Bonne Nuit • Voyager x Medicine Pocket
“Bon voyage, they told her before she left… When I met her, I wished her sweet dreams with this piece.”
Synopsis — Voyager comforts the weary and insomniac Medicine Pocket with a secret lullaby she composed for her first earth friends.
Words — 2.3K including the bonus scene.
CWs — References to animal space programs.
A/N — Pure fluff!!! + In this fic, it is suggested that they already have an established relationship. It could be interpreted as romantic or not. Up to the reader, really. Also it contains my headcanon that Medpoc is a dog caretaker.
Last night wasn't a good night for the young researcher.
Enduring a tedious three-hour youth meeting at Laplace was bad enough, but it was followed by a private lecture filled with the same complaints they heard for years, endlessly repeated for a whole hour. Frustrated thoughts swirled in their mind — Decrepit old rats who fail to understand their work should just shut the fuck up, they think. The only thing preventing them from barking back was sheer exhaustion. The fatigue had caught up with them, otherwise they may have bitten someone, really.
The complaints themselves weren't the issue; The real problem lies in how they just wasted their damn time. They could have returned to the suitcase and done their own thing much earlier if only they hadn't been forced to endure the droning of old-timers. By the time they attempted to rest, they were too weary to sleep, resigning themselves to working on obligatory papers through the night... Yet achieving almost nothing by morning. The sense of frustration lingered - more precious time wasted.
…Perhaps it's a call to sleep. Or at least, they should try.
Medicine Pocket stifled a yawn as they wandered through the corridors of the suitcase. The early hour ensured that the halls were deserted, providing a rare moment of solitude. Despite the lack of activity, they still sought out a secluded corner where they could be undisturbed for a while.
As they made mindless beelines around the suitcase's main building, they couldn't help but catch a faint sound. To be precise, music. A very familiar tune played with a very familiar instrument. The violin. Accompanied by the sound of… pups? Wait, they recognize those barks! Those are their pups!!!
Medicine Pocket followed the sounds. Their exhaustion was momentarily forgotten as curiosity piqued their interest. As they rounded a corner, they were met with… Quite the sight.
Dappled sunlight poured through the windows, casting a soft glow upon the scene unfolding before the young researcher's eyes. There on the floor, in an isolated corner of the suitcase, sat Voyager, her slender frame illuminated by the morning light as she delicately wielded her violin. Beside her, their puppies frolicked and danced to the sweet strains of her music, their tails wagging with unabashed joy.
Her eyes were closed, a serene smile gracing her lips as she lost herself in the piece. Her glimmering hair would catch the sunlight in a subtle gleam of colors and bloom, akin to a celestial halo. The alien visitor was playing Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”, a quite popular classical piece but fitting for this moment. With the beagles frolicking playfully around her. They would catch her giggling when one of the puppies tried to climb onto her lap. Cute…
As they stood there, silently observing, one of the pups perked up when it caught eye of them. It immediately rushed to their feet, its tail wagging furiously as it bounded toward Medicine Pocket with unrestrained excitement. The others followed suit, their playful barks filling the air as they said hi to their beloved caretaker.
Caught off guard by the sudden attention, Medicine Pocket crouched down to greet their furry companions, a tired smile tugging at the corners of their lips. Despite the exhaustion weighing heavily upon them, the attention of their beloved pups filled them with a sense of warmth and comfort.
Voyager stopped playing, a gasp escaping her lips as she opened her eyes, her gentle gaze locking onto the newcomer with a mixture of surprise and delight. The music faded into silence as she watched them interact with their puppies, a smile of awe tugging at her lips. Voyager’s violin and bow vanished into thin air before she greeted Medicine Pocket with her usual cheerful wave, accompanied by a giggle. A truly pleasant sound.
They’re showered by the puppies’ licks and pawing but they manage to return her greeting with a weary but genuine grin.
Noticing their tiredness, she gestured at her own lap, patting them. They know what it meant, they’ve been here before. She’s offering them comfort as she did many times before. Despite her silence, Voyager is incredibly caring and observant. Not to mention a great listener, and an even better secret keeper. She’s the only one they could trust to stay by their side through the most risky and taboo self-experiments. The only one allowed to see that side of theirs. And the only one to hold their hand through it all. Especially since she revealed glimpses of her nature several times too. They know what lies under the mask of this ‘girl’. And they adore her for that.
That said, they are close enough to her to lay their head on her lap.
With one pup held closely to their chest, another also on Voyager’s lap right next to their head, and the others scattered around them, they sighed contentedly. She smiled at them as she gazed down, a smile they’d seen many times, a smile that never fails to ease them. The soothing floral fragrance of her uniform and hair, added by the scent of the sun and freshly washed dogs, was a great change in comparison to Laplace’s clinical, chemical, and antiseptic-riddled atmosphere.
Delicate fingers traced their scalp as Voyager carefully untucked the scissors from their hair, causing their locks to fall loose. She set it aside before returning to pat them. Her other hand lingers on the pup snuggling on their torso, also patting the little guy. Their gloved hand would join her, caressing the pup’s back. It barked with soft glee at the attention.
“Mmh… You took care of the puppies while I was away, didn’t you?… I didn’t ask you to. But thank you. Daisy smells great for once,” they finally spoke out, their voice thick with gratitude and fatigue.
She nodded, giggling again. Her other hand, the one that had been patting them, suddenly moved towards their face, gently caressing their cheek. A gesture that is a bit surprising. Medicine Pocket blinked at the sudden change of pace. Her hand was so smooth and warm. It was a good kind of surprise.
Their eyes closed, leaning to the touch. They sighed once again, their lips tugging into a soft smile. “I hate everyone at Laplace. I missed my friends. I missed you, too. I kind of wished we could go on an outing this morning but I… Urgh… I’m so fucking tired. I can’t sleep either… It’s just… Damn it.”
Voyager listened attentively as always. She gave their cheek another pat before moving to the top of their head, gently stroking their messy locks. A gentle signal to ‘go on’. One they understood since they confided in her countless times before.
They chuckled and obliged. “I had to endure those damn old people yapping about the same shit again. It was a waste of time. I could have been doing other things. I could have finished my projects, you know? It was so damn annoying. I wanted to leave but… They kept me there because they told me it’s good for me. They’re probably jealous of me, right? I can bet that it is. Hah! They wished they have my guts to do the things I do. They would still say things like age doesn’t matter, but continue to think they know better than me. It pisses me off… They also made me do some papers. What’s the point of research papers really? The results are right there! I…” they continued to ramble on.
The alien visitor simply sat there and listened. Her hands still moved in soothing, repetitive motions. The puppies have also joined in the soothing, providing comfort in their own ways, like snuggling and nuzzling. They can feel their own breathing calming, the tension in their body loosening. They didn't realize it earlier. Their rambling was a way for them to let go of their pent-up frustrations, allowing their mind to settle down and their body to relax.
A long pause fell over them. A sigh escaped their lips. They then looked up at her and said, “...I'm sorry. I was rambling. I think… I really need to sleep.”
“Ah!” Voyager’s eyes widened as if a lightbulb flashed in her head.
“Hm?” Medicine Pocket looked at her curiously.
She smiled at them, materializing her violin and bow in her hands. Before they could say anything, she spoke. Her voice was barely above a whisper. Yet it was loud and clear enough for them to hear.
“I think… I want to share a new secret with you,” she began.
Her words surprised them. She never initiated any topic of conversation before. It's always them who start talking about themselves and the things they did. It's a bit jarring, but not unwelcome.
Their eyes remained fixed on her.
She moved the bow in one slow stroke, eliciting a gentle long note from her violin.
She continued, "I made it… For one of my first earth friends while I was in orbit. And I… I think she slept very well… So I kept playing it for the next 49 friends who came after her before I touched ground with earth…” Her voice was soft, and her eyes were cast somewhere far far away as if she was reminiscing a fond memory.
She motioned the bow in the opposite direction, playing a lighter note. “I haven’t played it for a long… Long time. But I want you to hear it… Perhaps… It can help you sleep, too.”
They have a hunch on who these 50 friends are; The pups sent to space in the 50s and 60s by the humans. They expected Voyager to know about them, but to actually make contact with them? And play a song for them? They were surprised and a little touched. It is a beautiful thought. And somewhat… Comforting. Is that why she adores puppies very much?
“Do I deserve to hear it?” they asked her. She merely responded with a soft chuckle, continuing to play.
Her playing is delicate and slow. They could see her eyes close, the smile on her lips growing. A peaceful look on her face. The melody is gentle and relaxing, reminding them of moonlight and stars. The puppies seemed to have noticed, as their tails began wagging more slowly, their soft barks quieting.
Medicine Pocket let out a long, contented sigh, their eyes fluttering shut as they settled against her lap. They didn’t mind the puppies snuggling and settling around their body.
They listened quietly.
The lullaby sounded like a gentle goodbye. Goodbye to the tiredness. Goodbye to the weariness. Goodbye to the frustration. Goodbye to the pain. Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye. It was a gentle lullaby of farewell, and a gentle hello of tomorrow. A lullaby that said: "It's okay now. A sweet dream is waiting for you. Rest, dear friend." Behind the sense of departure, there’s also a hint of yearning for home. Or perhaps, a welcome.
The soothing melody wrapped around them like a blanket. It was as if they were drifting away in the middle of a starry sky. Slowly, ever so slowly, they could finally sleep.
Their breathing steadied, and the last thing they heard before drifting to slumber was a faint, reassuring whisper.
“…Bonne nuit.”
Bonus Scene
“Erm… Ugh…”
Medicine Pocket wobbled their way out of the room they slept in. It was already afternoon, so the morning sun they departed with had turned into the warm saturated hues of a sunset by the time they woke up. Voyager and the pups were nowhere to be seen when they awoke, and she must have moved them to the couch with a blanket draped over them (woah she’s pretty strong… But alas, they’re a lanky person).
They reached the lobby. It was quite lively. There’s the girl scout and the girl with a red hood helping that one bunny girl in the kitchen, the TV girl presenting some sort of slideshow about cooking grilled cheese with Lilya’s plane to the pilot herself who looked intrigued, the infamously spooky twins playing cards with the photographer spirit and Necrologist (she’s losing), and so on… Some greeted them, some didn’t.
With the blanket held close to their chest, they kept looking out for the alien with blue hair. They couldn’t find her inside, so they went to the wilderness.
Unsurprisingly, they almost immediately found sitting at the picnic spot, taking a rest from walking their dogs. When she noticed them, she immediately smiled warmly and waved at them. The dogs responded in kind to their presence too, trying to run to them while barking happily, but held fast by the leashes held firm by Voyager’s hand.
Their face lit up, and they briskly made their way to her. “Hey!!! Hi!!! I slept well!!!” they declared with newfound energy. The puppies started to climb up their leg the moment they were in range.
She giggled. She seemed to have noticed the change in their energy level. They could see her shoulders move as she silently laughed.
They sat next to her and let the puppies pile onto them.
After they petted the puppies, they snuggled up to her. She leaned onto their shoulder. A gesture they reciprocated, resting their cheek on her head. They felt her body warmth, along with the faint smell of the sun and her flowery perfume as the usual. They smiled, sighing in relief.
She picked up a box near her lap, and opened it to reveal their favorite — Plain white bread with a little butter on it as a treat. She offered one to them, which they bit and ripped with their shark-like teeth like, well, a dog of course. It was soft, buttery, and still warm. Their favorite. What bliss. She fed some to the pups, too. The puppies certainly wolfed it down, making an endearing mess all over the mat, blanket, and their laps. The two could only laugh it off.
After that, they will be the one to walk the dogs. And then perhaps go back to whatever work they have going on. But now, that doesn’t matter. They’re in good company. This mysterious, lovely, alien darling, and the many many lively pups.
It was a good morning… Afternoon, I mean. Godspeed to their sleeping schedule.
