Soma Peries ~*~ Third

[glasscaseflower]

Who: Sergei Smirnov, Soma Peries, and anyone who may be nearby.
Where: Somewhere in the village of Espoire.
Style: Third
Status: Open

Comments

orz I HAD BETTER PICK UP THE PACE

[bamboonhoney]

Sergei made his way out to the road, hoping to spot his-- Peries, as she made her way to him. He turned toward what looked like a city, a welcome relief after the strange, displaced nature of this village from what he knew.

He almost didn't see her, coming out of the gloom. Once he did, he wondered how he could have missed her at all-- she almost seemed to glow, in the dim light. A knot he hadn't even realised existed loosened in his chest, and he raised one hand in greeting.

Re: orz I HAD BETTER PICK UP THE PACE

[glasscaseflower]

The young woman was quick to make the customary salute, standing at attention, back straight, even as her chest burned for air, and burned with emotion. But she was nothing if not composed.

The sight should not have been possible, and were it not for an ironic living proof in having those who were deceased around her for a month, it would have stilled both her heart and tongue.

The preservation of that composure soon crumbled with the first trembling of her shoulders. Before she knew it, Soma found herself to have closed that distance between them, head buried in the colonel's chest, and hands taking stubborn fistfuls of his clothes.

[bamboonhoney]

Sergei snapped into the familiar position, holding it for just long enough before lowering his arms. He curled his palms around Peries' form, enveloping her in a tight hug, before moving up to cradle the back of her neck. "It's alright," he said, voice a low rumble.

Then, "I missed you," he said, quietly, before tightening his grip once more.

[glasscaseflower]

It was hard to smile despite the immense relief she felt, tinged with a sharp, penetrating sense of happiness. Soma was barely aware of tears pooling in her eyes, content to stay in that warm embrace for as long as it took.

"I'm sorry," her voice came out shaky and heavy with regret, "I'm sorry for everything."

[bamboonhoney]

Grunting in acknowledgment, Sergei passed the chair Peries had chosen to settle himself on the couch-- and sneezing at the huge cloud of dust that arose. "Strange," he said, pushing on his knees to stand. "But while I'm here, I might as well keep it clean until they come back. Would you help me find a linen closet?"

[glasscaseflower]

The request was less than a chore and more of a distraction from their current predicament. The mechanism of cleaning back to her from her early months on the Ptolemy. It was as if it had belonged to someone else, yet remained firmly in the back of her mind.

The bedroom was her destination, where she pulled the curtains of the large windows back to allow the morning light to spill into the room. It would take a while to wash the dust and dirt off the unused bed, and so, Soma saw to stripping it from its sheets as quickly and efficiently as she could.

Something, at the back of her mind, told her that she could get used to this, if only a little bit.

[bamboonhoney]

Sergei stayed on the ground floor, opening doors and cupboards until he found the laundry room and (eventually) some slightly stale washer fluid.

It would be to work by hand, for now-- it would give him time to think, and stop the machine, out of use for an unknown amount of time, from breaking or clogging.

He set to work. Whatever this strange world he found himself in really was, he wasn't alone, and Peries-- Soma-- was here with him. It was enough, for now.

Though he would have to ask about that young man he'd seen her with last-- his troops called him the Wild Bear, but he had the memory of an elephant.