The Last Voyages: IC Inbox

[worthallthis]

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

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[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.

[worthallthis]

She's--

[He cuts off, distracted, staring at the floor where she'd pointed. Over the course of this, he'd apparently forgotten that she was supposed to return the favor. Or had he even known?]

You. Do you even. Know how to braid?

[He's stalling, trying to get his startled, afraid reaction under control.]

[vaccination]

[She knew he'd react just like this.]

I've done it a few times. My girlfriend has long hair.

[Thick, curly hair that Ellie struggled to tame. But Dina usually just throws it up into a bun or ponytail and calls it a day.]

At the very least, I can try brushing your hair? [She can do that, for sure.] It feels nice. And if it doesn't, or you feel like you're gonna freak out, all you gotta do is say so. You're in control, B.

[worthallthis]

[He hesitates a moment more, then gingerly uncurls his foot from the couch and eases himself down onto the floor, instead. It's practice. It's important to learn what it's like. He's supposed to be getting better.

So he sits, hunched forward a little, head tilted so he can watch her sit behind him.]

Brush first.

[His hair is currently pulled back, but before she can untie it, he reaches back to pull the tie out himself. It's gotten longer since his arrival here, and healthier. There's some curl in there, too, but the length keeps it straighter than it could be.]

[vaccination]

[Taking the brush along with her, Ellie sits behind him on the couch, legs folded in front of her.]

Man, you've got a lot of hair.

[More than her, anyway, and that's his warning before she carefully begins. She uses a hand to hold near the bottom of a section and begin brushing there, slowly, from the bottom up, just in case she runs into a tangle. She doesn't want any accidental yanking or anything, really, to make him hate this.]

See? Still not so bad, right? Bet you can't even feel much.

[worthallthis]

[It really is a lot of hair. He holds himself very still, but... it's not too bad. Nothing's tugging. Nothing hurts. It doesn't even really remind him of anything but brushing it, himself. HYDRA never bothered to be gentle with grooming routines. It would almost feel nice, if it weren't a person breathing on the back of his head doing the brushing.]

I can feel it. But it's not bad.

[vaccination]

Good. That's the goal.

[She's even more careful the closer she gets to his scalp, but goes along section by section rather than just running the brush through his whole head of hair.]

You're doing good. A while back, I think you'd have a much different reaction to this.

[worthallthis]

Probably would've hit you.

[Which he is not doing now! This is progress, right? He continues to hold very still, but... closer to his head is actually, weirdly, better? Easier? The persontooclosebehindme feeling is still there, but the sensation is less someoneisgoingtotugmyhair and bordering on soothing. Harder to mistake for anything else.

A little tension goes out of his shoulders. She might notice.]

[vaccination]

[She notices. It's scientific fact that most people can't resist nice things being done to their hair. Or at least Ellie is pretty sure it's scientific fact.]

Maybe. I think there's only ever been like, one time when I thought you might hit me, and I thiiiink that was when we first met.

[She didn't know him.]

[worthallthis]

Never when we're working on my book? In the Enclosure?

[He's kind of surprised, honestly, at that.]

[vaccination]

Nah. Maybe worried I'd be hit by something you're smashing or whatever, but never you hitting me.

[She continues brushing, using her free hand to section his hair.]

I'm not afraid of you, B. You know that.

[What is self-preservation? She's great at surviving, but it's mostly luck.]

[worthallthis]

Being afraid of me isn't the same as being smart about not getting thrown into a wall.

[But he doesn't have any bite to it, and he's doing okay. No shaking, no hyperventilating, no punching. His heart rate isn't where he'd like it to be, but the sectioning feels kind of nice.]

[vaccination]

I don't think you'd throw me into a wall. You're not that reckless.

[She either has a lot of faith in him, or is used to being thrown into things. Both?]

[worthallthis]

[He does have to allow:]

Probably not. But it's not impossible, if I were too wrapped up in the wrong kinda memory.

[Or triggered. He knows a little bit of what those Words do, thanks to Steve, enough to know he's not safe to be around if anyone knows them.]

[vaccination]

[Lucky for him, Steve made sure Ellie got rid of that page from his file.]

Maybe. You're doing better, B. Even if you were in the wrong kind of memory, I think you'd snap out of it before hurting me.

[worthallthis]

I hope so.

[He doesn't trust that he will, but he can hope.]

So tell me about this girlfriend.

[vaccination]

[Abruptly, Ellie laughs.]

Dina? She's awesome. [Not awesome enough to stay at home for, apparently.] I live with her on the farm. The place I showed you in the Enclosure. She's just... funny, and smart, and puts up with all my shit.

[Anddddd, you know. Ellie clears her throat.]

She's really pretty, too.

[worthallthis]

Sounds pretty great.

[He sounds vaguely amused, like he expected to hear some gushing, and he sure got it.]

You been back to visit since you started here?

[vaccination]

[As she brushes his hair, she's quiet for a moment. It hasn't even crossed her mind to visit. She hasn't let it.]

... nah. It's easier if I just stay here. [Until he graduates, until she gets Joel back. If she goes home, sees Dina and JJ, she might not have it in her to leave again.]

[worthallthis]

[Not a thing B would understand, really. If he has a mission, he'll keep working on it. But being able to go somewhere and see a loved one sounds... nice.

Not that he has any to visit. They're all here. His voice is a little quieter when he asks,]

Do you miss her?