rogueinladysclothing: (Resignation)
Amelia Royer (Ronsam) ([personal profile] rogueinladysclothing) wrote2017-05-17 01:09 pm

Unforseen Solace [Tagging Adia]

Grief strikes people in many different ways. Some seek out solace in others, in being with those they love and care about who are still part of their lives. Others mourn in privacy, needing to work through their thoughts and feelings on losing someone they cared about alone before they can emerge from the shadows and be with other people. These are healthy reactions and allow someone to move on from their​ feelings of hurt.

Amelia has never been one to do anything properly. For days following the fall of one of her closest friends, she hides away in her room at the inn. She speaks to no one, eats very little, and manages to sleep even less. She cries silently, wanting no one to know that she's hurting or pay her any mind. It's a difficult time for the rogue, and she manages to push through it only by sheer force of her own will. She needs to live, if only so her friend's memory lives on with her.

When she finally manages to make it out of her room a week later, she hides herself away in the library. The small room she tucks away in is out of the way and hard to find without the aid of a librarian - which is exactly why she chose it. In front of her is a large stack of books on elemental magic, one of which she turns the pages of from time to time without actually reading. She scribbles in an open notebook next to her occasionally, giving the impression that she's actually doing the research she would normally be doing in this place and with these books. In truth, it's only a distraction, something to focus her mind on that isn't the knife's edge of depression she walks along.

She looks so... defeated at the table, dressed in black clothes embroidered with metallic black threads, her hair braided down her back rather than pinned up with her precious hair pin. In her own way, she's still mourning what happened to Steve, she's just managed to get out of her room to do it in public. Her family's tradition demands she move on after a week of mourning in private, but that doesn't mean she won't still do it away from the privacy of her room.
chiron_survivor: (thoughtful but hopeful)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-02 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
Not only offering comfort, but comfort on Amelia's terms. She's gotten too used to her friends being casual with physical signs of affection, she'll be more careful of Amelia's space from now on.

But, at least for now, hand-holding is acceptable. Keeping her gently encouraging smile, she holds her friend's hand, her grip loose enough that Amelia can pull away easily at any time. "I've never been able to do that... not for long, anyway. What, um... what do you think is different about things this time?"
chiron_survivor: (thoughtful but hopeful)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-02 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Adia keeps her hand steady, content to let Amelia hold it as loosely or as tightly as she sees fit. "He's a good friend," she agrees quietly. "I can see why he means so much to you." She wasn't nearly as close to Steve, but she can easily empathize with her loss. "Friends like that are hard to come by, even for me. I'm sure he felt the same about you."

Is that why Adia can sit here, dry-eyed, while Amelia pours out her grief? Well, yes, the fact that she was only starting to become good friends makes her own loss less traumatic. But more importantly, she hasn't given up hope that he'll return some day, alive and well. It burns within her, small and steady, and keeps her tears at bay.

But Amelia doesn't want that hope, so Adia doesn't suggest it, even though she wishes that her hope was a tangible thing, something she could share.

"It's okay," She reassures Amelia. "I know it's hard to talk about it. I've lost family, too, and even thinking about them hurt too much, at first. But whatever you want to say, I'll listen."
chiron_survivor: (Default)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-05 02:59 pm (UTC)(link)
It's only a fraction of the hurt that Amelia must feel, but it's still painful to watch her friend going through such agony. She wants to give her a hug, but decides instead to pull out a clean tissue from her jacket pocket with her free hand, the other still holding onto Amelia's. "Here," she offers softly. "And you aren't a terrible friend. It's easy to let time pass in between visits." Sometimes you can let three whole months pass and wind up in a completely different Nexus. She would never judge someone for not staying in frequent touch.

Adia can't know the depth of Amelia's self-loathing, she can only see the despair that is weighing her down. But the unjustness of Steve's injuries, that they can agree on. "No, it's not fair at all... nothing about this invasion was fair." She falls silent for a moment, weighing over the worth of what she's about to say. "I don't think there's any way you could have convinced him to stay out of it, though. He very much wanted to help."
chiron_survivor: (woobie eyes)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-05 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
The additional hand-holding surprises Adia, but only for a moment. She adjusts her grip so Amelia can hold onto her comfortably, but it feels so inadequate, especially as the other woman seems determined to sink to the ground in her despair.

"I know you would have." She has no doubt of that. "But it's not your fault that you didn't. I know it's easy to blame yourself because... because then you'll have a reason for why it happened. But I don't think Steve would want you to blame yourself, or gotten hurt in his place."

She gives both of Amelia's hands a gentle squeeze. "Would you like a hug instead?"
chiron_survivor: (reporting for duty)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-05 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Adia smiles, relieved that she hadn't overstepped Amelia's boundaries. "Okay." She carefully lets go of the other woman's hands before scooting closer and wrapping her arms around her in a comforting hug for as long as Amelia needs it.
chiron_survivor: (thoughtful but hopeful)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-06 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Those first few seconds, she keeps her arms steady, her breathing slow and calm as she lets Amelia decide if a hug is what she really wants. There is a whisper of doubt in the back of her mind that maybe she shouldn't have offered, not everyone benefits from physical contact, Amelia has enough on her plate without dealing with her clichéd attempts at helping --

And then Amelia's arms wrap around her, her head resting on her shoulder... and the tears. The doubts leave her mind -- this is what Amelia needs. It probably won't be enough to take away her grief, but it's a good start. She tightens her grip ever so slightly, to remind Amelia that she's still here, for as long as the woman needs.

When the tears slow and the whispered gratitude follows, Adia loosely holds her and replies softly, "You're welcome. Take as much time as you need."
chiron_survivor: (tired of running)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-11 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
It's a superficial thought, but Adia is glad that her clothes are clean. She'd hate for Amelia to have had to press her face into the ever-present filth of New Caprica. She pats her back once before she pulls away, then offers the tissue again. Amelia can take that, or her hand. "You didn't get closure. That's hard. That's the hardest kind of grief to wrestle with."

She watches Amelia with soft, worried eyes. It feels a little like she's betraying Steve to talk about him like he's not going to make it, but this is her friend's perception of events. If it helps to talk about the rituals surrounding death, she'll do it. "It's traditional to bury our dead. We, um, we put a coin in their mouth, so they can pay Charon's fare... he's the ferryman who carries souls across the river that surrounds the Underworld. A priest will say the blessing of the dead and read a passage from the Sacred Scrolls. And then after the funeral, there's usually a reception, an opportunity to offer condolences to the person's loved ones..."

Her voice catches a little at the end. "S-sorry. We've lost a lot of people in the war. We've had memorial services for the fallen. There are too many to-- to honor individually."
chiron_survivor: (reporting for duty)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-11 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Adia gives a small, grateful smile at Amelia's hand squeeze, so she must be doing something right. She takes a moment to ground herself. This is about Amelia's grief, not hers. Still, she appreciates the sympathy. "it's... disconcerting, more than everything. Ever single person in the Fleet has suffered loss, but at the same time that makes it almost too overwhelming to talk about." She looks down at their joined hands. "I'm glad I found the Nexus when I did. It's easier to talk about things here than on my ship."

The theological question gives her pause. The afterlife is the one aspect of religion that makes her wish that she believed. "Yes, the Elysium Fields. You're reunited with your ancestors.... what about your people? What are their traditions?"
chiron_survivor: (thoughtful but hopeful)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-12 12:41 am (UTC)(link)
As the conversation shifts to the beliefs of Amelia's people, Adia regains her relaxed, calm composure, but she doesn't pull out of her friend's grip. She knows that physical connection is still important to Amelia, and she'll keep offering it as a lifeline for as long as she needs it.

"An eternal dream," she repeats softly. She can see why people would want to believe in such a thing, what a blessing it would be to only dream of sweetness and light. She doesn't think to question what happens to bad people, the cruel and the wicked. There's a reason why she didn't bring up Tartarus. "Is the Eternal Dream related to regular dreaming? Or is that a separate thing?"

There's a small nod when Amelia explains the customs of her people. "It's nice to know that our rituals have some things in common. We believe that the spirit leaves the body as soon as it dies, so whether it's buried or cremated is less important. But... it's like you said. It's harder to handle grief if... if there's nothing there."
chiron_survivor: (woobie eyes)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-12 02:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Okay. I was wondering if there was a connection." She sounds apologetic about it, hoping she hasn't asked anything inappropriate. It doesn't seem like it, though. "We have people in the Fleet who claim to be seers, who say that they can communicate with spirits who have already passed on... through dreams sometimes."

She even tried that once, in the Nexus, but it didn't work. Caspar had already resurrected -- not that she knew about resurrection at the time.

The fresh wave of grief is expected, the tightening grip of Amelia's hand, not so much. It reminds her of when her friend Josh panicked while holding her hand, but as then, the AV field protects her now, so she doesn't pull away or even flinch. "It's okay," she says reassuringly. "You're, um... you're awfully strong. But I didn't get hurt." She pauses, unsure of what to say. "I wish I could give your closure. Would it help to talk about him? To remember him? Or would that make it worse?"
chiron_survivor: (Default)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-12 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
That... sound an awful lot like someone she knows. And though she'd normally be inclined to ask if it's the same person, something about Amelia's tone makes her think better of it. It's not relevant, anyway. "I used to love dreaming," she admits instead. "I'd try hard to remember them... I even had a journal for them. Not so much anymore."

She doesn't know why Amelia is blushing. It can't be from something so simple as a compliment, can it? But at least she's talking again... talking without crying. That's good. "Not as well as I'd like. We talked a few times and he had me over for coffee once. I'm taking care of his pokémon..." She reaches for the book with the embossed pokéball on the cover and shows it to her. "How did you two meet? Was he answering one of your questions, or was it the other way around?"
chiron_survivor: (Default)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-14 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Adia gives her friend's hand a gentle squeeze at the mention of bad dreams. "I'm sorry. I haven't had a good dream in a while, either." Or rather, even good dreams are bad ones when you wake up in tears because you remember all over again that you home is gone, your family is gone, and the man you love is still the enemy.

"They're animals, but not like any I've ever heard of, not even in my mythology books." She's not sure why that would cause Amelia to look down with a frown on her face. Maybe anything having to do with Steve is enough to fuel her grief.

Amelia's reply triggers a vague memory -- Steve had mentioned a war to Adia, hadn't he? She tries to remember if he had talked about his best friend at all... friendship was important to Steve, obviously, and she mirrors Amelia's sad smile when the other woman talks about how much Steve reminded her of home. "He missed his Earth... I think he made the best of living in the Nexus, though. Something the three of us have in common, I guess..." Although Adia had been hoping that Steve would find a way back to his Earth, just as she would find the Earth in her universe. Now he was stuck somewhere else until he recovered...

Lost in her own thoughts, she doesn't notice the passing silence until Amelia speaks again. She looks so defeated... maybe this topic of conversation isn't helping. "Do you want to learn more about his pokémon?" She sets the book on the table between them. "I can look them up for you."
chiron_survivor: (reporting for duty)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-06-21 01:48 pm (UTC)(link)
It must be the right thing to say, because she smiles softly in response. "Thanks. I just need more time. It'll get better."

She watches Amelia struggle with herself and wonders worriedly if even talking about Steve's pokémon is too tender a topic. But it seems to be safe enough; Amelia even lets go of her hand so that Adia does not need to pull away. She gives her a brief, reassuring smile before picking up the book and flipping to the index in the back. She runs a finger down the list of alphabetical species names, pausing to note the page number when she comes to the ones she's looking for.

"This one is Sarah," she says, flipping to a page closer to the beginning of the book and showing it to Amelia. There's a picture of a dog-like creature, its fur bright orange. "She's a growlithe. She's very friendly and full of energy. She really reminds me of a dog, but she can shoot fire out of her mouth, and I've never seen a dog with stripes like hers."

She turns to another page. This one has a little round bird on it, its crest a red and white feather surrounded by floof. "This is Bucky, short for Buchanan. He's a rufflet. He's..." She sighs, but her smile is affectionate. "He's wary of strangers. He likes me, though. He's very protective. Maybe a little over-protective..."

The last page has on it the most peculiar creature of all -- vaguely reptilian in nature, but with a stocky build. Its head shines like metal. "This is Ethel. She's a shieldon. She's very sweet, and strong, too. She likes to rub her head against trees to shine it. I think she has some powers related to steel, but I'm not sure what, yet. I'm still reading about her type."

She gives Amelia as long as she likes to look at each page and read the information that goes with the pictures. "Is there anything else you want to know about them?" She smiles hopefully, a proud parent eager to show off her adorable children. "Or I can also look up some of the other pokémon I've come across. There are many different kinds."