Give A Bitch A Break [October Open]

[crushed_pearls]

Who: Erin Peters and YOU
What: AAAAAAAAA
When: Mid October Forward
Where: Library, Bobby's, possibly elsewhere
Warnings: Tiamat fallout, suicide discussion, depression & stress


There Is No Silver Bullet [Closed To Valdis | Library]

Finding Erin won't be hard, once Valdis is herself again; she's the only soul on the ship currently meditating into a killing trance, a state of no-mind she's hoping will be effective against Tiamat. She's...

Having obstacles. Intrusive thoughts, feelings, anxieties, these impede her meditation, but she's getting there. This has gone on long enough.

Maybe tell her the good news?

Grade A Hypocrisy [Library | After the Previous]

Erin keeps coming to the library to read, on the theory that she's definitely not isolating, look, it's a public space. What actually keeps happening is she gets three chapters in and passes out, drooling on the comfy chair. Coffee? No help. Tea? No help. Turning into a toy robot? The toy robot snores and turns back into Erin after an hour, leaving her sprawled on the table.

The Smoking Prompt [Bobby B's]

I'm writing this on a phone, Erin smokes multiple times a day, find her here. She's still drinking pretty heavily too.

Wildcard

It warm in Hell.

Comments

[crushed_pearls]

"I know," Erin whispers. "I fell into a trap and it's not gonna happen again." A deep breath, and then...

"There's a lot of people to tell. I should tell Max, and Daisy, and..."

"...I kinda just want to steal you away and take the biggest fucking nap instead..."

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis shakes her head and smiles. "You can't do that to Max, Erin, he'll want to snuggle too. I'm sure he's been as distraught as you, except with fewer courses of action."

Her grin falters soon after she finishes speaking.

"Maybe tell Ylva too, Tiamat was pretty hard on her."

[crushed_pearls]

"...Yeah," Erin admits with a sigh. "If I know you, you came to me first since I can vouch, so I lost the overnight cuddle lottery by default. I love Max but I'm in no condition to share. So..."

She steals a kiss. "I'll get on that right now, and shake him down for some food. You wanna sit in tomorrow, listen to Xena in our pj's, just...cuddle?"

She's asking in such a small voice.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis smiles sheepishly, "Sorry Erin, I didn't want them to have any doubts, not after...everything."

She pulls Erin close again. "But tomorrow is yours, I promise."

Probably timeskip to that after THESE MESSAGES?

[crushed_pearls]

"Thank you," Erin murmurs, relieved and warm. "...Don't go anywhere, I need someone to mock my unrelated suffering, and Helena is too polite to do so. You'll hear in a moment."

Once Erin can bring herself to stop cuddling, she dictates a text to Max. His reply will be read back out by her phone in Friday's sexiest voice.

Hey Max two related questions one if the amazing queen of our hearts was piloting her body again where could she find you using her flesh mecha skills of walking on feet two what are the odds that I can shake you down for enough food and drinks that two people would not need to leave my room tomorrow for any reason related story if you are anywhere near Daisy she is in the clear.

[Text]

[maximumcake]

Max squints at that message an embarrassingly long time before, suddenly, his face lights up with joy and he jumps up and down in place.

Fuck. Fuck. He needs to text back.

VALDIS IS BACK?! WHERE ARE YOU? I'M IN THE KITCHEN!!

The rest of the message will be addressed only after Max sees Valdis for himself.

[Texting Back]

[crushed_pearls]

STILL DICTATING THIS SHIT RIGHT IN FRONT OF VALDIS

Library but she will come to you I need to track down Ylva and give her the news related story Ylva will need extra love and snuggles too we must attack her with the love and devastate the kingdoms of wolves until only cuddles remain however expect incoming Valdis soon.

[Texting Back]

[maximumcake]

Okay. I get it. I'll keep Ylva company while you and Valdis picnic all day.

Erin. Thank you.

[Last One]

[crushed_pearls]

Love you little brother I will stop hugging Valdis soon

After seeing Max

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis snuggles down next to Erin, Xena playing the background. She's not really paying attention to it, more interested in the fluctuating emotions within Erin. She still feels guilty for leaving Erin alone to deal with the flowers, feels guilty that Tiamat had used her against the woman she loves. Being a new kind of weapon, essentially a hostage was more painful than she could ever have imagined.

She reaches for Erin's hand, lacing her fingers through Erin's. "I'm sorry, Erin."

Re: After seeing Max

[crushed_pearls]

"...For what?" Erin squeezes with her wing, worry in her heart and her voice. "You didn't do anything wrong, love."

[redlightgreenlight]

"For neglecting you. I couldn't be there during the flowers, and then I died and she came back in my place. I should have taken the threat from Harvey more seriously, I should have tried harder to be there to support you."

She should have warned Ari, told more people, maybe asked for help.

[crushed_pearls]

The urge to reassure is so strong; Erin's still feeling protective, worried, but...

No. Valdis admitted something difficult. It should be honored.

"I was a toxic wasteland during the flowers, I don't blame you. But..." Erin turns and nuzzles Valdis's shoulder. "... Sometimes it seems like we only get alone time when something bad happens."

[redlightgreenlight]

"No, it's more than that."

There's more to say, but she's not sure how to explain the words she feels.

"We need to go on a date. A real one." She nuzzles Erin's shoulder. "I can't keep hiding away in here with you, no matter how safe it feels, no matter how much I don't want to share this intimacy with anyone else."

She's almost been here a year. Erin was one of the first people she'd met, though the meeting had been tense at the time, they still need to celebrate.

[crushed_pearls]

Can a soul blush? Erin's is trying. Her face goes hot too, but her tone is teasing: "Are you trying to keep me in the royal treasury, Valdis?"

Safe. It feels...amazing, to be called safe. Like a dream so old it was almost forgotten has come true.

[redlightgreenlight]

"No," she snorts in reply. "I just want it to be us, and that's very selfish of me. I know you're jealous of Max, and now with Ash..."

She's probably jealous of Ash too.

"I don't know how to make you feel secure in us, but I know going dancing will lift your spirits."

[crushed_pearls]

"..." Erin sighs heavily. "There's a roof to how much you can do. I'm my own enemy, love, and fucking Head Voice loves its conspiracy theories. But...it's also the one that realized you were you first."

(Thank you.)

Don't mention it. Literally, never mention it again.

"It's...I'd love to go dancing. And I don't wanna be something or someone else for you, I love what we have. But...why do you prefer privacy between us?"

It's not an accusation. Just a soft question, looking to understand.

[redlightgreenlight]

"I...I don't tell people things, Erin. For hundreds of years I was alone and told no one anything about who I really am. You were, kind of the first person I really trusted with anything substantial, and that's special to me. Even now, I tell you things that I don't tell Max, and even Ash is kept away from certain things, much to his frustration. But you, I don't keep anything from you, not really." She sighs. "I just don't want that to change."

[crushed_pearls]

Oh.

Erin's heart flutters, and she gives Valdis a soft kiss. "Why would that change? It's okay if it sounds crazy, me trying to explain the Ash thing definitely will."

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis kisses her back.

"I don't know why it would change, it just...feels like it would."

She tips her head.

"What Ash thing?"

[crushed_pearls]

"Being jealous." Erin sighs. "It's. A lot of things. Sometimes I feel like you're gonna wake up and realize I'm not worth the trouble, which is. Again. Insane. But those feelings look at this guy with so much in common with you waltzing into your heart and they get scary and mean. Which is also insane; I've got things in common with you he can't understand."

"...Like I said. There's a roof on how much you can help. I gotta work on me."

[redlightgreenlight]

"Ash would feel bad if he knew you were jealous."

Valdis snuggles closer.

"He's very insecure when it comes to me, just like you I suppose."

She'd say she doesn't know why she has this effect on people, but Max sometimes also feels as if he isn't enough.

"If I have chosen you, there's no need to doubt me."

[crushed_pearls]

"I guess when being with someone feels like a dream, you get scared to wake up." Erin's smile is wistful, and so very, very fond. "...You get to plan the date this time, I think. I'm playing the forbidden princess card."

[redlightgreenlight]

"I don't know what that means, but I am quite capable of planning a date, my love."

Valdis looks back at the TV, wishing that those she loves could recognize their reality instead of worrying about waking up to find she isn't real.

[crushed_pearls]

Valdis, you're being Chomped. It's gentle yes but Erin is in fact giving in to the urge to bite people she loves.

It's very soothing for her.

"It means," Erin says after a bit just...like that..."it means that I've been persuaded to take my own advice. Helena, Crabb, Ylva, Cass...you... everyone's been worried. So I'm summoning the courage that I usually use to beat gods to death with meteoric iron and asking you to pamper me some."