The next time Annie comes in, there's a painting on her bedroom door. It's a watercolor of a ship and next to it, in handwriting that took Godric quite some time to perfect in ink, he's written out Dickenson's "Adrift! A little boat Adrift."
There's also a sticky note next to it that says: Don't worry-I just thought the words looked nice with the ship on the paper. I want to read it to you so don't read it yet - come wake me up.
It's been a rough week. She's doing fine, aside from the hole where her father-figure had been, so when she sees the picture it tugs her heart up and she spends several minutes smiling, examining it.
Then she crawls into Godric's bed, nudging herself up under his arm.
"I love the painting." It's so easy now to relax into him. She never had trouble really, the first night they stayed up talking she'd been pretty comfortable clinging to him, but it's different now: a calm knowledge that she's wanted here without any reservation. "Did you sleep good?"
An old joke. But a favorite. "Hm. Bring it here. I'll read the poem to you," he says, sitting up and turning around, reaching over to switch on the lamp.
She loves when Godric reads. His voice is soothing, makes it so easy to get enveloped in the words. The bit about the boat sinking gives her a flicker of sorrow, changed by the end into a grin.
"That's my boat," she says. And, tasting the word carefully, "Exultant." She isn't sure what it means except that it seems triumphant.
His smile is warm. "That would make sense for you," he tells her. "It means happy. Overwhelmingly so."
Closing the book, he takes a breath. "The poem is about the human spirit. How it responds to trials and tribulations. How it seems to drown, to go under, but humans always regroup. They draw themselves together. And they persevere. Exultantly."
He gives her shoulders a squeeze. "I don't mean to keep you all evening. I know you want to go out. But - I heard about Crozier and thought he would have liked you to have the reminder, as well."
"I needed this," she confesses. "Everyone who knew him liked him. I know my real dad wasn't anything like him, and that made me like him even more." He'd had all the advice and the warmth she'd imagined a father should have.
"He was a light. Warmth. And he cared for you. But the impact that he made on you won't fade," he promises, letting her go so he can get up and get ready to get dressed.
She nods, holding that in her mind for a bit before she gets up and hugs him, and starts for the door.
"Oh- you should get to know John. Uh, Constantine. I don't really know how many others there are but I think there are a lot. But you should be friends."
"Okay, good. And when I get back from bothering Sweeney we can gossip about things, 'kay?" Anything light, anything to keep her busy. She's trying to learn to sit with pain but it's a process to undo so many years of having mastered not feeling them.
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timeasmymeasure
After Blanky's announcement
Date: 2021-08-31 09:19 pm (UTC)There's also a sticky note next to it that says: Don't worry-I just thought the words looked nice with the ship on the paper. I want to read it to you so don't read it yet - come wake me up.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-31 09:33 pm (UTC)Then she crawls into Godric's bed, nudging herself up under his arm.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-31 09:38 pm (UTC)"Good evening," he mutters. "Did you find my painting or are you simply waking me up?"
no subject
Date: 2021-08-31 09:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-31 09:49 pm (UTC)An old joke. But a favorite. "Hm. Bring it here. I'll read the poem to you," he says, sitting up and turning around, reaching over to switch on the lamp.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 01:51 am (UTC)"I'm all ears."
no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 01:56 am (UTC)"Adrift! A little boat adrift!
And night is coming down!
Will no one guide a little boat
Unto the nearest town?
So sailors say, on yesterday,
Just as the dusk was brown,
One little boat gave up its strife,
And gurgled down and down.
But angels say, on yesterday,
Just as the dawn was red,
One little boat o'erspent with gales
Retrimmed its masts, redecked its sails
Exultant, onward sped!"
no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 02:44 am (UTC)"That's my boat," she says. And, tasting the word carefully, "Exultant." She isn't sure what it means except that it seems triumphant.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 02:52 am (UTC)Closing the book, he takes a breath. "The poem is about the human spirit. How it responds to trials and tribulations. How it seems to drown, to go under, but humans always regroup. They draw themselves together. And they persevere. Exultantly."
no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 02:55 am (UTC)"Is that why you like humans so much?"
no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 02:58 am (UTC)He gives her shoulders a squeeze. "I don't mean to keep you all evening. I know you want to go out. But - I heard about Crozier and thought he would have liked you to have the reminder, as well."
no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-09-01 07:36 pm (UTC)"Oh- you should get to know John. Uh, Constantine. I don't really know how many others there are but I think there are a lot. But you should be friends."
no subject
Date: 2021-09-02 12:38 am (UTC)He shrugs on a shirt, then decides he might as well take a shower. "Why should we be friends?"
no subject
Date: 2021-09-02 03:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-09-02 11:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-09-02 06:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-09-02 09:51 pm (UTC)