[ his smile widens. ] Why am I not surprised you've read this?
[ it's strange, given how he doubts many people on the ark, or those he calls good friends from home, have pored over a book like the odyssey or the iliad. he expects those from mount weather to have read it. with nothing to do but read and play games and perhaps run about those long corridors, the people within the bunker didn't have the luxury he did when on the ground. he can relate to feeling so trapped. ]
[ he sounds like he's about to laugh, ] Have you got a copy of the book?
Not yet! [ she giggles. ] I read it when I still had tutors. It was more of a personal venture, but they encouraged it. It lines up well with my studies of Romantic languages. [ that's how it always was, with elsa in her chambers with her books and anna rolling around in the dirt with her imaginary friends. she has always been an academic mind, though it's easy to forget when distracted b her powers. ]
[ bellamy laughs, ] I'll believe it when I see it.
[ romantic languages. all bellamy knows is what he'd been taught on the ark. with unity day uniting all the different stations together, he had the opportunity to learn. mom hadn't let him slide on by without learning at least something that wasn't english. romantic languages … it's not something he thinks he's familiar with. ]
If you want, you can always borrow my copy. You should've gotten yourself one before you gave one to me.
[ bellamy's had the iliad read to him a thousand times while on the ark. he's read it a few hundred times himself while growing up. he understands it, though, that a new book is special in its own way, even if he's read the story over and over until he's memorised almost every word, even the page number it had been printed on. ]
[ he can't stop smiling. his voice remains warm, ] Which ones are those? I might need a few recommendations.
The one next to me right now it's – [ she pauses to lean towards the coffee table. ] Matilda.
It's a children's novel about an isolated little girl who knew she was different from her crass and unkind family. She was wise beyond her years and discovered magical talents.
[ for the misfit in everyone. it's easy to relate to, she thinks, magical powers or not. ]
[ right beside his bed is his windowsill, and on the sill is a notebook with a pen. there's clarks's painting, cerberus, the toy dog, and a few books scattered there. he presses the phone between his ear and shoulder and leans over to write the title in the open notebook, scribbling it across the lines at a slant. ]
Reminds me of someone I know, though. [ minus the unkind family, he suspects elsa's chosen that book for a reason. it probably resonates with her, given what he knows of her and her family. ] I'll make sure to read it next once I'm done re-reading this one.
[ the themes about finding family and acceptance are especially important to her, but she doesn't go into it, simply smiling and ducking her head when he replies. she doesn't expect him to add it to his list and likes that he's accepted her recommendation so readily. ]
I like it so far. The school she means to attend is cruel, but her teacher, Miss Honey, is lovely. It gives you hope in spite of a bad situation.
[ it might be a cop out answer, but bellamy's loved all of it. some parts he's hated, some he's loved, others he's obsessed over, wanting to play it over and over and over again. there's always been a lesson in the stories. he thinks mom read him the iliad to emphasise how he should treat those around him. at a distance, but keep those he cared for close to him. ]
[ bellamy knows he used think he and octavia were patroclus and achilles. ]
I just liked Achilles and Patroclus. Most of the Greek stories are tragic. Someone dies, someone's turned into a creature, offered to a monster, or treated pretty badly. It ends tragically for the both of them, but you know Achilles loved Patroclus more than himself. [ he shrugs, even though she can't see it. she can hear the pause and the slight shift of his voice, a little lower. ] I always liked it.
Oh, yes. [ it is a tragedy, but it doesn't surprise her either that he was drawn to that particular story, about someone who loved someone else so deeply that nothing else mattered. ]
I can see why. I'm glad – I hadn't even known it was such a beloved story for you. It felt right.
[ elsa pauses, licking her lips. ] Would you like to go somewhere with me? I just had tea but I am craving hot chocolate.
[ bellamy opens his mouth for a moment, then closes it. he moves the book off his chest, closing it without marking the page he's up to. if he has to reread it from start to end to find where he'd been up to, it's not something he'd particularly grow exasperated at. ]
[ glancing out his window, he sees it isn't such a horrible day. it isn't a bad day to spend time with someone he likes, even though it's almost a knee-jerk response to decline. ]
Yeah. Where do you want to go? [ then he adds: ] My shout.
Downtown, perhaps? Not your place of work. Somewhere new, I think.
[ she's surprised he has agreed under such notice, but doesn't protest or point it out. instead, she just smiles hopping up to put her phone on speaker so that she can look for a pair of shoes. ]
I ought to drop by, then we can decide from there.
[ he's glad that it isn't common grounds. taking less shifts at work, he prefers keeping himself far from it. he has a feeling if he showed up with elsa, he'd end up roped into a late night shift and bellamy doesn't feel like doing much when it comes to work. ]
[ she sounds distant on the phone. he stays on his bed, not moving. ]
I'll be here. I'll trust you to pick a good place, Elsa.
[ after flitting about, elsa presses the little red button on her phone screen, standing with one teal loafer on her foot. she picks a little at her patterned stockings as she hops across the room to get to her other shoe, her things scattered by either the snowgies or the dog or the pig or all of the above.
not bothering to find a coat, she grabs her wristlet and hurries off. it doesn't take her long to get to him, a bounce in her step. with a deep breath, she pats her cheeks a few times as if that will help her look less flushed and then knocks on his door. ]
[ expecting her to knock at any moment, bellamy at least has time to prepare himself. dressing in dark jeans and a light grey shirt, he leaves his jacket on the table by the door. the dogs remain slightly rowdy, licking at the ice chion manages to headset over the walls of his pen and the ice cooler he'd bought to occupy him within. ]
[ it's when he hears the knock he walks to the door, zelo running behind him. waiting until his dog seems to have stopped and won't slide across the threshold and smack into the opposite corridor wall, bellamy opens the door, peering through the space, kicking his leg up to keep zelo from bolting toward her. ]
[ he smiles, small, ] Hey. [ zelo brushes his wet nose against the bare heel of bellamy's foot. ] He doesn't bite. [ bellamy pushes zelo back with his foot before bending down to pick him up, letting the door slowly fall open so he can walk inside with the golden puppy that peers over his shoulder to stare at elsa before glancing away. he walks toward his couch, where chion is, in his cooler and surrounded by a small pen. dropping zelo, bellamy sits to pull on his shoes. ]
[ the rise in pitch is obviously elsa's reaction to bellamy's puppy, clasping her hands and holding them to her chest as she peers down at him. eventually, she turns her smile onto bellamy himself, her eyes still on the small dog that peers back at her.
she follows them both inside, gently closing the door behind her, leaning against it as she waits for him to finish getting ready. ] He's darling.
[ tying his shoes, he looks up at her in amusement. ] He's not. [ zelo looks at him for a moment, as if suspecting a mere gaze will earn bellamy's attention, before he chooses to turn on his feet and trot over to elsa. standing on his hind legs, he reaches up to place his paws on her legs. ]
Get down, Zelo. [ bellamy sounds exasperated as he rises to his feet. zelo doesn't listen, looking up at elsa while nike looks on. if he continues to do that, she'll be hounded by both dogs instead of one. ]
[ bellamy walks over to her, shaking his head in exasperation at his dog's antics. ]
Oh! [ of course elsa loves it. with anna's pomeranian and pig, she is well accustomed to having pets. she lowers herself to her knees and rubs zelo's face between her cold hands, making sure to scratch behind his ears. ] But you're a good boy, aren't you? Aren't you? You're going to be good for Bellamy, aren't you?
[ preoccupied with talking to his dog, elsa almost misses the owner approaching. she smiles up at him. ] When did you decide to get another dog?
[ zelo leans into her touch, tail wagging. bellamy can hear nike walking along the floor, nails scraping against the tiles, as she catches the scent of zelo getting too much attention when it should be directed toward her. nike walks into him and past him, wagging her own tail as she pushes into zelo and elsa. ]
A while ago. [ he looks at his dogs, making sure nike and zelo don't become too aggressive. he isn't so sure himself of the reason why he'd gotten zelo. getting another dog meant he was willing to stick around for a little longer. it was another being to be responsible for. even though bellamy's become used to caring for over forty kids, he supposes it's something he's missed. ] I didn't want Nike to get lonely.
[ standing before her, he looks down at the dogs. one blonder in tone than the other, they ignore him as they pay attention to elsa, nudging her and sniffing her hands. considering he's felt her hands before, he has to wonder: ] Are your hands cold?
[ elsa laughs. anna seems to have an aptitude for animals, or at least bringing them home, but elsa does just fine with them, dividing her attention evenly – a hand behind zelo's right and nike's left ears. she scritches and scratches and even lets them lick her chin, which really gets her giggling. ]
No colder than yours would have been if you had been outside. I think their fur protects them. Oh – ! [ when it seems that one dog's nostril has nudged under her dress, she leans back with a start. ] Naughty dog. [ but elsa isn't offended, of course, giving them their last pats on the back before she stands up and brushes herself off. ]
[ that's another way to look at it, even though bellamy had been thinking more along the lines of nike and zelo keeping one another company. the sibling he wants isn't here, but he supposes it can't be too bad to have two dogs who seem to behave like a sibling would — annoying and in his face, even though he's come to miss it from o. ]
[ he smiles before he moves toward his counter, picking up two of the dog treats he'd left there by accident. squatting, he clicks his fingers, whistling quickly to gain the attention of nike and zelo. zelo looks back at him, and that's when he holds out his hand, showing him the treats. breaking it into pieces, he throws it to the opposite end of his apartment near his bed, and watches as zelo runs toward the other end of the apartment, leaving nike to slowly clue in and follow suit. ]
Come on. [ he cocks his head in the direction of his front door. he begins to walk toward the table to grab his dark jacket from it. ] It'll be easier to leave now.
[ were anna to leave – that day would never come, but just in case – elsa wouldn't be sure if she would stay any longer, eager to follow her sister instead of continuing the life she has established here. on the other hand, her cuddle quota hasn't been met yet, though she thinks she has achieved some surprising emotional intimacy in the city. elsa is here for her kingdom's continued safety, and that is no easy task.
her eyes follow the two dogs and she chuckles, slowly rising to her feet and brushing her hands off on her skirt. ]
They're adorable, [ she tells him, stepping away from the door so that he can open it again. ]
[ opening the door for her, he stands to the side. glancing back at the dogs, he can see nike looking at them, ears pricked up as she studies their intentions. he knows she'll stay, despite how interactive and even excitable she becomes. the only times she becomes rowdy are for her walks — and bellamy suspects she's able to tell the difference between elsa's blonde hair and clarke's. ]
They're okay. [ he smiles, flicking his lock and closing the door behind them. his dogs are more than okay, but bellamy's never been the type to be overly affectionate with his words. if they need something, he knows one of his neighbours will check up on them. it's familiar, the kindness he finds here, as that's how the people of section 17 had always been with him. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ it's strange, given how he doubts many people on the ark, or those he calls good friends from home, have pored over a book like the odyssey or the iliad. he expects those from mount weather to have read it. with nothing to do but read and play games and perhaps run about those long corridors, the people within the bunker didn't have the luxury he did when on the ground. he can relate to feeling so trapped. ]
[ he sounds like he's about to laugh, ] Have you got a copy of the book?
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I assure you that I studied more than geometry.
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[ romantic languages. all bellamy knows is what he'd been taught on the ark. with unity day uniting all the different stations together, he had the opportunity to learn. mom hadn't let him slide on by without learning at least something that wasn't english. romantic languages … it's not something he thinks he's familiar with. ]
If you want, you can always borrow my copy. You should've gotten yourself one before you gave one to me.
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[ she doesn't want to take that away from him. cracking open a book for the first time is a very important moment for any reader. ]
I'm in the middle of three or four other books myself at the moment.
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[ bellamy's had the iliad read to him a thousand times while on the ark. he's read it a few hundred times himself while growing up. he understands it, though, that a new book is special in its own way, even if he's read the story over and over until he's memorised almost every word, even the page number it had been printed on. ]
[ he can't stop smiling. his voice remains warm, ] Which ones are those? I might need a few recommendations.
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It's a children's novel about an isolated little girl who knew she was different from her crass and unkind family. She was wise beyond her years and discovered magical talents.
[ for the misfit in everyone. it's easy to relate to, she thinks, magical powers or not. ]
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[ right beside his bed is his windowsill, and on the sill is a notebook with a pen. there's clarks's painting, cerberus, the toy dog, and a few books scattered there. he presses the phone between his ear and shoulder and leans over to write the title in the open notebook, scribbling it across the lines at a slant. ]
Reminds me of someone I know, though. [ minus the unkind family, he suspects elsa's chosen that book for a reason. it probably resonates with her, given what he knows of her and her family. ] I'll make sure to read it next once I'm done re-reading this one.
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I like it so far. The school she means to attend is cruel, but her teacher, Miss Honey, is lovely. It gives you hope in spite of a bad situation.
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[ considering a girl was named fox, it's not all that strange, but people on the ark don't seem to have such warm names or titles anymore. ]
I'll have to borrow it from you when you're done.
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[ there is something to be said about two nerds who talk on the phone surrounded by books. ]
What is your favorite part of The Iliad?
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[ it might be a cop out answer, but bellamy's loved all of it. some parts he's hated, some he's loved, others he's obsessed over, wanting to play it over and over and over again. there's always been a lesson in the stories. he thinks mom read him the iliad to emphasise how he should treat those around him. at a distance, but keep those he cared for close to him. ]
[ bellamy knows he used think he and octavia were patroclus and achilles. ]
I just liked Achilles and Patroclus. Most of the Greek stories are tragic. Someone dies, someone's turned into a creature, offered to a monster, or treated pretty badly. It ends tragically for the both of them, but you know Achilles loved Patroclus more than himself. [ he shrugs, even though she can't see it. she can hear the pause and the slight shift of his voice, a little lower. ] I always liked it.
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I can see why. I'm glad – I hadn't even known it was such a beloved story for you. It felt right.
[ elsa pauses, licking her lips. ] Would you like to go somewhere with me? I just had tea but I am craving hot chocolate.
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[ glancing out his window, he sees it isn't such a horrible day. it isn't a bad day to spend time with someone he likes, even though it's almost a knee-jerk response to decline. ]
Yeah. Where do you want to go? [ then he adds: ] My shout.
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[ she's surprised he has agreed under such notice, but doesn't protest or point it out. instead, she just smiles hopping up to put her phone on speaker so that she can look for a pair of shoes. ]
I ought to drop by, then we can decide from there.
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[ she sounds distant on the phone. he stays on his bed, not moving. ]
I'll be here. I'll trust you to pick a good place, Elsa.
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[ after flitting about, elsa presses the little red button on her phone screen, standing with one teal loafer on her foot. she picks a little at her patterned stockings as she hops across the room to get to her other shoe, her things scattered by either the snowgies or the dog or the pig or all of the above.
not bothering to find a coat, she grabs her wristlet and hurries off. it doesn't take her long to get to him, a bounce in her step. with a deep breath, she pats her cheeks a few times as if that will help her look less flushed and then knocks on his door. ]
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[ it's when he hears the knock he walks to the door, zelo running behind him. waiting until his dog seems to have stopped and won't slide across the threshold and smack into the opposite corridor wall, bellamy opens the door, peering through the space, kicking his leg up to keep zelo from bolting toward her. ]
[ he smiles, small, ] Hey. [ zelo brushes his wet nose against the bare heel of bellamy's foot. ] He doesn't bite. [ bellamy pushes zelo back with his foot before bending down to pick him up, letting the door slowly fall open so he can walk inside with the golden puppy that peers over his shoulder to stare at elsa before glancing away. he walks toward his couch, where chion is, in his cooler and surrounded by a small pen. dropping zelo, bellamy sits to pull on his shoes. ]
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[ the rise in pitch is obviously elsa's reaction to bellamy's puppy, clasping her hands and holding them to her chest as she peers down at him. eventually, she turns her smile onto bellamy himself, her eyes still on the small dog that peers back at her.
she follows them both inside, gently closing the door behind her, leaning against it as she waits for him to finish getting ready. ] He's darling.
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Get down, Zelo. [ bellamy sounds exasperated as he rises to his feet. zelo doesn't listen, looking up at elsa while nike looks on. if he continues to do that, she'll be hounded by both dogs instead of one. ]
[ bellamy walks over to her, shaking his head in exasperation at his dog's antics. ]
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[ preoccupied with talking to his dog, elsa almost misses the owner approaching. she smiles up at him. ] When did you decide to get another dog?
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A while ago. [ he looks at his dogs, making sure nike and zelo don't become too aggressive. he isn't so sure himself of the reason why he'd gotten zelo. getting another dog meant he was willing to stick around for a little longer. it was another being to be responsible for. even though bellamy's become used to caring for over forty kids, he supposes it's something he's missed. ] I didn't want Nike to get lonely.
[ standing before her, he looks down at the dogs. one blonder in tone than the other, they ignore him as they pay attention to elsa, nudging her and sniffing her hands. considering he's felt her hands before, he has to wonder: ] Are your hands cold?
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No colder than yours would have been if you had been outside. I think their fur protects them. Oh – ! [ when it seems that one dog's nostril has nudged under her dress, she leans back with a start. ] Naughty dog. [ but elsa isn't offended, of course, giving them their last pats on the back before she stands up and brushes herself off. ]
Good, you've got siblings now!
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[ he smiles before he moves toward his counter, picking up two of the dog treats he'd left there by accident. squatting, he clicks his fingers, whistling quickly to gain the attention of nike and zelo. zelo looks back at him, and that's when he holds out his hand, showing him the treats. breaking it into pieces, he throws it to the opposite end of his apartment near his bed, and watches as zelo runs toward the other end of the apartment, leaving nike to slowly clue in and follow suit. ]
Come on. [ he cocks his head in the direction of his front door. he begins to walk toward the table to grab his dark jacket from it. ] It'll be easier to leave now.
[ he moves to open the front door for her. ]
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her eyes follow the two dogs and she chuckles, slowly rising to her feet and brushing her hands off on her skirt. ]
They're adorable, [ she tells him, stepping away from the door so that he can open it again. ]
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They're okay. [ he smiles, flicking his lock and closing the door behind them. his dogs are more than okay, but bellamy's never been the type to be overly affectionate with his words. if they need something, he knows one of his neighbours will check up on them. it's familiar, the kindness he finds here, as that's how the people of section 17 had always been with him. ]
Do snowgies like animals?
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