worthallthis (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
worthallthis) wrote2020-07-30 08:43 pm
worthallthis) wrote2020-07-30 08:43 pm
Entry tags:
The Last Voyages: IC Inbox
There is no voice message here. Better hope you got the right box.
The day after the flood ends, Yelena shows up to help with the goats, as she's done predictably ever since she first asked him to teach her how to help with them, barring a couple of days during her own trip to New York City, and a couple of days during which she hadn't been herself. By mutual unspoken agreement, they work with a little more distance between them than they normally would. It's reassurance that the compulsion is gone, that there won't be any ill effects from separation.
"I need a few days to myself," she says abruptly, as they're preparing to leave. "I'll come help with the animals still, of course, but other than that, I need to be left alone for a few days."
"I need a few days to myself," she says abruptly, as they're preparing to leave. "I'll come help with the animals still, of course, but other than that, I need to be left alone for a few days."
It's such a relief. Not only that they can walk more than a couple feet apart now, not only that the awful compulsion is gone, but that he can see the tension is better in her body. That she even showed up to this at all, to be honest. He half-expected to simply not see her.
He nods. "I understand." He quirks a wry little smile. "I could stand to be left alone for a few days, too, so I get it."
He nods. "I understand." He quirks a wry little smile. "I could stand to be left alone for a few days, too, so I get it."
Yeah, it absolutely did. Between seeing Yelena so unhappy, and the warping of his own natural inclinations, making him second guess everything he felt... yeah, it did. But he's still pretty sure it was worse for her.
So: "Hell," B chuckles. "I was surprised you showed up here at all, today. It's fine. You take the time that you need, and I won't pester you about it. When you're ready, just show up with Mila some afternoon and we'll take the dogs to chase fake squirrels."
So: "Hell," B chuckles. "I was surprised you showed up here at all, today. It's fine. You take the time that you need, and I won't pester you about it. When you're ready, just show up with Mila some afternoon and we'll take the dogs to chase fake squirrels."
"She's going to pine," Yelena predicts with a little huff of laughter of her own. "She definitely was happy about staying with all of her friends for a week."
She pauses a moment, expression sobering again. "I'm glad it was you I was stuck with. Not that it didn't suck a lot for both of us, but I think I would actually have gone crazy staying that close to most of the people on the ship. I never felt threatened, with you."
Which is saying something, given how easily her threat response to the compulsion could have spilled over to a personal response.
She pauses a moment, expression sobering again. "I'm glad it was you I was stuck with. Not that it didn't suck a lot for both of us, but I think I would actually have gone crazy staying that close to most of the people on the ship. I never felt threatened, with you."
Which is saying something, given how easily her threat response to the compulsion could have spilled over to a personal response.
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