singillatim | divinity says "destiny can't be earned"

Yeah, I traded for it. [ Some of her rosehip syrup she took down with her. They didn't end up using it on the journey down, so it was useful to trade. The Coast is super open compared to up here in Milton. Maybe less sheltered places for things to grow. Molly was happy to take it off her hands. ]

The lady who runs it is actually... kind of scary, but I did tell her it wasn't for me and that I didn't drink anyway, so—

[ Didn't even need a fake ID after all. How about that. ]

How's Milton been?

Oh, you know. About the same.

[ So: occasional horrifying dangers interspersed between weeks of semi-normal life.

She heads back to the bar and sets the bottle there on the gleaming wood while she rummages for a roll of masking tape and a Sharpie. ]

He's not there, by the way. At your house.

Everything sucks and everybody's just trying to survive?

[ Totally wild that that's their normal, to be honest.

As Wynonna heads for the bar, Kate's moving towards the chairs at the fire Wynonna had motioned to. She carefully puts her backpack on the floor, and starts pulling off her coat when she freezes — a jolt of hot white crackling through her colours. Kate swallows, nodding shakily, tries to calm herself.

It's fine. It's okay.

She knew this wasn't going to be easy, coming back. As much as she does miss him. ]

Where is he?

[ Wynonna lifts a finger, tips it toward her with a click of her tongue. ]

Got it in one.

[ She glances up from where she's placing a length of tape on the bottle, setting the roll aside. ]

He's been at his old cabin.

I've, uh...

[ Ah, what a good opportunity for her to look away from Kate, down at the bottle as she writes out the type of liquor in block letters on the tape, her lashes low. ]

I've been staying there with him, so he's not alone.

He's doing a lot better.

[ Fortunately for Wynonna, Kate's not looking for her. She finishes taking her coat off, her lips pressed together tightly, and she puts it over the back of one of the chairs. Her hands rest on the top of it, gripping a tiny bit to balance herself.

Her throat feels tight and she's quiet for a long while until she nods. ]

Thank you for staying with him. [ Of course she know Wynonna would have. Like, she knows Wynonna cares for him. She inhales, a little shaky: good. ] I— I thought about him a lot. I hoped he'd be okay.

I reached out to him, like I did with you. I don't know if— I don't know if he heard me or not.

[ The thing with Aurora Call is when she reaches out, she never hears back. There used to be so many of them who could, but now? There's only Jopson and Rorschach who can talk back. ]

So, it— it's not happened again? Like at the church?

Edited 2025-07-13 19:52 (UTC)

[ Finishing up her makeshift label, Wynonna turns to set the bottle in with the rest of the stock, watching out of the corner of her eye as Kate lingers there by the chair.

It's the same armchair Edward likes to sit in. Funny how they're connected, even now. ]

Uh... like at the church? No.

[ Which isn't a total lie, really. He hasn't attacked anyone, unless they're counting her. But that's... different. ]

We found a workaround.

[ That's one way to describe 'found out if he feeds regularly off Wynonna herself, he's not going to starve and snap,' but, you know. Whatever works. ]

So that won't happen again, with anybody.

[ There's another shaky exhale, a huge breath — relieved. The sickly yellow and hot white eases out of her a little with that relief. God is good, she thinks.

But as Wynonna continues, she's turning her head to finally look at her —concerned. ]

A... work around? So— what, this is... this is something permanent, right? It wasn't a— [ One off. Kate pauses, thinking. ] This is why he's always been, I don't know. Sickly? Lately?

I thought it was maybe, like— all the things he'd been through, back home. I know there's no real way of treating Lead Poisoning here. I didn't think this was something—

[ Like what. She doesn't know. Her fingers curl against the fabric of the arm chair. ]

He was.... really bad, that day. He told me to get away from him, but— I thought he was sick, I just wanted to try to help.

[ Wynonna winces, just slightly, a flicker of a grimace that's there and gone again as she leans back against the wall behind the bar. ]

Yeah, I think it is permanent. And I'm pretty sure it's something from here, not from where he was before.

[ And like a moron he'd gone trying to push it down, to fight against it, like it wasn't some new part of his nature, same as being able to turn into the wolf.

This is a beast of a different sort.

Her mouth presses, wry, and her eyes soften a little as she looks over at Kate, who always wants to help. ]

I know, Kate. But he was... he was pretty bad off that day. He should never have gone with you to the church at all. He wasn't really himself.

But he's in better control now. We've, uh, worked on it. I think he'd rather cut off his own leg than risk hurting you again. Or anybody else, but...

[ Well. She shrugs, one shoulder lifting. Everyone knows how special the bond between Edward and Kate is. ]

Like... our powers? The ones Enola helps us get? [ Well, what else could it be. If it was something from here, that's the only thing she can think of. ] It doesn't make sense. Why would Enola do that? A power like that?

[ Whatever the Lieutenant done to her, she remembers how they'd been able to hear his thoughts in their heads afterwards. Just like Kate.

And how Tim had turned into a wolf, just like Edward. Kate feels nauseous at the thought, her face falling. ]

Oh, God— [ And she'd literally just smacked the heck out of him. And— has he had it the same amount of time? All the times she'd been alone with Tim— what if he'd done the same thing? He might have lost control the same way Lieutenant Little.

The colours around her darken, black seeps in with a cold, quiet dread. But she looks to Wynonna again, listening. ]

He's gonna have that weigh on him forever, isn't?

[ Of course he is, and Kate smiles sadly. ]

I'm— [ A sharp exhale, and it catches like a sob. She's not crying, but if she was — it's not tears of upset. ] I'm super glad he's doing okay.

Edited 2025-07-13 20:38 (UTC)

I don't—

[ Another flicker of a grimace. Edward's going to have to talk to her about this himself at some point, but who knows when that might be? Kate might still not want to see him for a long time, no matter how much she loves him. Carefully: ]

—I don't think it came from... Enola...

[ Yeah, that's bad enough, and so is this: the little catch and break in Kate's voice that has Wynonna pushing off the back of the bar and coming around toward her. She puts out an arm to slide it around Kate's shoulders, tugging her close for a moment before she gives her a nudge toward the chair. Sit down, kid. ]

Yeah, probably. He's pretty broken up about it, and you know how that guy likes to feel guilty.

[ A tiny smile as she comes to sit in the opposite chair, perched on the end of the cushion, leaning forward. ]

Kind of a lot for you both to deal with. But he knows he can't — I won't let him — come near you until A: he's sure he won't lose control and B: you want to see him. Okay?

[ Well, that is... a horrifying concept. A kind of ability that didn't come from Enola? Kate feels her throat tighten, because the only other thing she can think of— she doesn't wanna think of. Because no— not Edward Little, and not Tim Drake either.

She's easily nudged into sitting, like her feet are too light, like they're barely keeping themselves on the floor. It's an awful thing to think about— ]

I've been worried about he might not want to come home. [ Her voice is hushed once she's seated, and she wrings her hands a little. ] Because I don't think he'll forgive himself to come back.

[ And she's mournful about that, but— even with what Wynonna's saying. ]

I don't really know how I feel about it. I— I miss him so much, and I want to see him but— I don't know, I'm just— I feel really weird about it.

I've never really been able to put into words what he did and that's— it freaks me out a whole lot. It's just... really complicated.

[ Wynonna glances down at her hands, where the black nail polish she'd put on weeks ago has finally flaked almost entirely off. ]

I don't think he'll want to stay away forever, once you and Irving are back.

[ She can try to be good company, and she's... liked spending the time with him, staying with him, but she's not Kate, and she's not his friend from back home, either.

It's a weird little family they've cobbled together, but it works, for the most part. Up until now. She looks back up, considering Kate, her pale eyes sympathetic. ]

Are you scared of him?

... I guess you're right. [ It's a good point. It's easier to stay away when there's already distance — with her and Lieutenant Irving being down in Silverpoint. But with them back in Milton? Even with the guilt he feels, she's sure he'll miss them too much to stay away.

The question startles her a little, and she doesn't need the colours that ebb and flow around her to tell Wynonna that. For a brief moment, she's a deer in the headlights, and she... honestly doesn't really know how to answer the question. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, trying to find words.

And then it finally does come. ]

I love him, Wynonna. I... don't think I could be scared of him, not really. [ Her eyes are watery, and her smile is a sad one but genuine. Edward Little is someone she cares for dearly. He's family to her, and she adores him. He's a literal angel. ]

But— [ Sure, there's a 'but'. ] I'm scared of what he did. He hurt me, and— and I know if Tim hadn't been there, he'd have killed me.

And... that's scary. It's scary to know that.

divinity says "destiny can't be earned"

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