twenty-nine ♢ private & video

[versusnurture]

private } ben

[She's shaking-angry when she goes to sleep, but when she wakes up the next morning, it's like everything's gone. Resentment lives under her skin, but she isn't consumed anymore, like she might go up if the flame of her anger isn't doused. She feels safe. She feels whole.]

[She gets up, goes to the bathroom, washes her face and brushes her teeth on autopilot. She's already gotten used to having a bathroom off of her cabin. It's amazing how little time it took, how used she is to something that was a luxury a month ago.]

[As she turns to head out the door to meet Scott at the clinic, her fingers brush across the Go stone, Ben's item, to pick it up, to take it with her - and she freezes.]

[It's ice cold.]

[In a flash, she's dropped it on the floor, run out of her cabin, and slammed the door. She pulls out her communicator with shaking fingers, calling the only person she trusts to help her in this situation.]

Ben? I need you.

private } elena

[This is the part she was dreading. She tries not to, though. She knows that what Elena said before is true. They're both strong people, and they can only get stronger with time. Nobody can keep them down anymore.]

Elena? I need to talk to you.

video

[Everything is, in its own way, a production. Even this. She's posed herself carefully, sitting on her bed and framed in light from the window, so that she looks older, more poised than she feels. What she feels is afraid. Overwhelmed. Not ready.]

[But she has to be ready, which is why she makes herself smile like nothing and nobody can touch her anymore.]

I'm not as good at telling stories as Ben is. But I want to tell this one, if that's okay, because it's important to me. Some of you know it. If you do, I hope it's all right that I repeat it.

[She looks down for a moment, at her hands where they twist together in her lap, and then up at the camera. The smile reaches her eyes, now, because she can feel the strength coming, making her spine straighter and her breath come smoother.]

Just over two years ago now - two years ago for me - my dad died. He'd killed a bunch of girls who looked just like me, and I had helped him. Because I didn't know what else to do, mostly, and because if I didn't, he said he was going to kill me, too.

I didn't want anyone to know what I'd done. I didn't want anybody to think badly of me. I worked so hard to keep myself safe that I ended up killing somebody else, and then . . .

Some of you remember Hannibal.

[She clears her throat, forces her hands to flatten out on the bed beside her.]

It's so easy to trust the wrong person. It's so easy. I trusted so many of them, and I got so many people hurt. I want to apologize, but most of the people I hurt are gone now. For those of you who are still here, I'd take it back if I could. I'm sorry for making the wrong decision.

But I'm not sorry for surviving.

[Now her eyes blaze with confidence, her words coming stronger with every breath.]

Ben saved my life. You all saved my life. So thank you. I'm going now.

I'm going to kill Hannibal.

[She hopes beyond hope that he comes back here. But that part she won't say out loud, just biting her lip, smiling, waving - and killing the feed.]

Comments

[tucky]

Really? Okay. Deal.

[versusnurture]

Deal.

Can I have a hug goodbye? [Since they're apparently such good snugglers.]

[tucky]

Yeah. Where? You wanna come visit my room, or...?

[versusnurture]

Yeah, hold on, I'll be right there.

[Zoomies!!]

[tucky]

[The door will be unlocked when she gets there! Her room looks like a nice hotel room.]

[versusnurture]

[Abigail bursts in when she finds the door unlocked, all verve and excitement, and looks around for Tiffany. When she catches sight of her, she runs up and gives her a big hug without waiting for a hello.]

[tucky]

[And she returns the hug, as promised.]

You probably got a lot of friends here, right?

[versusnurture]

More than I ever had before.

[tucky]

... You gonna miss your girlfriend?

[versusnurture]

[She pulls away and frowns a little, crossing her arms over her chest.]

Yes. More than anybody.

[tucky]

Sorry. Didn't mean to make you sad.

[versusnurture]

It's okay. I was already sad about it. I'm probably going to be sad about it for a while.

[tucky]

Can she visit? She's a warden?

Or are you...

[She doesn't want to say "breaking up" if they're not.]

[versusnurture]

She's going to come visit, sometimes. Until she graduates another inmate. Then she's going to go home.

I guess we're going to. [You know. Break up. She doesn't want to say it, either.] Then.

[tucky]

... When I went to prison, me and my boyfriend broke up. I still cared about him a lot and I missed him, but that's just how it works out sometimes. It doesn't mean... I don't know. It don't mean you don't care.

[versusnurture]

I know. Sometimes it just has to happen.

[It doesn't really make her any less sad, but . . . maybe in the future, if she looks back on this conversation, she'll be able to be stronger from it.]

Thank you. It means a lot to know that - it's not just us.

[tucky]

Nah, it's not. Situations like that are real common, I think.

[versusnurture]

Where people have different priorities and stuff?

[tucky]

I meant where they got to do the long distance thing and they decide it's not gonna work out, but... yeah. That, too.

That's what your issue is? Different priorities?

[versusnurture]

We both want to live our own lives in our own homes. That's it, basically. I can't follow her, and she can't follow me.

And that's . . . I think it's okay. I think it's a good thing. It's just a sad thing, too.

[tucky]

[She leans in to wrap her arms around Abigail's shoulders again.]

That's, like... that's a real mature way of looking at things, I think.

There's a guy here who I got strong feelings for. If he goes, or I go, I'm gonna remember you saying that.

A good thing but a sad thing.

[versusnurture]

[She hugs Tiffany back, close and tight.]

Yeah, it can be both. And anyway, we're strong enough, we can stand on our own. Right?

[tucky]

Well... I don't have to be on my own; I got a lot of people here. Do you have that at home?

[versusnurture]

. . . Not really. Just one, and he's in prison.

Maybe two. [If Alana isn't dead.]

[tucky]

Can you get more?