Work Text:
Natalya—
It was good to see you again. Really.
I hope this is actually your frequency, the file got corrupted a little and one of the numbers was messy-looking. I swore it was a 6, though, when I saw it.
Next time you’re around, we should do Consolation again. I can catch you up on all the dumb shit Godlove’s been up to since you’ve been gone.
Tea
**
two days later
Hey, Tea,
Yep, you got the number right! Sorry to hear the file corrupted on you— I’m really not sure what it could have been. I agree with you, about Consolation. It was nice to catch up, given, well— everything that happened, I guess.
When you get this, let me know about the mods I recommended for the Queen Custom, if you got a chance to install them. I’d offer to comm you and guide you through it, but Fairchild’s sending me out to Tetrakal for a bit and the service there is such shit you have no idea.
I’ll message as I can.
— Natalya
**
a week later
Natalya,
What the hells did I do without you and your technical genius? Mech’s flying smoother than ever— even the others have noticed. Lotz waggled eyebrows at me and asked when I got so good with my hands. I told him exactly what I could do with my hands and he just laughed more. You’d probably hate him, honestly.
Tetrakal! Well, that’s pretty far from Counterweight. Weather’s probably better there, though. Spring here is not great at all— gotta be nice to be missing it, right?
Tea
**
five weeks later
Tea,
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. Glad to hear the mods are working and that you’ve got such charming subordinates. Seems not much has changed, huh?
I’d rather Counterweight spring to where they’ve moved me. Turns out Tetrakal was sort of a pit-stop— I was only there for a couple weeks until they moved me to Ionias, of all places. Something something digging supervisory something.
I’m no good at this job, Tea. You were always the better people person.
I’ll probably be out of touch again, but hopefully not for a long time. Hopefully no more than a month and then I’ll be back on Counterweight and then, Constellation?
Already looking forward to it.
— Natalya
**
three days later
Natalya,
Constellation sounds great. And I’m sure whoever your subordinates are, they’re better behaved than my shitheads.
I won’t take up too much of your time. I’m sure Fairchild’s got you busy and is screening all your messages. Hello, Fairchild.
Good luck with the project.
Tea
**
a month later
Greaves—
It’s been a while since I heard from you. Last I knew you were on Ionias? Did you freeze or something?
You wouldn’t believe what I have to deal with right now. Couple of hotshot vigilantes thinking they can fix everything with a little elbow grease and some cheap tricks. One of them reminds me a little of Jace, actually. She’s just as much of an idealist, from what I can tell. And Sokrates’s younger sibling— Grant me patience.
Hopefully the worst trouble you’re dealing with is bitter cold and shitty people.
Tea
**
a few weeks later
Greaves—
If you didn’t want to talk to me again you could have just said. I get it if the memories of the end of the war are too much— trust me, I fucking get it. So you can be honest with me, if you wanna be done with me.
Tea Kenridge
**
several ???? later
Natalya—
It’s been a while.
Peace— Order— Saw Order again. In an old Dome where the Chime were causing problems. It was surreal, to see it sitting motionless there, like it was ten years ago and the War was still going on and we were all together again. Like Addax was— like Jace was—
You’d laugh at me, if we were in Constellation talking about this. You’d say I was being ridiculous. I wish you were laughing at me right now.
Where are you? I’m worried. Please respond.
Tea
**
seven weeks later, encrypted, later decrypted
tea
i miss the warmth i miss when the spring on counterweight was spring and we didnt have to wear masks and we could just be ourselves i miss glimmer and how the suns shone on the beaches and the faces of the people we helped do you remember tea i felt so warm then but now its all wrong im so cold all the time everything hurts i ache and i ache and i cant stop it feels like my heart is breaking and i dont know what to do tea please help me help me figure out how to make it stop killing me i need you to help me youre the only one i trust to make it stop hurting it hurts so much i dont know what to do im sorry im sorry i love you i always loved you maybe thats why everything hurts so much its draining me of everything i have and soon itll all be gone but i dont want to forget the way you smile the way you move it cant take that away from me please tea please help me make it stop please
**
six hours later
Candidate Ibex,
Years ago, we “fought” side-by-side in the Golden War. You were a super shitty person, but I think you’re the only one who can help me. I’m sorry I’m not coming to ask for your help in person, but the truth is you’re a smug bastard and I never want to see your goddamn face again. But it’s Natalya. Something’s taken her— she must have found something on Ionias, something bad. I got a friend to trace the last message she sent me and I’m forwarding you her last known coordinates. You have to help her. I’m desperate enough that I’ll offer you an open favor. Anything you want me to do, I’ll do it, and I won’t argue, no matter how fucked up it is. I can’t believe I’m doing this.
Help me, Candidate Ibex. Somehow, you’ve become my only hope.
Regretfully yours,
Tea Kenridge
**
several months and one wrecked planet later
Hey, Natalya,
Sorry I couldn’t be there when you woke up. I wish I could have been, trust me. I’m sure I’m a far better sight than Candidate [redacted] Ibex. And he’s probably going to redact that, since I’m sure you’re getting this message on Vanguard machinery. Hello, Ibex. [Redacted] you, Righteousness .
Don’t ask me what he’s asked me to do. That’s not why I’m writing.
I’m… not very good with words. I’m good with people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean good with words. I’m glad that I have a little distance and a little time to type out this message to you, because it’s important, but if I had the choice I’d be saying this to you in person.
Do you remember the night we spent on Glimmer, before Ibex got on board and ruined everything? When we split that bottle of cheap wine and tried to ignore the fact that everything was spiraling out of our control? I looked at you before I left and I saw the light glittering off your glasses and I wondered if you’d let me take them off for you. It was the stupidest thought in the world. Domestic as shit. The last time I’d had a domestic thought like that Jace and I had still been together.
I felt so young and fumbling then. Everything was suddenly weird. I was, luckily, able to chalk it up to Ibex being on board, and worked hard to keep everything under lock and key. I swore I’d wait and talk to you about it when everything ended, but then everything went to shit, and I never did.
Natalya, I don’t know if you remember the message you sent me. The last one. But if you meant what you said, if you loved me then, if you love me now, tell me. Please. And I’ll come back as soon as I can.
Tea
**
three hours later
Tea.
I did.
I did.
I do.
Please come back soon.
xx