Chapter Text
To say Karin woke up agitated was an understatement.
She had a strict routine of waking up before heading into the office. It consisted of immediately heading to the shower upon the second her feet hit the floor. The water had to be almost scalding to awaken her senses fully, then to be finished off with cold water rinsing her bare body. After the rejuvenating shower, she lotionizes her body and puts on the appropriate clothes for work. Breakfast is simple yet fulfilling. Typically a bagel alongside some tea, in some cases she’ll bring it with her to the office. It was the perfect start to her day. And the idea of rinsing off all the grime she felt, especially from the horrid stories she was uncovering, was another thing entirely.
This morning, however, had been horrible to say the least. Water hardly gushed out of any faucet in her apartment. If it did? It was as freezing as the northern glaciers. It rivaled Oldegård’s harshest winters even. The building she lived in was somewhat old, yes, but not dated enough to have these problems. Her frustrated ramblings fell deaf against the walls. Karin pranced to the phone and screamed into it as the landlord answered. He essentially told her to deal with it herself, as it was outside of his territory to take care of it. However, he did end up giving her the number to a reliable agency of mechanics.
The journalist didn’t have the time to call them, as she was already late for work. Hours went by into the grueling work day. Her eyelids were heavy and it was around one o’ clock. A man’s voice filled her ears, informing her that they’d send over someone right away.
They fucking better get it fixed by the time I get home… Typically, a work day lasted until six or seven at night. There were some late nights, but lately, Karin takes all her findings home with her to further bury herself in. It’s less tedious that way.
The day continues to dredge onwards. Karin’s got her mind set on just simply finishing up by the time the big hand is on eight. The walk home isn’t too far from her apartment, however the streets are riddled with Bremen scum. Karin has adjusted to it all her life, though. Pay them no mind and just focus on the journey back to her cozy little abode.
Once she makes her way up the stairs, she fishes through her brown bag to shove the key into the lock. Much to her surprise though, it’s already been unlocked. Hmm, I guess whoever they sent isn’t too afraid of any potential break ins? Gutsy one. Karin opens the door and the living space has a toolbox sitting on the floor.
“They’re still here?” The blonde hisses underneath her breath, already peeved at whoever dares to still be here. It should’ve been done hours ago, for fucks sake! Karin rolls her eyes and decides to call out, sending whoever it is on their way back. “Hello? I’m assuming you’re still here, considering the toolbox just strewn out here. You best be on your way, I’m sure it’s already fixed and over with!” She nags on.
Truly, the last thing she expected to hear was an Oldegårdian voice. And even more peculiar, a feminine one.
“Oops! Hah..” The figure stumbles out from the kitchen. “M-my apologies! I know I’m here much later than I intended! I went ahead and made sure everything else in your home was perfectly fine, fixed some things as well you probably wouldn’t have picked up on. Oh! I’m not expecting you to pay me overtime for it, by the way! I just wanted to make sure you would have your things all in order for a long while…”
Karin’s caught gawking, brow raised and her expression oozing with bewilderment. It’s a tall, lanky yet toned woman. She’s got the most gorgeous, luscious ruby tresses. The way her overalls cling to her bony shoulders creates a dusted pink hue on Karin’s cheeks. Her gaze is bright and Karin can decipher just by her demeanor that she truly is apologetic. Regret over her harsh words flash over her for a moment and she turns her gaze away, pouting slightly. “It’s… Alright. I appreciate you taking the time of your day to fix other appliances for me. I had no idea some of them were faulty. Also, awfully selfless of you to offer not getting paid overtime.” Karin’s automatically a bit distrustful. Most people in this world are rightfully selfish, everyone is out for something for themselves. Why is this woman any different? Sure, she is remarkable both in her personality and her appearance, but the blonde is still skeptical.
The woman walks over, placing some of her wrenches and other tools in the toolbox. She heaves out a sigh as she closes it and picks it up. “I’ll get out of your hair. And ja, I just know if it were me I’d like to be treated the same. That’s how I was raised to be.” She now turns to Karin and flashes a warm smile.
Karin glances at the clock. 8:52 PM. Typically, the mere thought of even entertaining the idea of someone spending the night is an immediate no. She places trust in absolutely nobody, so why should this woman be an exception? For all she knows, she could very well be a Bremen spy. But something about her is peculiar, that’s for certain. It’s not enough to ring the alarm bells off. No spy would be this welcoming and accommodating. She could’ve very well placed microphones or tapped her phone line, but there’s a massive weight of doubt in that idea. The streets are brutal at this time of night. Drunken Bremen soldiers acting like foul beasts on the street, preying on any sort of vulnerable woman they can feast their eyes on. If not for her training with firearms and her sharp tongue, perhaps she would fall victim to that. And what about this clearly newcomer to the country who’s just filled with exuberant delight and an astounding amount of goodwill? She’s certainly got the brawn to fight back, but there’s a seed of concern planted within Karin.
Just as the mechanic has her hand on the doorknob, Karin reaches her hand out. “Wait!” She freezes in her steps and her alluring gaze meets with Karin’s irises. Karin coughs and rolls her eyes, her hands placed in her skirt pockets. “The streets can be dangerous at this time of night. It’s not that I don’t trust you can hold off on your own, but if you’d like to spend the night here, you’re allowed. Just don’t overstay your welcome or cross any boundaries, then we’ll get along just fine.”
The woman’s face lights up and she sets her toolbox down on a nearby table. She’s careful enough to not mess with any belongings or decorations in her living room. “You’re very kind to me, Miss… Uh? Anyways! If you truly don’t mind, I might take you up on that… It’s only my sixth day here. My name is Abella, by the way.” Abella holds out her hand for Karin to shake.
However, Karin just glances down at her hand. She’s hesitant to even reveal her name, after all, Abella is a complete mystery to her. “Karin. Karin Sauer.” She finally musters out.
Abella winces internally at the interaction, her hand falling back to her leg. “Karin…” She muses out loud as she’s lost in thought, brushing the knuckles of her fingers to her cheek. “That’s a lovely name. It suits you. I’m sure you’re distrustful of me, after all, I am a stranger… Would it be alright if I sat on the couch?” She tilts her head when she asks.
Karin nods her head, a feverish blush creeping its way onto her cheeks. She walks over to the other end of the couch, lounging down and releasing a sigh from her parted lips. This is the most relaxing her day has been thus far. It’s odd, typically she’d just stomp off to her room whilst saying goodnight, jump into the shower and immediately hit the hay. But something about this whole ordeal intrigued her, was it just Abella? What was so fascinating about her that made Karin act so differently? “Thank you. What brings you here? Of all places, why here? It’s a bit of a shitshow, actually, that’s an understatement.” She rests her elbow on the end of the couch, jaw resting on her knuckles.
Abella sits down right beside Karin. She’s gentle in all her movements, it reminds Karin of a bird in some way. It’s not necessarily in a meek manner. Her hands now rest on her thighs, glancing back at Karin. “I’m from Oldegård, I’m sure you understood from my accent. I wanted to look for jobs in other places. As much as I cherish my family and wish to be close with them, I figured I could be useful elsewhere… War plagues every nation, sometimes I aid my own country.” She waves a hand through the air, leaning down and fiddling with her fingers. “I don’t mean to tell my life story, but I’d like you to trust me more. I’ve seen first hand the effects of bloodshed and death that comes with the war, some relatives of mine marched off to fight. I didn’t wanna sit idly and watch it happen, so, I, um, wanted to contribute a bit. I’m not adept with just household appliances, I learned how to make weapons. I can fix certain machinery as well. My family and colleagues insisted I find decent work elsewhere, much to my dismay.” Abella sighs when she finishes detailing what led her here.
Karin stares at the wall before her gaze lingers back to Abella. Her legs are crossed over one another. Something isn’t adding up, but it doesn’t seem alarming. Who just simply packs their bags and comes here just based on advice from someone? Why here of all places? Anyway, I don’t think a spy or someone rooting for my demise would go through all this trouble, so I suppose I’ll bite and indulge myself… “Hmmm, I’m surprised you settled down here. I only poke my nose into others' business due to being a journalist. I appreciate your honesty, I’ve also seen the first hand effects of war riddled countries. Your talent seems admirable, I don’t doubt that. Even with your reasoning, I can’t seem to understand why you’d go out of your way to tinker every little knick knack in my apartment. I hope you understand why I’m so cynical.” Her tone is unwavering and prominent, clear and resolute in each word.
Abella swallows thickly, but it’s not out of anxiousness. How can someone just say that it’s out of the pureness of their heart? The journalist has every right to be skeptical but why must it be so troublesome to believe that someone just wants to do an act of kindness? Abella fixes her posture, relaxing her shoulders and she simply flashes a toothy grin at Karin. “I didn’t want you to have to go through the trouble of having to get those things fixed again in a couple of weeks. These sorts of things come easy to me. I find it fun, anyways, truth be told.” She tilts her head. “And I’m glad I did go out of my way. You seem like an incredibly busy yet inquisitive woman, you probably have more than enough on your plate. You’re understandably wary of my intentions, that is a-okay. We just met, after all.” I think she’d be a bit spooked if I said I’d like to get to know her more. Something about her excites me, I’m not shallow but I know it’s not necessarily just her beauty either.
“That’s… That’s very considerate of you.” Is all Karin can muster out. She’s cynical towards almost everything, believing only the stone cold facts in every instance she finds herself dwelling on. The blonde pulls out her now messy ponytail and groans out in content. She gives her head a shake before smiling ever so slightly at Abella. “Where have you been staying? The apartments near here aren’t necessarily an adequate living situation. I’m lucky enough to have gotten a decent one. I’m sure Oldegård has much nicer places.”
Abella smiles as she brushes strands of red hair away from her face. She states the name of the area and the apartment complex, which has Karin scoffing. “What? Is that area bad or something?” Her eyes widened.
Karin waves a hand through the air, chuckling slightly. “Apartments are shitty, some shady people hang out there, even heard of other awful stuff. Sheesh, you really are new to the area..” She rubs her finger against her eyes. Her head lulls back against the couch to turn to look at Abella.
The mechanic’s face feverishly heats up. She knew it wasn’t in the nicest of areas, but Karin’s words had some truth to it. Abella facepalms and shakes her head. “Ah, silly me… Maybe, for um, future stuff you could help me out? Only if you’d like to, of course! I’m new to this whole city, and it’s a little hard to adjust to… I already feel much more comfortable, I don’t think I’ve confided in or talked to someone as much until now…”
Karin purses her lips, turning her face elsewhere as she senses her face heating up over Abella’s words. “Perhaps. My schedule is quite busy. I’m glad though that you can, uh, confide in me… As for me,” she coughs to clear her throat. “I’ve already told you I’m a journalist. I’ve been here almost my entire life, therefore I know the area. Just steer clear of Bremen pigs, and you’ll manage just fine. I’ve had a long day, so I should probably head off to bed. There’s a blanket right here. Feel free to eat, or use the bathroom if you need to. I’m not expecting you to eat my entire fridge, so..” Karin trails off and stands up. She stretches her arms as she begins to trek off towards her bedroom, giving one final glance in Abella’s direction. “It was… Nice getting to know you, and I mean that. I hope to see you again sometime.” The blonde musters out as she enters her bedroom and closes the door.
Abella’s about to answer but Karin exits the room when a single word falls from her parted lips. “You… You too.” She waves a dejected hand in the air. The redhead sighs out as she leans over to grab the blanket. She sprawls it across the couch until she walks over, flickering the light switch off. When she finally manages to get comfortable on the couch, her mind is racing with anticipation.
She seemed nicer than she appeared at first. I really hope she is able to find the time to talk with me again. She seems the hard and brooding type but soft at heart. This is the first time someone has been this nice to me since I’ve gotten here. I know I’m here on business with the NLU and I hate having to hide that. A giddy grin is tugged on her lips, stomach fluttering with elation over the future’s possibilities. I hope Karin likes me as much as I already like her. I’m actually really happy that I did do extra work around here, it seemed like it was worth it for her. I better get up early and leave a little note with my phone number and address…
Abella drifts off to sleep, daydreaming about the blossoming potential companionship.