I was going to offer to hug you but I think you'll get more out of insulting me for awhile, so we'll go with that.
[It's hard to care about it when she knows she's terrible at anything having to do with comfort, that it's just dumb luck that let her figure out how to handle Tommy, and honestly if this helps him after his friend has gone she's fine with it.]
[It's not what he says that has her looking over at him sharply. She knows he's a violent man, he'd told her conversationally that he would kill her at one point, so that just there doesn't surprise her.
It's the way his voice sounds that spikes concern in her, but she keeps her hands to herself. She reaches for the bottle of rum instead, picks it up and puts it back in his hands.
She doesn't know what to say to that, so she just chooses to keep her mouth shut.]
A few times. Last time we spoke we went to the pub while he was death tolling. I made him laugh.
[She says that last part softly, because it's something she's done so rarely that every time she manages to make a joke on purpose and get the right reaction it sticks with her, makes her feel a little less like someone who waited for nearly twenty years for her life to start.]
[She rests her hand, very briefly, on his arm. It's just a brush of her fingers and then it's gone, but she had to do something. If he tries to strangle her it'll probably be worth it.]
No, Rey- I need you to try. I know it's impossible, I know nothing can fucking come of it, but on the off chance it can, please, try, because this is fucking killing me- take the long shot, tilt at the windmill, I know it might feel foolish, but I need you to-
[For a moment, she just stares at him, eyes on his as she takes him in. She's known, for awhile, that this place is weighing on him. She understands that Harry going must have been the final straw, the thing that made trying bear all of this impossible.
She's done the impossible before. She has the Force on her side, more of a grasp on it thanks her time here, training with Luke, figuring things out on her own. After a long moment of thinking and chewing on her lower lip, she stands up so she can pace just in front of where he's seated. She thinks better when she's moving.]
Tell me everything you know about how people leave here.
[She's still thinking about it, though. Things made in the Enclosure disappear when taken out of it so trying to crash the Falcon through the walls of the Barge doesn't seem like it would work...
But when she looks at Alfie again she stops, watches him get comfortable. And she hates herself for this, for making everything worse, but she doesn't see how waiting, putting it off will make it any easier.]
I- This isn't a good time and I'm sorry, but I wanted to tell you this first before I tell the rest of the ship. Tommy's in a coma. He fell asleep this morning and hasn't moved since.
[She absolutely agrees with that, albeit for entirely different reasons, so she nods even though his eyes are closed and finally comes back to sit next to him again.]
He caused you lot of problems with that back home, too?
[It's easy enough to tell that that's not going to be a conversation they have now, so Rey just looks Alfie over, the way he's laying, and decides to try again.]
I can show you were to press yourself to help with your back if you don't want me to do it.
[And she rubs her hands together as she nods, trying to work some warmth into them. She's been running colder than usual lately and she doesn't think he'll be able to feel it through all his layers, but it wouldn't do to make this more uncomfortable instead of helping him.]
Max also said something about warmth helping. He suggested heating up rice in a sock.
[Maybe she should have asked for clearer instructions on that oops.]
I think you just heat it in a pan and put it in the sock.
[Once he's settled, she reaches over to run her hand down his spine, feeling out the bumps and dips and using what she remembers from her own massage to find the place that will be tender on Alfie. She doesn't push in just yet, just lays her palm over the collection of muscles she'll be working on so he'll be able to identify it himself later.]
It's just there. Tell me if it hurts, alright?
[And now she presses, very lightly at first, with her thumb to try to work those muscles loose.]
[Almost right away, Alfie grunts- the whole muscle in his leg twitches in response, heel kicking up a bit as his back registers a bad surge of hot, mean pain.
It's going to hurt no matter what, but for the moment, he tries keeping quiet.]
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[Alfie tells her, dryly.]
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[Just in case she was wondering.]
Fucking shocking, honestly.
[But, considering this is his version of being comforting, perhaps he doesn't get to talk.
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[It's hard to care about it when she knows she's terrible at anything having to do with comfort, that it's just dumb luck that let her figure out how to handle Tommy, and honestly if this helps him after his friend has gone she's fine with it.]
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[He admits, voice cracking.]
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It's the way his voice sounds that spikes concern in her, but she keeps her hands to herself. She reaches for the bottle of rum instead, picks it up and puts it back in his hands.
She doesn't know what to say to that, so she just chooses to keep her mouth shut.]
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Once he swallows;]
Did you meet him much?
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A few times. Last time we spoke we went to the pub while he was death tolling. I made him laugh.
[She says that last part softly, because it's something she's done so rarely that every time she manages to make a joke on purpose and get the right reaction it sticks with her, makes her feel a little less like someone who waited for nearly twenty years for her life to start.]
I liked him.
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[Alfie agrees, letting his eyes close.]
I'm going to miss him an awful lot.
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Is there anything I can do?
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[He says, again, head tipping forwards to rest against his arm.
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The closest I can get is going to the Enclosure. You can make it look like London, or I can teach you to fly a ship.
[Something familiar or something entirely new, she thinks one of those might help.]
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[To be willing to risk making a fool of herself.]
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She's done the impossible before. She has the Force on her side, more of a grasp on it thanks her time here, training with Luke, figuring things out on her own. After a long moment of thinking and chewing on her lower lip, she stands up so she can pace just in front of where he's seated. She thinks better when she's moving.]
Tell me everything you know about how people leave here.
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The point is that she'll try, so Alfie leans soundlessly over to lie down on the bunk, completely trusting. Her spine is safe from him.]
Tomorrow. For now, let's just-
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But when she looks at Alfie again she stops, watches him get comfortable. And she hates herself for this, for making everything worse, but she doesn't see how waiting, putting it off will make it any easier.]
I- This isn't a good time and I'm sorry, but I wanted to tell you this first before I tell the rest of the ship. Tommy's in a coma. He fell asleep this morning and hasn't moved since.
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[Alfie curses, eyes still shut.]
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He caused you lot of problems with that back home, too?
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[He can't think of anything specific right now, but sort of holds everything against him, at the moment, up to and including his back pain.]
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I can show you were to press yourself to help with your back if you don't want me to do it.
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[And she rubs her hands together as she nods, trying to work some warmth into them. She's been running colder than usual lately and she doesn't think he'll be able to feel it through all his layers, but it wouldn't do to make this more uncomfortable instead of helping him.]
Max also said something about warmth helping. He suggested heating up rice in a sock.
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[He says, imagining it cooked, not particularly enamoured of the idea.]
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I think you just heat it in a pan and put it in the sock.
[Once he's settled, she reaches over to run her hand down his spine, feeling out the bumps and dips and using what she remembers from her own massage to find the place that will be tender on Alfie. She doesn't push in just yet, just lays her palm over the collection of muscles she'll be working on so he'll be able to identify it himself later.]
It's just there. Tell me if it hurts, alright?
[And now she presses, very lightly at first, with her thumb to try to work those muscles loose.]
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It's going to hurt no matter what, but for the moment, he tries keeping quiet.]
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