eiattu_pride | (no subject)

(no subject)

Rial's been working steadily since Plourr left. The work is hard, but he's making some decent headway by now.

Still, he needs a break. And is half-dozing on the couch, empty cup of caf by his fingers, when the call comes.

"...'lo?"

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"Oh shavit, I woke you, didn't I?" comes the crackly but unmistakable voice.

"No, no."

Yawns, rubs a hand over his face, "It's fine. How are you?"

I miss you.

Pause.

"I'm fine. Kriffing comm unit's a kriffing piece of be-Huttslimed v--" It phases out for a moment, and perhaps it's best for all involved that whatever she had been saying is lost. "--he holo won't work and the transmission is lagging."

"Oh, right."

Sighs.

"Everything going okay?"

Pause.

"Yeah, it's fine. We're finally getting our rookies tomorrow, so we shouldn't have a wing 'pair' of three anymore."

Another pause, this time clearly not because of the transmission lag.

"How are things there?"

"Give 'em hell for me."

Glances away at the room, messy as ever.

"Things. Things are okay, I suppose. Busy. Nothing new."

"Will do. How's--" Her voice abruptly cuts off, and when the transmission cuts back in, it's in the middle of a stream of low swearing. There is a slam, and then--

A Plourr, in off-duty purple tunic and black vest, blinking at the comm unit (and by extension, Rial). Then she's grinning fiercely, because she won. "Ha!"

He blinks.

"Congratulations. You were saying?"

Her triumphant smile fades a little as she sits back. "Is Labaann making a pain in the ass of himself?"

Rial rolls his eyes.

"I'll put it this way - next time he opens his mouth, I'm shoving a datapad in it."

Plourr bursts out laughing. "That is a fantastic mental image." She really, really means it.

"I'll do it, too."

Grins.

"Other then that, I'm actually catching up. At the cost of some sleep, but whatever."

"You should try that sleep thing once in a while, too," she says lightly, trying to keep the guilt off her face. "How's the amendment coming?"

"Don't. Even. Talk. About. That."

Head in his hands.

"It's invading my dreams."

She puts up her hands. "We won't speak of it." Beat. "Unless there's anything I can do from here."

"Somehow, I doubt it."

Sigh.

"Sorry," she says quietly. And she is. She really is.

"Hey, it's okay."

Smiling anxiously.

She shoots mini holo-Rial a doubtful look, but, kriff, she doesn't want to get into that, and she suspects that he may not want to, either.

A twist of a smile, and she sprawls back against the wall, asking, "So how are you?" It's been a few weeks since she last spoke to him, when she left Eiattu; it's a valid question.

"I'm doing good."

It's an automatic answer.

"And you?"

Faint smile. "Such grammar, Count Pernon." One never does good, one always does well. Yet another of Nynie's lessons burned into Plourr's brain from childhood.

"I'm fine." Her smile grows more genuine, if still small. "It's good to fly" in combat "again."

Rolls his eyes, "And you're one to talk, Princess?"

He looks briefly longing.

"Yes, it must be."

She had glanced away from the comm unit at a thump from the corridor outside, but she looks back. "No, I'm probably not."

And now she has officially exhausted her list of topics of conversation. Damn.

"You got the note, right?"

"Yeah."

It's sitting crumpled on his desk from where he threw it all those days ago.

"Yeah, I did. Um - when are you coming back?"

I need you.

There's another pause that isn't caused by technical difficulties.

"I-- don't know," she finally says. "I said I'd help with the greenies, and they're supposed to be showing up tomorrow."

Need this. Need flying, need fighting, need them (can't need him because-- can't, she just can't), for now.

Please don't. Please, don't.

It shouldn't be this hard.

"...yeah. Sure. Okay."

And he forgets that she can see him, sink back down onto the couch and tosses the datapad at the wall, ignoring the sound of it bouncing off the empty mug of caf, which shatters, and puts his head in his hands.

I can't do this alone.

Please.

"Come home."

And chances are he doesn't know he's said it.

"Please don't." Please. Please.

Even she is surprised by how small her voice can go.

"What - kriff. I didn't mean that."

But the sad thing is, he did.

"No. I'm sorry. I'm just - don't worry. Have fun. You deserve a vacation."

Rial didn't marry a stupid woman; she is not buying that.

"Rial--"

But she doesn't know how the fuck to continue.

"No. Just forget it."

Gets, up to retrieve the datapad, angry at himself and her and at something that he can't fathom.

"Forget it."

"I--"

Another thump from the corridor, and this time, the door opens and Feylis Ardele steps in, out of the holo's range of vision.

"Hey, Pl--" The blonde pilot sees the holo. "I can go back out if you need more time."

Plourr glances over, shaking her head. "I don't want to kick you out of our quarters." It's late; the other woman probably just wants to sleep.

Unfortunately, this means that the only truly private place onboard the capital ship is now occupied.

She looks back to the unit, quiet. "I should go."

"Yeah."

Sighs.

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later. Have fun."

"Sorry," she says, very softly. And maybe it means something that she knows that Feylis (who shifts uncomfortably, standing off to the side) is there, and she says it anyway. And maybe it doesn't.

"Bye." She flicks it off. Feylis doesn't ask, shooting her a sympathetic look and sitting down on her own bunk, and Plourr doesn't offer any information.

Godfuckingdamnit.

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