Welcome to the Bureau (CasualVelociraptor x Mtvarisa)

[CasualVelociraptor]

After watching her introductory video, Katsuko "Kate" Ishimura sank down onto the bench and barely supported her head in her hands, and the copper-haired Japanese-American woman's Federation standard issue Electrogauge SP70 pulse rifle weighed even more heavily on her back than it had before. She was still excited to work for The Bureau, but Kate had to admit she'd felt somewhat uneasy ever since her interviewers appeared in her apartment before she ever got there and put her on the spot. It was as if, between the colossal obsidian Tower next to the Federation Capitol Building in Turtle Bay with no doors or windows (and only adorned by The Bureau's logo) that opened itself and sealed behind her; the impossible and shifting staircases everyone walked around on nonchalantly; the sterile, brutalist interior with cavernous ceilings, forests of concrete pillars dwarfing what few trees and water features existed, and stark white paint; and even the disarming horn rimmed glasses and statuesque demeanor she'd seen on Director Elias Turner in the video, this whole organization's ethos was friendly yet bizarre- the better to keep everyone comfortable yet also balanced on the knife's edge of nerves. She had never been gladder for the intelligent sweat wicking in her security uniform.

Speaking of nerve-wracking, the woman next to her seemed intimidating, laid back (after all, she'd parked her classic motorcycle on the sidewalk next to The Tower and watched it swallow her vehicle into what Kate could only assume was a parking garage without blinking)- collected was actually the better word for it- and just as tense as her all at the same time. It seemed she was walking into a world where nothing was ever as it seemed and where any one thing, or person, could be multiple contradicting things at once. In any event, her bench-mate was blonde, with small tits (that Kate glanced at for a second before blushing in embarrassment, which she hid well in her tablet, as she contemplated her own larger but still petite breasts), long legs, and lots of eye shadow, leather, and tattoos. She hoped that once they got through Orientation together, they'd see a lot more of each other, as even just looking at her scrolling through her device made Kate able to exhale again.

That got her thinking about what kind of Orientation she'd want as Kate leaned against her rifle, that she'd modified to double as a cane to lean on when the shrapnel in her right hip bothered her too much. This probably made Kate much more of an open book than the taller woman, but she couldn't think too hard about that. So instead, she overthought the Special Orientation process, since the video hadn't given much more than a basic overview. Did being nervous about whether you were worthy or not make you unworthy? How did The Tower "know" if you were worthy or not? What made someone worthy? Did a Service Weapon binding to your skin hurt, and if so how much? How could Kate possibly go through life if she'd gotten her memory of this place erased, feeling like something was missing? Would she melt into a puddle of anxiety before she'd ever made it to the Special Orientation Chamber? Why couldn't she stop asking questions and just keep her cool in the face of all this? Somehow, fighting in the unforgiving heat of Mercury or facing down the ogre last week was less strenuous on her mind than what seemed to be a simple hiring process. Seemed, once again, being the key word.

 

[Mtvarisa]

Black leather jacket with same color bra inside and jeans, with boots on her long legs finishing the composition - was all that that covered Lilith Blackmore's body... Well, except countless tattoos and some heavy chain-Jewelry of course. Looking down at her phone, she was trying to catch a signal. Having nothing, Lilith was definitely a bit upset but didn't want to show it, especially here, and especially in company of this cute Asian, or at least, half-Asian girl with light chestnut hair and cutest smile on earth.

Chewing her gum, Lilith caught just a glimpse of girl's look and smiled at her, just for a second, before diving into device again without saying anything.

Lilith had lots to contemplate. No, the place she was in was out of this world of course, but last couple of weeks were so confusing to her that shifting staircases were no more impressive than the basement stairs of her grandpa on the farm she visited in her childhood.

Her mind went back to Riverdale concert. The live she performed at a college stadium there gathered quite a crowd. No less then 5 000 at least. Rocking on from evening to night, Lilith felt herself a bit more exhausted than usually. She looked down from the scene to the crowd, feeling extremely dazed. People were still jumping and singing along her song's chorus even after she finished it.

"There was something in that smoke" she thought "Jim... I'll kill him if it's one of his shit... all I needed was some Mary Jane... curses..." - Next thing she knew was the scene moving around her. Flashlights cutting her view and crowd's noise turning into growl. Guitarist have started the new song apparently and the drummer waved his hands too, but it felt like time slowed around her. She felt the sudden urge to scream and grabbing the mic in both hands, Lilith let the loudest scream that Riverdale have ever heard.

First thing she saw was herself, standing in the crowd, just down below in front of her. That was it. It's either she went off her mind completely or the stuff she smoked before the concert kicked for real.

"Fuck... FUUUCK... FUCK U ALL" she yelled at the crowd and dropping down the mic ran to the backstage.

"You, fucking twat" - she shouted and jumped on a guy who seemed to be the concert manager and organizer for the - Annunaki - Lilith's 3rd and most successful band so far.
"Told you I'm not into your shit, you fuckin' junkie" - she said and kicked poor guy straight between the legs. Jim dropped down immediately holding his hand on his balls and hissing something like "stupid whore... what have I done".

"Yeah sis, kick the junkie, kick the junkie" - the voice behind Lilith suddenly said, stepped in and kicked Jim into guts few more times laughing hysterically.

The new girl beating the shit out of Jim wore blue jeans fixed with a big buckle and short white shirt complimented by black tie. Her blonde hair looked just like Lilith's. And tattoos too. Lilith froze in place when the new girl stopped kicking Jim and looked around. It was her. It was Lilith. She was looking at herself. Cloths, hair, looks... There couldn't be any mistake.

Cold sweat ran down the singer's face. She remembered her childhood. Her "imaginary friends that looked like her". Her sessions at the child psychiatrist who finally convinced her they were not real. And now they're back. At least two of them. But where's the #3?

Lilith felt the gentle touch on her wrist and turning around saw another copy of herself. "Shhh... we have no time. Follow me" that last one said and jumped off the stage. Jim, as well as band members who got back behind the stage were unable to understand any of it and haven't even tried to stop her... or, better to say, them. Lilith jumped after #3, followed by #2 who kicked Jim one last time. All three ran to the parking lot where she found her classic chopper parked peacefully still.

Jumping on she looked around but none of her copies were around.

300 km-s and 4 hours after, Lilith crashed on the bed of the first cheap motel she met and thought to hide away for some time. The band was on the verge of falling apart anyway and her mental health was definitely under the question. Lilith just had to find some time for herself.

It was that night when mysterious man knocked on her motel door, gave her the card with only a line of address on it and said she would find all the answers WHEN she comes.

Now, looking at that Asian, or half-Asian girl next to her, Lilith thought of what kind of answers SHE was in need to get... But chewing her gum, she kept calm and laid back. At least, seemingly, for the outside world.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

Answers...that word dogged Kate's mind her whole life. She'd needed them from the moment she woke up on the ceiling of her hospital bed at age 12, and then mysteriously was cured of cancer completely a couple of days later. There were other moments that she couldn't explain either.

The first time she'd had sex with a man at age 18, she blacked out for it entirely even though she knew Billy hadn't drugged her and she'd consented.

After breaking free of compulsory heterosexuality at age 20 and sleeping with a woman, a brunette whose name she didn't remember because she was drunk that was also old enough to be her mother, she'd also blacked out, making Kate afraid to get close to anyone despite being comfortable with her lesbian identity.

She'd eyeballed a few people later, of course, including Sarah- a fellow soldier who died on Mercury- and now Lilith, but she'd never had sex in the past five years for fear of blacking out and missing out on the pleasure completely. She still masturbated, of course, but very infrequently due to her lacking love life and porn never really filling that hole.

That was another thing; even though she was given the Federation Medal of Valor for rescuing all three of her severely wounded squadmates, she smiled and nodded when accepting the medal, and saw herself performing the described actions on video later, but didn't remember what she'd done to earn it.

Nor, it seemed, did she have much more than a vague recollection of the battle with the ogre, after which a man and a woman in a suit had hired her after five minutes of questioning when she'd submitted no resume. So, perhaps this strange Bureau that had plucked her from society and was suddenly dumping a ton of info on supernatural occurrences, which everybody was certain of now but no one outside these walls had the foggiest idea about how they worked, might at long last give her answers.

But answers needed questions. That was the tricky part. And after finally racking her brain for one to put to the blonde girl, she finally queried, "Hi, I'm Kate. I'm...going with Special Orientation; it might be dangerous, but I've always been one to stuff beans up my nose when told not to." It was true- she'd done that kind of thing plenty as a kid, before the weird blackouts- and even now, as a more cautious and rational adult, she still wanted to take risks, to finally thrill at something other than defying death in combat. "And how about you?" she asked and extended her hand for a shake before she could embarrass herself completely.

 

[Mtvarisa]

Lilith have listened to the girl mumbling something about beans in her nose and just shook her hand, smiling. Chewing up a gum and thinking about how to respond. Her mind was full of thoughts, some of them disturbing and some not so much, but enough to keep her destructed of what that cute girl said. Even though she did think about this particular Asian too in her stream of thoughts, still... her words flew over her head.

"Umm... Lilith... that's my name. Yeah" Lilith finally responded. "how about you, how about you... what was she asking again?" Looking at the girl, she got that uneasy feeling when you know the person is expecting more than the simple respond you gave, yet you have no idea what else to tell.

"I think I'm schizoid" - Lilith finally exclaimed. She had no idea why she had said that. It was the weirdest thing to say to a girl you just met, even weirder if you really liked her. At least, liked how she looked. "There was a classic band you know... called King Crimson... back in the days... 20th century... long time ago. They had this... 21st century schizoid maaaan" Lilith had sung that bit of a classic song with precision, but felt like with every word she said, she was making the situation more awkward.

"Umm... okey. Let's start it over Beans. So, what was your name again? Mine's Lilith. I'm waiting here fore..." She stopped. Catching herself on a thought that she had no idea what she was waiting for. The man with a card was the only thing that linked her to this place.

The place itself was surreal. Something out of old movies about Soviet Empire. Concrete, large indoor spaces with brutalist architecture and soulless decor. Everything around her was overwhelming. The ceiling looking down at her and no windows or doors to mess with the space and time in her mind. Lilith still had her doubts about her sanity. Was it even real? Was it really the place she came herself? And this girl - maybe she was the part of her secret identities too.

"...and... I don't have a slightest idea what I'm doing here" - she concluded loudly.