Cohost writing prompt: @Making-Up-A-Villain — Villain who sleeps with a stuffed animal
“Listen,” Night-Flight says, “I know, I know, questions are off the table, no getting-to-know-you shit, this is just — well, this was good. But I have to ask just one thing, okay, I have to—”
“The bear,” Metallia says wryly.
“The bear,” Night-Flight says, propped up on one elbow, gazing over the bed and her company in the bed to an entire taxidermied grizzly, lying on its side on the floor.
“When I came to your planet, after the death of mine,” Metallia said, “I was…your word would be trauma. And I heard of the custom you have here, of sleeping with the stuffed animal, for protection. And look! Bear! Made perfect sense to me. That is clearly a protector.”
Night-Flight nods judiciously. “I can see it,” she says.
Metallia shrugs. “You can laugh,” she says lightly. “It has been many years. I have more facility with your language and culture, and I have grieved my world, and I can sleep at night without a child’s stuffed protector—”
“Fuck that,” Night-Flight says. “Fuck that, and fuck whoever told you it was okay for them to laugh at you because you misunderstood. You understood the important part.” She rolls away, not looking at Metallia; there’s a code to these things. No mornings after; no questions. No feelings. Villain, villain, needs sated, parting of ways before things have any chance to go sour. It might be too much, to say anything. “I’m glad this fucking lousy world had anything that helped, even a little.”
Yeah. Probably too much.
“Whoever laughed at you, find ‘em one day and punch ‘em.”
Too much.
Metallia fists a hand in the back of the borrowed shirt Night-Flight slept in, halts her fleeing. Clears her throat a little. Is silent for a few seconds more.
“Sometimes,” Metallia says quietly, “I still need my bear to sleep.”
“Yeah,” Night-Flight says. “Ask me about Blåhaj some time,” and lets Metallia ease her back down to the pillows. Just for a while. Just because Metallia needs it, obviously. Whole planet died, she’s allowed a few needs.
Night-Flight will go in a bit. Before things have a chance to go sour.
