their sockets in response to his 'clever' comeback.<br/>
<br/>
“How long have you been waiting to say that to someone without having to worry that they won’t let you fuck them at the end of the night?” She tightened the fold of her arms across her chest and tilted her head. “How is your girlfriend, by the way? <i>Where </i>is your girlfriend? I heard her name on the list.”​</div>