" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

i | the promise

yuanfen.
act four, chapter one.
"the promise"

_

EXHAUSTION TUGGED HEAVILY DOWN on Dahlia's eyelids. She could hear Brigitte talking to her from across the workshop, though she was unable to make out anything the young engineer was saying. It was only when finally noticed Brigitte waving her hands in an attempt to grab her attention was she able to ground herself to reality.

    "Can you hand me the wrench right beside you, Dahlia?"

    Dahlia mumbled a quiet apology. Her hand seemed as if it weighed over a ton as she reached for the wrench. She handed the tool to Brigitte, feeling guilty that she was unable to focus on her training. After Genji had found her in front of the medbay the night before and she was finally able to return to her dorm, she didn't allow herself to sleep. She was kept awake by the fear of waking up standing over the bloody body of one of the Overwatch agents. She had been so close to attacking Dr. Ziegler; if it hadn't been for Genji, Dahlia was sure that whatever trance she had been in would've caused her to actually kill the doctor. She laid awake all night, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling above her, and did her best to block out the whispering voices that hung in the back of her mind.

    "You seem tired," Brigitte commented without looking up from her work. She reached up to wipe a bead of sweat off of her forehead, leaving a smear of dark grease in its wake.

    "Didn't sleep well," Dahlia responded. She enjoyed Brigitte's company, though she found it hard to be talkative while her body was struggling to fight off sleep.

    The engineer hummed sympathetically. "Whenever I don't sleep well, I always have to remind myself that at least I'm not sleeping in the captains' dormitories. Reinhardt's snores can be heard throughout the entire building!"

    Dahlia laughed lightly at this. The walls in the dormitories were quite thin; she often heard soft mumbles of conversation coming from the dorms around her at night. She could only imagine how far the snores of the large former-crusader traveled. Dahlia rested her chin in the palm of her hand, eyes fluttering shut for a few moments as the droning of a drill nearly lulled her to sleep.

    "Engineering isn't for everyone." The sound of Brigitte's amused voice pulled Dahlia awake once more. She opened her eyes to see the engineer watching her with a small smile on her face. "Papa taught me everything there is to know from a young age, but even I would rather be out helping save lives. I don't expect you to stay all day."

    Dahlia suddenly felt guilty. She hadn't meant for her exhaustion to come off as boredom. Sure, engineering wasn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world to her, but she didn't mind spending time with Brigitte. "No, it's not that. I-"

    "I can tell you're absolutely exhausted," Brigitte cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Go on. Go take a nap or something. I won't take any offense."

    Dahlia hesitated for a moment, but then she realized the offer was too good to pass up. The comfort of her mattress called her name; perhaps she could get a few hours of sleep before lunch. She shot Brigitte a grateful smile as she stood to her feet and mumbled a "thank you," though the engineer was already focused back on her work.

    Dahlia left the workshop, immediately greeted by the warm sun and soft breeze. The base was bustling with activity. Near the training facility, she was able to see a large group of recruits doing various exercises; McCree and Lena stood in front of them, seemingly deep in conversation while they stole several looks towards the recruits. Dahlia began to make her way towards the dormitories, eager to take up Brigitte's offer and grab a nap. She crossed the courtyard at a brisk pace, passing the headquarters and the captains' dormitories on the way.