[IC Inbox -- Snowblind]

[heavensreader]

Is it worki - oh. Ahem. This is Kesara Freamon. Please leave your message here and I will call back on you as soon as I can.







Wait, is it still - argh, how do I ma-

Comments

[spoileralert]

[ She starts to protest, and instead just sighs. For a long while she's quiet, head back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. ]

It's okay, Kes. I promise. I'll call you at noon tomorrow.

[heavensreader]

[Kesara has no words for how much she's starting to hate these words, I promise.]

You'd better. [She wants to be angry. Being angry would be so good. So clean.] If you die I'll - if die and Zach comes back - I'll tell him.

[She doesn't think it's going to be an effective threat. But she says it like she means it.]

[spoileralert]

[ That actually makes her crack half a smile. ]

Deal. But it's not my fault if an anomaly gets me after I call you.

[heavensreader]

[The smile is wildly unexpected, and feels like an explosion under the ribs. A kind of hope sudden and intense enough to hurt.]

Deal. If it's a real anomaly. If it is then - then we'll wait for you, too.

[spoileralert]

You better not. If I die again I fully expect you guys to find the way out before I come back.

[ If she dies again she probably isn't coming back, end of story. ]

[heavensreader]

I -

[She swallows. She wants Steph to keep smiling. She doesn't care what she has to say to make it so, what wild optimistic lies.]

We'll - we'll have it all cleared out for you. No dark dank tunnels or slippery ice or anything.

[spoileralert]

Good.

[ Steph knows it's all lies. But that's what comfort is, mostly - the lies we tell each other to make the world seem brighter than it really is. ]

Tomorrow. We should both get some rest.

[ Sleep may not happen. But rest should. ]