The Last Voyages: IC Inbox

[worthallthis]

There is no voice message here. Better hope you got the right box.

Comments

[vaccination]

[She lets him take his time, sit however he wants, without complaint.

She does tip her head backwards to look at him.]

Not a very flattering angle for you, B.

[That's all. Ellie sits normally and does him the favor of pulling her hair out from its messy bun, and brushing through it to get rid of any tangles.]

[worthallthis]

I'm sure there's a lot of angles that are unflattering, Ellie.

[He does lift that brush out of her hand, though, so he can use that as an intermediary. He starts brushing her hair for her, instead, and it feels really familiar, in a comfortable and automatic way.]

[vaccination]

[She's surprised. Ellie tenses for a moment, unsure about this all too late, but he's not rough. No yanking, here.]

I shed worse than a cat, by the way. Sorry.

[worthallthis]

It's fine.

[He is the gentlest, Ellie. No tugs at all. Each time he encounters a tangle, he stops, works it out carefully with flesh fingers, then continues on. She really doesn't have enough hair for a lot of tangles, or even a lot of brushing, but he keeps it up for a little even when he should probably move on to braiding. But it's for both their benefits: proof for her that he's not going to hurt her, proof for him that he can touch her without hurting either of them.

Maybe five minutes of brushing, then he finally sets it aside and experiments with a pair of braids, just simple ones to start, left side first. She definitely doesn't have enough hair for one long one, or even a fishtail. (What's a fishtail? Hrm.)]

[vaccination]

[It's... nice. The brushing could probably put her to sleep, which says something with how shitty she sleeps and how much staying awake late into the night she does.]

Ooh, am I getting pigtail braids? Neat.

[worthallthis]

Maybe. Might change my mind and.

[He stops, frowns.]

Yeah, hang on.

[Definitely needs to be flatter to her head. He undoes what he just did and starts closer, using smaller strands into a French braid rather than a standard one.]

[vaccination]

[Ellie laughs.]

Hey, it doesn't have to be perfect.

[It's more about the interaction and learning to be comfortable being close.]

[worthallthis]

Just don't want anyone to be able to grab it.

[He's practical about hair, okay. He's going slow and careful, so as not to pull, and also because you kind of have to when hair is this short. There's not a ton of give to deal with.]

[vaccination]

Expecting me to get into a fight or something, B?

[She's been good!]

[worthallthis]

On this ship. You never know. Rather you be safe, just in case.

[He doesn't expect her to start any fights. But sometimes people don't wait for you to start it.]

[vaccination]

[That's oddly touching.]

... thanks, B. Good looking out.

[worthallthis]

You're welcome.

[He says it solemn, though maybe with a hint of amusement. Just a hint.]

Here, hold the end of this, while I do the other side.

[And he'll tap the base of the braid at the back of her head.]

[vaccination]

[Ellie reaches back to do as instructed.]

This isn't so bad, is it?

[worthallthis]

[He starts on the right side. It takes him a moment, but he does finally say,]

It's not too bad. No.

[His skin still wants to shiver, there's still a little sweating happening, but keeping his hands busy helps. Doing the familiar activity helps. It's comforting, like soft things or a proper major triad.]

You should keep growing this out. Then I can do more with it.

[vaccination]

That you suggested I do that just for this purpose makes me think that you might like doing hair.

[She'll call that character growth.]

[worthallthis]

[He reiterates carefully:]

It's not too bad.

[It's not great, but it's the best form of touch he's managed so far, and it's entirely acceptable for practice. Also, he likes this practice better than sessions in the Enclosure with his sister's book, even though he knows those are important, too.]

[vaccination]

Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time.

[She's not even fidgeting.]

[worthallthis]

[And he's almost done. He nudges her hand aside, now, so he can weave the two braids together at the back of her head.]

Do you like it?

[vaccination]

[Ellie clears her throat to lower it a little. Is she trying to sound like B? Maybe.]

It's not too bad.

[worthallthis]

[He makes an amused snort, and ties the braid off in a tiny tail at the base of her neck, which he then tucks into itself so its invisible and impossible to grab.]

Well. We can do this again. When it's longer, I can make you a crown braid instead.

[vaccination]

Sounds fancy.

[She's not really sure what that is, beyond what it sounds like. Ellie reaches back to pat at her hair, fingers feeling along the braid.]

How's it look?

[worthallthis]

[Pretty much exactly that, yeah. B considers, tilts his head this way and that, and says,]

It looks nice. You look classy. All dolled up like a real classy dame.

[Now he's just teasing her with his 30s slang.]

[vaccination]

[She turns around to look at him with a laugh.]

People didn't really talk like that back in the day, right?

[She's seen movies and shows from even before Joel's childhood, and it just seems like an even more alien world than the one he'd describe to her.]

[worthallthis]

[Always nice to make her laugh when he means to.]

Pretty sure it didn't come from HYDRA, so probably. You can ask Steve if you think I'm wrong, he probably remembers it. Or Commander Franky.

[vaccination]

Who's Commander Franky?

[As much as Ellie wants to go check out her new hairdo in the mirror, when she stands, she motions to where she was sitting.]

You can tell me while I make an attempt on your hair.