Ilyna isn't helped by the look of amusement at her stumbling over the words, and she averts her eyes. "I... thank you," she says, though she is still flustered and tense. "I feel I... need that too much lately. I met an old friend at the Miner's Respite today. She's stepping in for D'Inea, and... the first thing I did when it was just the two of us was throwing my arms around her and just... crying." Her
#Halisi'sApartment – March 3, 2020
voice is low, and the chuckle that follows is soft. "I'm supposed to be in control," she says, lifting her head up to meet her eyes again. "To be strong for her," she casts a glance towards Li.
Halisi nods in acknowledgement of the thanks, but her smile slips away entirely with the words that follow, studying Ilyna with a soft frown. For a brief moment she's not sure what to say, and her stance shifts a little, part of her wanting to wrap Ilyna up in a hug herself, but she thinks better of it after reminding herself of how tense even the smallest touch seemed to make her, folding her arms loosely over her own chest
instead. "Ilyna..." there's no shortage of emotion in her voice, and for a moment she follows the asari's gaze toward Li, considering her words. "...with everything that you're dealing with... no one blames you for leaning a little on the people around you. You know that, right?" she asks as her gaze turns back to Ilyna, watching her with obvious concern. "It certainly doesn't make you weak." she adds softly, a faint hint of
Li is still watching the documentary, but as if feeling the eyes of Ilyna and Halisi on her she glances over her shoulder with a questioning look on her face.
is still watching the documentary, but as if feeling the eyes of Ilyna and Halisi on her she glances over her shoulder with a questioning look on her face, as if wondering why they were looking at her. It doesn't seem like she was paying any attention to their conversation.
Ilyna knows that Li's attention has been at the screen for most of their conversation, and she does not want to lay any burden on her. She might read something is off in the asari's emotional expression despite her best efforts to hide it. "Just checking if the documentary isn't getting too much," she says. "Oh, and I invited Halisi to spend Christmas with us. That's okay, I hope?"
Li 's response is as simple as a quick look towards Halisi and a couple of nods before she turns back towards the screen, which apparently holds much greater interest than boring grown-up talk. Judging by the shifting sand-dunes on the screen and the dramatic music, the thresher maw will soon be making its first appearance.
Halisi gains an amused little smile at Li's almost immediate dismissal of the both of them, a quiet chuckle slipping out as the girl watches the TV in suspense. She turns her attention back to Ilyna, eyebrows once again pinched slightly in concern. She leans her head a little to the side to try and catch her gaze, perhaps just looking to make sure that she's alright, given the words spoken before they caught Li's attention.
Ilyna lets out a quiet sigh when Li looks back at the screen, and even if the suspenseful scene is clearly telegraphing what is to come, she decides not to intervene. She looks back at Halisi, and after a few moments' hesitation, wraps her arms around her in a hug with little warning. She speaks no words, but her breathing begins to tremble as she fights back tears. The hug is loose and a little uncertain,
Halisi is clearly caught a little off-guard, but she's quick to adjust, freeing her own arms from between them and wrapping them around Ilyna in turn. A soft sound, almost like a chuckle escapes her, but surprised and sympathetic rather than amused. "Hey, hey... it's okay..." she mumbles softly as she notices the tremble in the asari's breath, giving Ilyna a soft squeeze and cautiously pulling her in a little closer, caught between
wanting to offer comfort and avoiding overstepping her bounds. Her right hand slides up closer to her neck in an attempt to encourage her to let her head rest instead of hovering.
On the screen, an aerial shot from a safe distance captures the thresher maw erupting from the dunes in a geyser of sand, sensory stalks twitching as it homes in on the creature that is tresspassing on its territory, a large reptilian beast. Acid spit strikes the unsuspecting creature, which lets out a roar and starts to flee, limping thanks to its injuries. Li's eyes are glued to the screen, mimicking the maw's noises quietly to
Ilyna does not react to the screen at all, even if it should be obvious what's going on. Her mind is elsewhere as she beings to doubt her choice to hug Halisi without offering due warning. She does not pull away, instead taking the unspoken offer to lean more into the hug. She takes a deep, uneven breath as she rests her head on her shoulders. Her arms, which are on Halisi's upper back, tighten as well
Halisi shakes her head softly in response, the movement felt more than seen. She doesn't say anything, just keeping her arms wrapped around Ilyna in a solid embrace, hand stroking gently up and down her back. She remains like this, giving Ilyna as long as she needs, but remaining ready to let go at the first sign of her pulling back. Her work clothes have a faint chemical smell to them.
On the screen, the thresher maw appears beneath the fleeing creature, swallowing it whole. Li bares her teeth and makes a lounging motion in her seat, as if mimicking the animal.
Ilyna closes her eyes, holding the hug without moving her hands or head; or speaking. The only movement felt is her trembling breath, which grows calmer. The sounds of the maw's successful hunt and smell of Halisi's work clothes aren't offered a second thought at the moment. There is a little bit of guilt on her face, for even when she manages to compose herself and her breathing becomes even, she does not
let go. Despite Halisi's words to the contrary, she does feel she asks too much of those around her.
Halisi doesn't particularly seem to mind Ilyna's supposed selfishness, her own tension, and readiness to pull away at a moment's notice, fading as she relaxes into the hug, leaning a bit more heavily against Ilyna and resting her face against her neck for a moment.
Li looks back towards Ilyna and Halisi again. She seems entirely unfazed by the hug, tugging on Ilyna's elbow. "Mom! Look!" she exclaims, rugging again and pointing at the screen. It's currently showing the thresher maw chasing the camera, which appears to be mounted on a dune buggy. The narrator is explaining how this was one of the riskiest shots of the entire documentary, and how these are the clearest closeups of a hunting maw
achieved so far. "It's called a treasure maw, and it eats rocks and radiation, but it gets agg-... aggor-... aggersive, when you go on top of its nest." she informs helpfully.
Halisi reluctantly lets go of Ilyna when she hears Li's voice, her expression a mixture of an odd vulnerability and slight embarrassment as she starts to pull back a little, doing her best to still present a calm front to Ilyna. Li's words help her crack a small smile to cover for some of the emotion still apparent on her face.
Ilyna is reluctant to also let go of the hug when Li calls her attention, and she seems a bit distant as she looks at Li to hear her explanation. She looks Halisi's way with a soft smile, trying her best to look reassuring; she felt she may not be the only one who needed that. Ilyna mouths a thank you in the trade language before turning to lean on the couch's backrest to watch the footage with Li.
"Goddess," she says, barely above a whisper, at the stunt required to film this and the sight of that thing bearing down on the camera team. "They really are aggressive." Her voice is also distant, though affected more by the conversation with Halisi more than her own close encounter with a Thresher Maw.
Halisi mirrors Ilyna's smile, the faintest nod of acknowledgment following before she joins her in watching the screens. "I never realized they were so large..." she thinks out loud, watching the dramatic footage, a welcome distraction as she composes herself a little.
Li nods, attention back on the TV. "There's an even bigger one! But it's maybe not real." she says with a small frown, focus slowly slipping back to the documentary.
Halisi smirks slightly at Li's enthusiasm before she glances Ilyna's way. "So who is this friend of yours?" she asks as she starts to head over towards the kitchenette to pour herself a glass of water. "Water?" she adds with a questioning glance her way before Ilyna has a chance to reply.
Ilyna tilts her head. "Maybe," she says to echo Li's doubts, but Halisi's question takes her attention away from the matter. She merely nods to the offer of water before answering. "Enila," she begins. "I served with her in the Serrice military for fifty years. She was a combat engineer, repairing and breaking electronics while I gave her space to work with my barrier. I never thought I'd see her behind a
Halisi nods slightly as she listens, filling up a glass for Ilyna as well. Without time to grocery shop she hasn't had the chance to stock up on anything else to drink. The 'fifty years' gives her brief pause - it's a little strange to be reminded of the fact that Ilyna is ten times her age, even if she knows it on an intellectual level. She focuses on the rest of her words as she returns with the glasses, a small smile cropping up.
"That's... quite a while." she comments, offering one to Ilyna as she takes a sip of her own. "It must be good to see her again...?"
Ilyna takes the glass, and takes a long sip of it as she gathers her thoughts. She nods. "We didn't cut ties after the military, and I last saw her and the others... half a year ago," she says, "but... yeah, it was great. She supported me when I voiced my plans to leave the military, and was a thorn in the side of my superior officer until she cleared... any charges they had against me for the stupid way in
which I left." Her smile fades sligthly. "She... is also concerned about my involvement in Redrock, and... 'us', though." She lowered her voice towards the end of the sentence.
Halisi flashes a small smile, although Ilyna's words about her departure from the military causes a curious look to replace it. She doesn't have time to ask before the final addition, which prompts her eyebrows to furrow slightly. She considers her response for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh and looking out towards the window for a moment. "I suppose I can understand that." she says, not clarifying which concern she's
referring to. Maybe both. "How long is she going to be on Aite?" she asks as she looks back towards Ilyna. "It would be nice to meet one of your old friends. And... perhaps I could put her mind at ease?" she suggests with a small shrug. "I have been a part of Redrock for a good while now, after all." she clarifies, although by the look on her face it seems more likely that she's referring to both of Enila's concerns.
Ilyna appears thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know," she says. "Until D'Inea is back, I suppose." She lets out a sigh and studies Halisi's face. She worries that she has set Enila up for a confrontational first meeting. "She isn't trying to stop me, though," she says. "It's just that.... I guess I should let speak for herself."