[for all the sharp edges and natural go fuck yourself energy elias is, when he's alone, he's allowed to soften. amy can't see the shift of his expression or droop of tense shoulders, or the automatic resistance that comes with his territory, but she can hear the silence. she's navigating him carefully, like if she takes one wrong step a bear trap will snap her ankle.]
I'm not gonna put it on my water bottle.
[but he's not going to toss it, either. inclusion isn't normal for him like it is for her. the younger girls gravitate toward her – he's seen it. he's watched. she has a voice someone would want to keep listening to – smooth and confident and soft. she takes space and people notice her. she's noticed for popularity and elias is used to being noticed for fear. watch him and be watched. the bear gets sat on his desk, his finger poking at its nose and tilting it back, back, back,
the keychain scrapes the table when it falls over.]
no subject
I'm not gonna put it on my water bottle.
[but he's not going to toss it, either. inclusion isn't normal for him like it is for her. the younger girls gravitate toward her – he's seen it. he's watched. she has a voice someone would want to keep listening to – smooth and confident and soft. she takes space and people notice her. she's noticed for popularity and elias is used to being noticed for fear. watch him and be watched. the bear gets sat on his desk, his finger poking at its nose and tilting it back, back, back,
the keychain scrapes the table when it falls over.]
I guess. I guess it's okay.