015 ☣ Voice + Spam

[fridgetothefire]

[Private to Alex, Bruce, Ben, Cass, and Pietro.]

I'm going to be okay.

[Private to the above + Riddick, Felix, Cassel, Rhade, and Dean.]

Let me know if you made it. Please.


[Public, a day or two after.]

If anyone who got hurt is still laid up, in the infirmary or wherever else, and wants me to bring them some books from the library, I'd be happy to.

I can read to you too, if you want, although I can't make promises how long my voice will last.

[It's still a little bit hoarse from screaming, but Anya knows all about painful, boring recoveries. She imagines most people on the barge will have more company than she used to, but it can't hurt to offer.]


[Spam for Erik]

[After a night of deep, utterly dreamless post-adrenaline-crash sleep, Anya manages to drag herself into out of bed, because she can't stand the thought of more trail rations when she could get real breakfast. And there in the hall, just stepping out of his own room, is Erik. He's not her father, he never was and he never will be. But he's something like it, and he told her stories once, trying to protect her from the man who keeps haunting her all too literally. After a moment of staring, Anya flings herself at him and clings on tight.]

Comments

private/text

[patheticvillain]

I'm here. I'd say I'm doing awesome but I'm really sick of people saying that to me, so.

private/text

[fridgetothefire]

I am so very not awesome. Im going to eat like three straight batches of double fudge cookie dough as soon as I can stand to be in a kitchen again.

[a minute later]

Do you want to help?

private/text

[patheticvillain]

Absolutely. Make it six.

private/voice

[tolaywaste]

Good. I'm here. I'm fine.

Do you want to be alone, or - ?

private/voice

[fridgetothefire]

Fine like stoic fine, or like not actually subjected to horrors fine?

[Since she has no clue what went down for everybody else, really.]

private/voice

[tolaywaste]

Uh, stoic fine, I guess.

[burnmythoughts]

[A flood of relief warms her chest when she sees Anya's post, and it's clear in her smile. She's pale and battered, but knowing one more person is safe - it gives her strength again.]

I might take you up on that.

[fridgetothefire]

Sometimes it's - better not to have your own thoughts going in circles in your head.

[And it's a way to not be alone without having to talk about it.]

[burnmythoughts]

[Jean nods, and then winces. Bad idea.]

Yeah. Helps you focus on...now. Instead of - what you did, what you could have done.

[ Private : Text ]

[warisart]

Are you in need of medical assistance?

[ Private : Voice]

[fridgetothefire]

I'm fine, I -

[The rote reassurance falls off.]

- kind of am, actually. In need of it. I mean, it's not urgent, I was going to wait for the infirmary to clear a little, but.

[But she hurts and she suspects Ben wants to be helpful even more badly than she ever does.]

Re: [ Private : Voice]

[warisart]

Can you come to me? I'm in my cabin.

I can come to you if not.

Private

[with_my_teacup]

I'm here, kid. I'm a'ight.

Private

[fridgetothefire]

Good. I'm gonna. Go crash for a week. But good.

Private

[with_my_teacup]

You hurt? You need anything?

[spam] WHY DON'T I HAVE A HUG ICON UGH

[wecanavenge]

[He's clean, he's warm, he's not haunted by teenage girls or father figures. All in all, it's not a terrible day. Breakfast was his destination, too, and as he closes the door behind him, he looks up when he hears Anya. There's a moment when he tries to think of something to say, to ask how she is, who she was with, if they protected her - no, don't ask that one - but he doesn't even get to finish berating himself for it before she's in his arms, and he could not form a more perfectly startled face.

Staggering back a step, it takes Erik half a second to lift his arms, to settle his hands on her back, and he half expects this to be a mistake - did she think he was Pietro, did she think - anything-- but that's absurd, and he wraps his arms around her tightly after that first moment's hesitation, strong and protective. The Admiral has given him enough memories of daughters, even one with her, specifically, and he can feel his throat tighten at the idea of her coming to him like - he can only assume, like a father.

He'd protect her from anything in this moment.]

[spam] NO ONE IN THIS FAMILY DOES IT'S A PROBLEM

[fridgetothefire]

[She just stays there, for a long time, her face pressed into the crook of his neck, her own shoulders shaking faintly, though whether it's from the culmination of stress and relief or just the tension of hold on to him so tightly is hard to guage.

She's his bad-luck charm, she thinks, his walking catch-22, his self-fulfilling prophecy. She breaks him whether she lives or dies, but for this Erik she was never born. Maybe that's the loophole, maybe they can be tangential family without either of them needing to be monsters. She realizes she's crying silently, hot tears trickling into his collar.]

[Private]

[theonlyresponse]

Good.

[He sounds tired.]

Do you want me to come over?

[Private]

[fridgetothefire]

It's okay. I'll be - I'm just glad we're out.

She does too.]

[Private]

[itstopped]

I'm here.

[Private]

[fridgetothefire]

Mostly in one piece?

[Relieved, hopeful, still wrung out and worried because who knows what anyone else went through, but she's glad to hear him, even more than she expected.]

[ Private : Voice ]

[surfaceshine]

I'm here, sweetheart. Good to hear you are too.

Work's cancelled for the week, at least.

[ Private : Voice ]

[fridgetothefire]

Oh, good.

[She laughs, in a choked-off, self-deprecating, exhausted let-down-of-tension sort of way.]

I wouldn't be much use for a bit anyway.

[breathoflight]

Might I suggest some tea with honey in it to soothe your throat?

[fridgetothefire]

That's - a pretty good idea, actually.

Thank you.