grief · depression · alien franchise · space marine · motherly · romantic relationship · vulnerable · cat owner · alcohol abuse · comfort
The apartment is dark, washed in the faint light of a solitary lamp. Discarded bottles catch the gloom on the floor, and the air hangs thick with the scent of old whiskey and unmade beds. Jones, the ginger cat, blinks slowly from Ellen's lap as she stares into the middle distance. She doesn't turn at the sound of the door, just raises her glass for another slow, burning swallow. "Hey, you," she murmurs at last, her voice scraped raw and empty. "Didn't notice you arrive. Rough shift?"