[darth vader]

half awake half in space

The streets are packed with wide-eyed civilians, children yelling from atop their parents' shoulders, girls clutching bouquets of daisies and marigolds and blushing every time they make eye contact with a Survey Corps member.  Thalia rides at the head of her squad and smiles the same blank, dutiful smile she's been honing for the past four years. Her hands don't shake as she holds the reins loosely in her lap. She grew up in Hermiha District, tucked away behind Wall Sina and she's closer to it now by visiting the Inner District than she's ever been since she joined the military, but the idea of trying to contact her father or find out if he's alive is nothing more than a dull buzz in the back of her mind. Easily ignored.  A gaggle of boys, the oldest one no more than fifteen years old, begin chanting her name as she rides past. Thalia turns and waves to them and one of the military police escorting her can't conceal his smirk. She rides on.  In truth, she's not even here. Being this far inside the Walls feels like swallowing fire. If she fights for these people, she is still not one of them. The horse's hooves ring out on the cobblestone streets and all she can hear are the screams of the other street children as they scattered and cried out warning that the military police were coming. And how Thalia never learned her lesson after so many years on her own, pitching her rail-thin child's body against them time and time again, swinging with fists that carried more anger than weight.  And for what? For this? For the same facade still lying over the rot of Sina? The horses march on and her smile never slips. When the police man who smirked at the crowds dismounts in front of the HQ and offers her his arm to lead her into the building she thanks him and folds her hands behind her back. "I'll be fine on my own from here," she says. "They say there's nowhere safer in the world, after all." That self-satisfied expression never leaves his face. She wants to smash his face into the marble steps until he can't see through the bloody ruin. Instead she walks with a straight face toward the building. Her hands never shake. The purpose of this mission is ostensibly a strengthening of the diplomatic relations between the Military Police and the Surveys Corps but Thalia's not as tender-hearted as she once was (although she has no doubt Stefan would still label her as naive beyond all hope of saving) and inside these doors she expects nothing will be easy. But they're only men and not monsters. She opens the door and steps inside.

LAIKA OF GS!