#lbr max probably falls asleep on the blanket next to her

[givehimthemedicine]

Max guesses El must love the boundlessness of the sky. after being cooped up in the lab for her entire life, the first time she saw the stars must have been a wondrous moment. she pictures a skinny little girl taking her first step outside into freedom with eyes wide enough to reflect the entire universe.

actually, the first time El ever caught sight of the stars, it made her stomach sink. for her whole life, a little pinpoint of light meant that someone was watching, and the ceiling outside was studded with a million of them - endless and inescapable. she didn't know what they were, but they made her uneasy, and she hated to step out in the open where they could see her. she hid from them among the trees.

El understands now what stars are, and agrees that they're pretty, but she can't shake that memory. sometimes on wee summer mornings when she can't sleep, Max takes her outside to watch the dawn and its happy peachy clouds chase away the stars.