[ it works. whether or not he means it to, it is all karen really needs. the fact that it seems to go both ways would only make it better, make her feel less like she is being taken care of and more like she might be able to provide something, anything, in return. but these are all things they can deal with when they aren't in imminent danger, and now that karen doesn't feel adrift, she can actually do something about getting them out. both of them.
she doesn't really want to extract herself from him, the physical touch doing a lot to keep her grounded, but she can't be the reason either of them are slowed down. there is a way out of this, and a key part is that both of them need to be able to move. to search. and there's something in his eyes, in the things he doesn't say when she mentions you too, okay? settles that for her, too. it isn't just a hallucination, it isn't just her own regrets coming back to haunt her. there is something going on in this room, in this building, is happening to them both. and if anything she just heard about herself might be something he is seeing, dealing with...
him being here is what pulled her out of her trance. so, maybe, her being here can keep him from doing the same.
he rubs at the back of his neck, and Karen watches him, waits - patient - for him to come to some kind of decision. when he spares her a glance, she gives him a small smile- trying to be reassuring, trying to communicate even a fraction of how relieved she is not to be doing this alone. he says both of us and she nods. ]
Both of us.
[ that is when he starts off, and she does too - hands flitting through drawers and stacks of notes, papers that mean nothing and mean, maybe, a little too much. but she's able to keep herself steady this time, glancing back to see the span of his shoulders not too far off every now and then, as if to remind herself, to root herself back in this.
she's tossing another box - some kind of research notes, she thinks, but she can't be sure - over the edge of the desk to get it out of her way when he comes closer to her, drawing her attention to the binder in his hands. instructions he says, flatly, and karen's already reaching for the pages, not quite ripping them out of his hands but very much taking them, her eyes scanning over the words and symbols. instructions, yes, but also the code- the code. ]
This is it. [ she says, definitively, her eyes turning to him with a kind of overwhelming relief. ] You found it! [ and then, without any warning, Karen is tossing her arms over his shoulders in a tight hug. it's a second later that she pulls away, realizing she'd gotten swept up in it all, and she looks a little sheepish as she scans the pages again. ]
Okay- okay. [ her eyes go over to the window, the glass that separates them both from the outside. she looks at him and then makes her way towards it, assuming he'll follow. ] If the panel's outside, then we either need to find a way to it, or- [ when they make it to the glass, karen's looking out into the darkness, worrying at her lip. ].
Someone just needs to come by, and we can show them this. They'll go back and punch it in, and it should open the window.
[ it's a bit delayed, the heaviness of her realization. of the understanding he might have had a few minutes before. someone else has to complete this next step. someone else, hopefully, who isn't locked in here with them. she scans the darkness and the rain outside of the window before turning back to him, doing just about everything she can not to let that brief flash of hope slip through her fingers.
no subject
she doesn't really want to extract herself from him, the physical touch doing a lot to keep her grounded, but she can't be the reason either of them are slowed down. there is a way out of this, and a key part is that both of them need to be able to move. to search. and there's something in his eyes, in the things he doesn't say when she mentions you too, okay? settles that for her, too. it isn't just a hallucination, it isn't just her own regrets coming back to haunt her. there is something going on in this room, in this building, is happening to them both. and if anything she just heard about herself might be something he is seeing, dealing with...
him being here is what pulled her out of her trance. so, maybe, her being here can keep him from doing the same.
he rubs at the back of his neck, and Karen watches him, waits - patient - for him to come to some kind of decision. when he spares her a glance, she gives him a small smile- trying to be reassuring, trying to communicate even a fraction of how relieved she is not to be doing this alone. he says both of us and she nods. ]
Both of us.
[ that is when he starts off, and she does too - hands flitting through drawers and stacks of notes, papers that mean nothing and mean, maybe, a little too much. but she's able to keep herself steady this time, glancing back to see the span of his shoulders not too far off every now and then, as if to remind herself, to root herself back in this.
she's tossing another box - some kind of research notes, she thinks, but she can't be sure - over the edge of the desk to get it out of her way when he comes closer to her, drawing her attention to the binder in his hands. instructions he says, flatly, and karen's already reaching for the pages, not quite ripping them out of his hands but very much taking them, her eyes scanning over the words and symbols. instructions, yes, but also the code- the code. ]
This is it. [ she says, definitively, her eyes turning to him with a kind of overwhelming relief. ] You found it! [ and then, without any warning, Karen is tossing her arms over his shoulders in a tight hug. it's a second later that she pulls away, realizing she'd gotten swept up in it all, and she looks a little sheepish as she scans the pages again. ]
Okay- okay. [ her eyes go over to the window, the glass that separates them both from the outside. she looks at him and then makes her way towards it, assuming he'll follow. ] If the panel's outside, then we either need to find a way to it, or- [ when they make it to the glass, karen's looking out into the darkness, worrying at her lip. ].
Someone just needs to come by, and we can show them this. They'll go back and punch it in, and it should open the window.
[ it's a bit delayed, the heaviness of her realization. of the understanding he might have had a few minutes before. someone else has to complete this next step. someone else, hopefully, who isn't locked in here with them. she scans the darkness and the rain outside of the window before turning back to him, doing just about everything she can not to let that brief flash of hope slip through her fingers.