lifetothefullest | [IC Inbox

Right? If I hadn't immediately run into someone I already knew from Hadriel, I would never have agreed to go to the safehouse in the first place. I trusted their judgement that it would be okay, but only because I'd known them for years, and I still hated the whole experience.

[If he'd arrived here and it had just been total strangers, they would've had to use the compulsion drug's effects to get him to go with them, because no way is he going to let a bunch of strangers tell him 'oh it'll be fine we'll let you out in a few days' and trust that. What a thing to ask--or expect, considering there's no asking--of people who just found themselves in another world after being drugged and operated on, not to mention whatever experiences they may have gone through in their own worlds.

Of course, the weirdest thing to Lance is that hardly anyone else seems to find this whole way of doing things strange, so when Ellie agrees it's a bit of a relief. No matter how confident he usually is in knowing what's right, that can still be a bit rattled when he finds himself in an extreme minority on something, especially when 'it's wrong to hold people against their will for days' is something he'd expect to be pretty widely agreed upon.]

Exactly. Besides, look at the kind of crowd we have out here. Locking these kinds of people up, especially together, could be a goddamn disaster.

Like, shit, I didn't even make it inside before someone took a swing at me. And I did hit Bellamy, but that was his own fault.

[... Ellie. Ellie that's not normal, stop saying that so casually.]

[He's about to agree, and add that it's probably a miracle no one's felt the need to try to fight their way out of the safehouse, but the latter part of what she says catches his attention. He doesn't care so much about hitting Bellamy, as he only vaguely knows of Bellamy and he's willing to give Ellie the benefit of the doubt that he totally deserved it, but--]

Who took a swing at you?

[Who does he need to judge intensely?]

[Ellie almost laughs aloud at Lance's reaction- it's more in line with Tommy or Joel, instantly on her side- while Dina or Jesse would've wondered what Ellie did this time.]

Just Callisto.

[Ellie doesn't sound too perturbed by it.]

If it wasn't me, it would've been someone else.

I haven't met Callisto.

[But Ellie definitely doesn't seem to bothered, even if Lance is far less sure it's nothing to be concerned about.]

What do you mean that it would've been someone else?

Y'know the type.

[He's a criminal profiler, right? Even in the comics Ellie's read, she figures it gives him some insight. Even beyond that, she's betting that he's run into his share of bullies.]

Somebody who can't stand feeling weak, so they turn around and hurt somebody just to make themselves feel better.

Oh, yeah, my favorite type of person.

[The sarcasm is surely obvious, even if his tone is laced with fake cheer.]

Did they arrive in the same group that you did?

Isn't it everybody's?

[Ellie responds with a bang-up impression of the same tone, rolling her eyes to the strung lights across the ceiling.]

Yep. Before we even got inside.

As though the whole arrival process isn't unpleasant enough.

[At least she doesn't seem too horribly upset by it, but still. As they talked about, Lance is very concerned about what the new arrivals have to deal with and the impact it might have on them, and things like this happening are not great.]

[Ellie shrugs. Getting swung at is nothing new for her, though she's glad it happened to her and not someone else, either someone unprepared for a sudden blow, or more inclined to return it.]

It did give me a leg up in figuring out... you know.

[It's not likely they'll be overheard, but Ellie makes a significant wiggling motion with her fingers anyway.]

[He doesn't bother to hide his amused expression at the gesture; it's funny how some things are so universally understood without anyone ever deciding on the meaning, and that's one of them.]

I suppose it would. I didn't figure anything out until a bat monster tried to eat me.

[That's... Not even slightly an accurate depiction of what happened, but it doesn't really matter; the monster attack was a worldwide thing so he isn't concerned about it being overheard, but if he described what actually happened there would be a lot of quesitons.]

That sounds like a story I have to hear.

[Ellie glances over at the bar, where her boss has her back to them, arranging the new stock on the bar display, cycling out bottles.]

Y'know. When you feel like telling it.

[His gaze follows hers, then flickers back.]

Yeah, anytime. You'll probably make fun of me, though.

[Which is probably a bonus to her, and he isn't at all bothered by the prospect; the story will sound ridiculous and he knows it.]

[Ellie bites back a laugh, because he's right.]

Don't worry, I've got plenty you can bust my balls over too.

We'll have to trade stories, then.

[Then they can both laugh, which he's sure is something they can use being able to look forward to.]

[IC Inbox | Meadowlark]

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