第8: text

[unfollowing]

chris is gone

[And it's a testament to how close they'd gotten in Hadriel that she noticed so quickly. They shittexted and realtexted regularly, to say nothing of when she crashed with him after the demon thing. They've been through so much shit here. He'd been here longer than her. Now, of her friends from home, she's the veteran here, so to speak.

So here she is, doing her first official duty as such. Or whatever.

Goddamnit, nerdbrain.]

i know he had a lot of friends here. i'm sorry

Comments

private

[unfollowing]

can i stop by your place in like an hour?

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[glacius]

[He's surprised, but--] Yes, of course. Whatever you need. Are there any preparations you would like me to make? I don't know much about making human food or drink, but if there is anything you would find particularly comforting...

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[unfollowing]

no, it's fine, i just

i could use your company for a while

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[glacius]

Nothing would make me happier than to give it, then. Come whenever you would like.

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[unfollowing]

thank you so much

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[glacius]

Of course.

[With that he's setting his phone down--still within earshot, of course, just in case Emily needs something else--and preparing for his friend's arrival. He doesn't really know what sort of things humans find comforting (outside of stuffed animals, thanks Kate, and he doesn't have any of those) but he's going to do his best here, damn it. His roommate seems to appreciate warmth, so he's going to drag out some blankets and set out some mugs and various cartons of tea bags so that she can make a hot drink should she want... after that, all he really has to do is wait.

The alien settles down on the couch in the main room and takes the time to gather his thoughts, to try and think of anything even remotely helpful or comforting that he could say. They have quite a lot to talk about, what with Chris, and the remnants of the injury that the demon dealt to him, which she'll be seeing for the first time... he considers donning his helmet so that Emily won't have to deal with the revelation of that wound on top of everything else, but ultimately decides against it. Covering his face would make things feel far too impersonal, especially for a moment where he is attempting to inspire a feeling of closeness between them. It'll be worth it to establish that again, to be able to truly look her in the eye as he tells her how sorry he is for the loss, even if it ends up being hard at first...

... And it is. Emily has always been nothing but kind and gentle-hearted towards him, and the reminder of the hard times they've already been though combined with the ones they have yet to face take their toll. They have each other, though, as well as happier memories of the times they've shared not only together, but with others.... and those things work together very well, as it turns out. The alien and the human stay up late, taking solace from each other's company and sharing stories of the remarkable young man that has now departed, that had affected their lives in undeniable ways. Sometimes they laugh and other times they have to force the words out, as they battle with the knowledge that however good those memories are, they don't really compare to how it felt to actually have Chris there with them.

In the very least they have honored their friend--and will continue to honor him, every time they remember his quiet consideration, the way he tried to make himself available to the people in his life that he was close to. That's what they're doing right now, isn't it? Being with each other and offering their support in the ways that they know how. And in the end it's that coming together that lets them know, more than anything else, that they're going to get through this--even if things are trying right now.]