Tag: control

True colours of space

Holidays and vacation made her nervous. Her everyday routine was gone and someone else dictated when and where she would be. She felt untethered.

“You spend all your time working,” he said. “All your time in charge. Let someone take care of you for a little bit.”

Because he was her friend, she agreed to it. She wasn’t upset or anything. Just nervous. What would happen while she was gone? What if everything fell apart?

She opened her eyes when she felt the ship pull into orbit. She had let him control everything. It was only for a little bit. She was tired.

“Remember the time we saw those pictures of the Aurora Borealis?” he asked her.

“Yes.”

He opened up the filters. “This isn’t like that at all.”

And when she saw what true colours could be like in space, the nervousness was gone. She was untethered, she was free. She had no regrets in the world.

Unsurprised

“I can’t say I’m surprised to see you arrested.”

At first, when Raz looked at Zamir, he didn’t seem all that impressed. Then his eyes widened, likely in the shock of seeing him here in a completely different place. Zamir took quite a bit of pleasure from that. “Well I’ll be. This is a bit away from home, is it not, inspector?”

Zamir knew Raz was playing it up, but Zamir was in control this time and therefore would not be rattled by anything the avian-like man said. “That is the thing about having an official position. You go many places.”

“And this has nothing to do with you-know-who?”

“I can multitask,” Zamir replied, completely nonchalant. “I see whatever crime you have committed wasn’t serious.”

Raz sighed. “Misunderstanding. With me and a car.”

“Your car?” He couldn’t imagine that Raz could drive.

Raz smirked. “Naw.”

He wasn’t going to specify, but that was all right. Zamir tapped a finger against his chin. “This is a bit away from home, is it not, Raz? What brings you here?”

The look on his face said that Raz didn’t want to say.

Which meant Zamir was in control this time.

Gamers

The growl escaped him unintentionally, but he knew the instant it happened. As did his fellow gamer, who looked thrilled about his loss of temper, as they always did.

“Not in control now, are you?”

He didn’t deign to respond, because it was true. If just for the sound, not for the game. But saying otherwise would be a rapid loss of control and that was what they were waiting for. He focused on the screen, wondering when their co-op mode had turned into some sort of competition. Not that he was surprised, he just wished he had been more on point for when it had. Losing wasn’t an option for him. At least, not one he wanted to accept.

The occasional chuckle from them was his only clue as to how well they were doing. He could glance over, but he knew they were waiting for that, if just to pick up all of the loot and run off ahead. With gritted teeth, he kept his focus on his character and moved onward.

“Behind?”

“You wish.”

When he won, it was by a few points as their scores tallied up in front of the both of them. He felt the tension melt from him as he glanced over at them.

They grinned back at him. “Not too shabby. It’s almost as though you didn’t lose your temper for a moment then.”

It took little effort to fight back a similar retort, instead smiling back smoothly with a very pleasant expression. “What temper?”

They still laughed, but he didn’t mind.

At least now he was in control.