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Klaire
Maybe it was desperation or just an unwillingness to give up, but Klaire had been calling Ylva the past few weeks nonstop. Tonight was one such night, hoping, almost praying that the tattoo artist would pick up. She knew something was up and just couldn't put her finger on it.
She was dressed casually, comfy within her own home as she paced. Rook was on his dog bed, gnawing on some food puzzle she had gotten him, an eye watching Klaire as she paced.
She started mumbling in French as the line went dead and she tried one last time. "Come on, come on, pick up. I just...need to know where you are darling." She makes one glance towards an engraved bowl filled with water thats sitting on the table.
Ylva:
Ylva has been sitting staring at the phone as it rang, knowing she should pick up but not really sure what she can say.
As it goes dead she sighs and puts the phone down as it starts to ring again. "Okay okay, fuck, okay."
She answers the phone. "Heya sweets, whats up. Sorry I was, uh, working on something." She lies with a frown on her face.
Klaire
Shes back to English as she answers. "Oh thank fuck you are checking your phone. Fuck, Ylva? You haven't been answering for a while, like...2 months. If not for Jenny and Asteid I would have thought you were ghosting me."
She sits down at her table, taking a deep breath. Rook still watches her intently. "I... are you alright darling?"
Ylva:
Ylva waves gently with her free hand before its claws dig into the tree stump she has found to sit on.
"Hey." Is all she manages before a long pause, a few deep breaths and a bull shit peppy sounding voice. "Yeah, im doing okay, sorry. Just got into some shit is all."
Klaire
Theres some shifting on the other end of the phone as Klaire sets up the bowl on the table. A pinch of salt around the outside as she gently places a lock of hair on the surface of the pool, familiarly blond.
"Just got into some shit? Ylva you've dissapeared on everyone and no one could find you. Hell, this is my JOB and I couldn't find you. Just...what's going on? Talk to me, please."
She looks down into the bowl, beginning to focus her mind on the woman on the other end of the line. Imagining seeing her within the bowl...
Ylva:
The park around Ylva is a calm Autumn evening, empty aside from her. She is well off of the beaten path. Sitting on a rotting stump and kicking her feet in deep piles of Autumn leaves.
Autumn, making me so comfortable, shit maybe Doll was right.
"Its not the first time ive dropped of the wagon Klaire. I just couldnt face you or them. They knew I was alive."
There is a pause and Klaire sees a few tears hit the ground but doesnt hear it through the phone. Silent tears.
"I cant hun, please. I just need time."
Klaire
As soon as Klaire sees the woman, her heart breaks. She knows Ylva is not one to cry, nor is she apparently busy in the middle of the forest.
Then Klaire notices how old she looks, and her voice catches for a moment.
"I...I want to help you Ylva but I cant do that from so far away. Im going to come see you, ok? If nothing else then for a hug. We don't have to talk about anything, I just want to be there."
Ylva:
As soon as she says that Ylvas free hand rips through the stump she is sitting on, maybe its not rotten but has been someones scratching post. She takes a chunk out of it again, a chunk no human hand could take out of a stump.
"I miss you so much Klaire I really do but. Fuck." There is a pause. "Im not going to be able to stop you worrying am I?"
Klaire
There is a catch of breath from her end of the line, and a few seconds of silence. She answers firmly but still caring. The worry of a partner creeping into her voice.
"No, you're really not. I know you're hurting...I just want to help, ok? Just...trust me a little please."
Ylva:
Ylva doesnt answer for a moment, just listening. "Okay."
Klaire sees her lie back on the stump and look up at the sky. Another long pause. "Okay and im sorry for what your going to find."
Klaire
"I still love you, no matter what." The call ends abrubtly like she had lost signal.
Klaire focused on the vision, the sights, the sounds, the smells. She imagined herself there, focused on it. And like she had done so many times before, she appeared there. Her skin felt like it was on fire, a reddish tint like she was sunburned.
It was a quiet thing, no warping of space, just like she was always meant to be there. She took the few steps forward to the stump, not being quiet to not spook the othet eoman. A moment later she was sitting and resting her forehead against Ylvas.
"Don't be sorry, I promise. You have nothing to be sorry for."
Ylva:
Between the call ending and Klaire arriving she mutters "and thats the problem."
She smells her before she sees her but knows Klaire is there. She doesnt know how, right now she doesnt really care.
If Klaire could see past the Mask she would see tails on high alert point away from her, talons dug into the stump and Fangs grown well past what you could mistake for anything but a beast.
Instead she sees Ylva in her traditional black leather jacket, pink and black mini skirt, fishnets and knee high boots. White hair hanging on the ground.
Her whole body tenses as the contact but she cant pull away like she is right now, instead her other hand also digs into the stump, dropping her phone to the floor.
Klaire
Klaire strokes Ylva's hair, whispering gentle phrases to calm Ylva down for as long as they needed.
She didn't need to press, she just needed to be there.
"I am here for you darling. Whatever you need."
Ylva:
Ylva just lies there, biting back every urge in her body. She hasnt let anyone Human be this close and, it would be so easy to just reach up and take it.
A soft hand reaches up and cups the back of Klaires neck.
Klaire
Klaire keeps stroking Ylva's hair, eyes closed as she focuses on the one in front of her. A moment later she opens her eyes.
"Can I help you get food, darling? I can make something or we can buy something. Or...I can pick something, you seem to have a lot on your mind."
As her neck is cupped she leans in, forehead still against Ylva's.
Ylva:
Ylva cringes as Klaire speaks, tears running down her face.
"I cant, its. Fuck." There is pressure on her neck from her hand, not enough to cause pain yet, but its on the edge.
Klaire
Klaire's skin is still a bit sore from the apporation, and grimaces in a bit of pain.
"Lighter please darling. Its ok, we dont have to get food."
Ylva:
The pressure doesnt ease, in fact it increases. Their talons touching her skin for the first time. "i. Already. Have. Food." They manages to stutter out.
Klaire
The fear grows slightly in her eyes. A more pleading voice.
"Ylva, you're hurting me. I'm not food. You don't need to eat me."
Ylva:
"I. Know." The pressure stays the same but their talons withdraw. "I. Know...... Klaire. Not. Snack. I. Know." Tears are streaming down their face.
Klaire
Klaire nods slowly, judging the situation carefully. "Thats right. Klaire isnt a snack. We can get you some other snack but...not me, ok?"
Klaire strokes Ylva's hair again gently. "You don't need to eat me love, its ok. We can just stay here for a bit."
Ylva:
Their whole body twitches. Their fangs nashing. Free hand digging into the stump. "I. Cant. Klaire. Please."
Klaire
"You can't what, Ylva?" Klaire is trying her best to stay calm, continuing to stroke Ylva's hair.
Ylva:
"I. Cant. Stop."
Klaire
Klaire nods slowly. "I see. I...why can't you stop? What is making you do this?"
Ylva:
"He is. What. He. Made me." Their breathing is ragged and strained as they try to talk. "I, I dont want. To. To hurt. You."
{Pausing until the morning}
Klaire
Klaire hesitates for a moment. "Who is he? You're not going to hurt me ok, you're just going to focus on my voice. Can you do that for me? Just focus on my voice."
Ylva:
Ylva twitches, breathing hard. A sound coming from their throat that no human throat should be able to make. "Not. Hurt. Focus, on, your voice. Focus on, Klaire."
Klaire
"Thats right love, focus on me. Can you loosen your hand a little? Just focus on my voice and what we are talking about." She strokes Ylva's hair gently, taking slow and deep breaths for Ylva to help regulate her own with.
Ylva:
The hand on Klaires neck loosens to just being placed there. The one on the stump, digging in further. Their breathing steadying to be in sync with hers.
Klaire
She keeps up the slow breaths. "Thats it Ylva, I'm going to ask a couple questions ok. Tap the stump twice if you need me to stop. Is that ok?"
Ylva:
"Okay hun." Their hand strokes the back of her neck gently. "Im sorry Klaire." Tears run down her face.
Klaire
"You have nothing to be sorry for." She gives a few light scritches to Ylva's head.
"I'm going to start easy. Are you safe? Or are you in danger?"
Ylva:
"Im, I dont know. Mostly safe." Her voice is shuddering as she speaks.
Klaire
"Mostly safe is mostly good." She gently puts her forehead against Ylva's. "Do you have people you can lean on? I know...there might be things you can't tell me, but as long as you aren't in this alone."
Ylva:
She nods her head. "Yeah, there are others in the same situation as me, kinda."
Klaire
She nods. "That's good, you should trust them then." She looks over Ylva, continuing the deep breaths. "Are they helping you too? To get through...whatever happened?"
Ylva:
She nods again. "I do. Its just. Trusting myself that is hard. Around you. Around Astrid around Jenny. Around my Clients."
Klaire
She kisses Ylva's forehead. "I understand. You don't want to hurt them and...well it seems hard for you."
She pauses with the scritches. "Can I ask some harder questions? You are allowed to say no."
Ylva:
She gives a shaky nod. "You can, but I cant say if ill be able to, to. to. to." She just trails off unable to finish the sentence.
Klaire
"If you can't tell me, its ok." She strokes Ylva again.
"You...look older. How long has it been for you? Or is this something else?"
Ylva:
She nods. "Okay."
Chewing at her lip she thinks how to put it. "I dont know, exactly. But, at least a few decades. Longer maybe." Her whole body shudders.
Klaire
She strokes their hair and gives them a small smile. "Well this may be a bad time, but you look stunning for being a few decades older."
She pauses at the shudder, continuing to take deep breaths. "Does Astrid know anything is going on? This is in case I need to talk to her, and I can keep her in the dark if we need."
Ylva:
There is a half hearted chuckle. "No, no one does. I didnt know how to tell them. Any of you. Then you just turned up and." She sobs a bit fading out.
Klaire
"We don't have to tell them, ok? I can keep a secret, I had to keep my own too."
She sits back a tiny bit. "Speaking of me turning up, do you have any water I can borrow?"
Ylva:
"Okay. Okay. We talk about that, later, yeah?"
She shakes her head not letting go of Klaire. "No, sorry, not. Here."
Klaire
"We can talk about that later, definitely."
She leans back in. "That's ok, I'll be fine in an hour or so. How about you, are you hurt?"
Ylva:
She shakes her head. "No, not, not physically."
Klaire
She nods. "That's good. We can celebrate the little things, ok?"
"You've been really brave, I know you have. You're still my Ylva, no matter what you've been through."
Ylva:
She shakes her head.
"Im, im not the same. Not what I was, not who I was."
Klaire
Klaire pauses at that. "I see."
She moves a hand to hold Ylva's. "I'm here for you, thats all that matters. If you need me, I'll be here for you."
Ylva:
"How can I ask that of you, with, everything that has happened. With."
Her body shudders again.
"I just tried to eat you Klaire. And like, not in the UwU kinda way."
Klaire
Klaire takes a deep breath.
"Because you're not the first to try eating me in that way. I'm...well a little weird too. I'll help you if I can because I love you."
Ylva:
That seems to shock her away and she sits up turning around to face Klaire.
"Im sorry what, can we rewind on that. What?"
She also looks shocked at seeing Klaire and does her silly wave again. "Hi you."
Klaire
She sits on the ground, skin still slightly red like a sunburn. She immedietly gets more bashful.
"I...well I guess we can? Not out here but...we can."
Ylva:
She tilts her head in what is clearly a canine gesture of curiosity.
"Okay."
Lowering her head to look down she sighs. "Im sorry Klaire. Ive been distant to keep you safe and now youve hurt yourself worrying about me."
Klaire
Klaire, who owns a dog, immedietly catches the motion. She waves a hand dismissively.
"Its not your fault. I chose to come over here ok? I...well this happens a lot."
Ylva:
"Okay."
She reaches a hand out for Klaire to hold. If she wants to. "Thanks for coming to see me. Ive missed you so much."
Klaire
She of course does hold the hand.
"Ive missed you too. Anything was worth making sure you were here and...well mostly safe at least."
Ylva:
Ylva smiles at the contact.
"Okay." There is a pause, a consideration to her next words. "Klaire? You know i cant come home yet right?"
Klaire
Klaire smiles back.
"My place is still open for you if you need to be there. Rook would love to say hi. But...I know. It can be hard to be dragged into these things."
Ylva:
"I just, dont want to lose it in my sleep and hurt you, or Rook."
Klaire
"I...thats fair. But if you need a safe space anyway, you all you need to do is let me know ahead of time." She kisses Ylva's hand.
"I love you, and I just... want you to be safe... or a safe as you can."
Ylva:
"Thank you Klaire."
She smiles kissing the top of her head.
"I need to head home. Well. Home at the moment. I've been out a while and it gets harder to hold it together. But. Id like to see you again. If you want?"
Klaire
Klaire smiles at the kiss.
"I should get back to Rook...but yes. Wherever makes you feel safest is the right spot. And...of course Id like to see you again. Just let me know what I can do for you."
Ylva:
"No teleporting next time okay. I'll tell you where I am so you don't do that okay."
Klaire
"I...ok sounds good darling. Go get some rest, I can tell you need it." Klaire slowly stands up, offering a hand to Ylva to help her up.
Ylva:
"Thanks sweetie."
She takes her hand standing and trying to look composed.
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