Squishy Buzz Lightyear ([info]devise) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2021-04-01 19:28:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	ol'lum vav'ok, roman cortez

DUDE LOOKS LIKE LADY
ROMAN CORTEZ & OL'LUM VAV'OK
CHEZ CORTEZ, GASWORKS // LATE AFTERNOON, APRIL 1, 2658


Tap. Tap. Tap. It was a small device installed into the wall next to the door. Nacho didn't need to look up and whine, didn't need to stare and hope, instead he simply used it to show that he wanted to go out. It was nothing less than a typical day for Roman, outside of the weirdness he had found that was far from manufactured. But he couldn't fathom what exactly could have caused this. Had there been more than playing with time and space, was there something extra to those prisoners? He chose not to believe as much because the logic of science was far from his department. At least in such areas.
Taking the hint, his feet came down off the table, moving to grab his shoes and the dog leash. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." Purposely trying to sound exasperated, as though how dare he ask to go out. But in truth, it was Roman's favorite thing. To get out and play, more or less. A small bag designated for dog walks grabbed too. Except just as he was about to head out the door, there was a strange man standing outside of it. Strange by fact that Roman didn't know him. How did he get here? Where was he going?

"Are you lost? Looking for a specific door number?" The man was quiet, and it gave Roman more pause. Nacho, however, wagged his tail and barked, as if to speak his own two cents here. Unphased, Roman only added, "Are you okay?"


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[info]extrospect
2021-04-02 02:03 am UTC (link) Track This
For most of her life, Ollie had been under strict instruction and education in the art of carrying herself like a lady. There was a certain finesse that she had mastered which served almost as a calming agent and certainly as a confidence boost. While she was able enough to keep her wits about her in spite of the current situation, she lacked even the slightest intuition as to how the man who normally occupied this body would or should behave. Because her mind’s abilities so often made up for a pointed lack in lasting observation, Ollie was without any real frame of reference beyond what she could see in front of her today. And considering that half of the men she’d encountered weren’t really men at all, it was hard to gauge her own actions by theirs.

Walking down the street, she’d developed a sort of unconscious swagger that felt fitting to the limbs and joints she was currently sporting. If anyone made eye contact she offered them a nod or a smirk in lieu of any real attempts at conversation. Luckily, most people were distracted enough not to notice much about her at all as she made her way through Gasworks towards Roman’s address. Although she’d hesitated about involving her boss in this dilemma, he was easily the person whose advice she trusted most. And he was a man which, frankly, was exactly what she needed right now.

Running into him in the hallway saved her the awkwardness of having to knock. Or so she thought. Her face lit up at the sight of him but fell again quickly when his lack of recognition reminded her of the foreignness of her own body. She could read concern in the tone of his speech but the words were a jumble of sound to her ears. Fumbling for her communicator to translate, she struggled with finding the right buttons and sighed in frustration. Finally giving up, she raised her shoulders in frustration before an idea struck her. It made her smile in spite of herself.

Tucking the communicator back into her pocket, Ollie looked Roman in the eye and then whipped out both hands, thumb and forefingers spread wide in finger guns. “AY!” she added, her eyes shining with excitement in knowing he was sure to recognize her this way.
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[info]devise
2021-04-03 11:09 pm UTC (link) Track This
The expression caught of this random man in the hall wasn't lost on Roman. Maybe the man really did need some help. At least that was the thought until the man wasn't speaking and pocketing his communicator. What was really going on here? A friendly expression quickly became more puzzled, at least until there was a fixed moment in time. Something that had happened not more than a week before. Except at the time, the rolls had been reversed and there had been plants and actual speaking.

After this morning's run-in with Dr. Caspian, Roman shook his head. No, this couldn't be happening. Was everyone effected? Had his brain chemistry been so weird that he lucked out, or the fact that he enjoyed pranks so much that this one passed him over? Worse, where to go from here? The loss of time and space, finally leading them through a wormhole back to the station, back to this?

"Ollie?" he asked, a little more flabbergasted and in more of a rushed whisper. Looking back and forth down the hall, and much to Nacho's chagrin, ushering the man on inside. The park would come, but not before attempting to sort this out. "What's going on?"
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[info]extrospect
2021-04-03 11:35 pm UTC (link) Track This
Never in 31 years of life had she ever been so relieved to hear the sound of her own name. She nodded vigorously and followed his gaze up and down the hallway as if suddenly concerned about some kind of outside threat. Once they were safely inside, however, she fell back to lean against Roman’s closed front door and raised her shoulders in a shrug. A moment of utter confusion passed between them before she reached for her communicator again, this time without the pressure of needing to get it done quite so quickly. Her fingers moved much more deftly now that she was feeling less under duress. “I don’t know what’s going on,” her translated voice admitted, “I know who I am but I don’t know why.”

Typing out everything she wanted to say was almost equally as frustrating as the confusion that had been plaguing her since she first opened her eyes. Her fingers couldn’t work nearly as fast as her brain and she was desperate to be able to make normal conversation. “Can you help me?” she typed and then held out the device toward him, typing in an added phrase but speaking in her native tongue before she hit send so he might know what she was asking, “translate speech?” If there was a better application on there that she didn’t know about, maybe Roman could find it. She’d never needed it and never thought to look before she found herself completely unable to understand or be understood.

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	Squishy Buzz Lightyear ([info]devise) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2021-04-01 18:41:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	kamaria caspian, roman cortez

TACO TIME
ROMAN CORTEZ & KAMARIA CASPIAN
TED'S CANTINA, 11AM // APRIL 1, 2658


On his way out of Step-In, a child handed him a plastic egg. Half yellow, half purple. A gift to him, he was quick to thank. Curiosity beaming, as brightly as the child's smile. He knew he was in for it, oh how he knew. Opening it up to find a holo of a bug moving, he feigned fear and jumped back. Still holding the egg, the over dramatics pouring from him as a whirl of giggles came from the small girl. A hand over his chest, as he put the egg back together and handing it back. "Phew, you really got me." As he headed for the direction of Ted's Cantina, he looked back to see the little girl try to pass off the egg to another. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but laugh.
Today was that day, one of the best days there was by any means. A day of fun and games, as long as no one was hurt. The much earlier conversation happened, leading to this lunch. A bad day being had, and while he didn't know what that meant he offered lunch. Food seemed to quell most issues with the medic. If it wasn't puns and bad jokes about file management.

Waiting with only a glass of water and a promise for company to lay out the heavy load of whatever was going on, Roman played around on his communicator. Not a single familiar face showing up, or anywhere near him. A bit curious, he wasn't sure where Dr. Caspian was, she typically showed up a little quicker than all of this. Had he given the wrong time? No, that couldn't be it.


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[info]medcheck
2021-04-02 03:05 am UTC (link) Track This
The morning should have started just like any other day. The alarm waking her up way too early. Her robotic raven crawling up her bed to gently nudge her awake. An exchanged to follow between the bonded pair. However this morning was anything but any other day. She instead woke up bleary eyed from fatigue, barely able to open her eyes. Stretching she rolls her head back only to open her eyes and realize that is not a familiar ceiling. Lowering her head the view became grim. The stark surroundings were not familiar, they were not her own. Kamaria blinked.

She blinked again and shook her head, running hands over her face. The hands larger than her own, the face more gruff than she was used to. Slowly her eyes trailed around her surroundings, taking everything in. Her breathing quickened as she remained stationary. Finally peeling back the blankets to find reality slapping her in the face. This is not her body. But how could this be?! She was in her bed only hours ago. HShe hadn't had alcohol the night before and this was not one of those dreams where you wake up and think it's real still.

Panic ensued, resulting a scramble to make sense and come to terms with what was happening. A meeting among friends, just someone to believe her, to help her make sense of it all. She knew she was late as she tripped over herself getting dressed. She couldn't tell much from her surroundings on who he was so she took liberties in how he would appear today. Heading for food she chose to walk, taking longer from not being at her own home so directions were a little different. Her hands stayed in her pockets as she looked at the floor below her as she walked up. Recognizing the familiar face she let out a sigh of relief and quickened her pace. Removing her hands from her pockets once more she slid into the seat opposite him. "Sorry I was late. I told you the chicken wings came in too hot. Files got involved and it was a bloody mess."
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[info]devise
2021-04-03 12:24 am UTC (link) Track This
As a man, whom Roman had never met before, simply slid into the seat opposite of him, the air felt frozen. Stuck stationary, as his gaze slowly moved upward to take in everything that was going on. Almost as if to critique it for how real it may or may not be. A case of mistaken identity? Perhaps. It seemed the most logical, at first. It wasn't some uncommon thing, even though he couldn't recall a time where someone actually mistook him for another person.

But even as he regarded this man, taking in features in hopes of finding some semblance of recognition where there was none, it was his words that hit him hard. Those words were the ones that were uttered from another, on a rather regular basis. The voice was foreign to him, but these words, how could he know them? There was a pause, as though Roman were waiting for an explanation. An April Fool's joke to end all jokes? Payback for the rubber rat incident? A hostage situation that still required the needed transfer of funds or information that was about to be dropped on him?

Blinking, wishing to be torn from this dream or nightmare, he wasn't sure. Had he ever really left timeloop hell? "What's going on?" The words fell all too calmly from a near expressionless face. Brow slowly beginning to knit as he searched for a glitch in this hoax.
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[info]medcheck
2021-04-03 04:56 am UTC (link) Track This
She wasn't even thinking about upkeep with her current body. She didn't know how long she was going to be like this and if she could actually do anything about it she would be back to her regular self by the end of the day. Things happened on their missions, it shouldn't happen so close to home. They were supposed to be safe but here she was in yet another turn of events on Terminus. There had been numerous strange happenings since she came here about a year ago. This was something so bizarre she couldn't give rhyme or reason.

Closing her eyes a moment she exhaled, visibly distraught over everything. The face across from her familiar, and trying to digest what he was seeing before him. She almost thought it cruel to try and convince someone else to wrap their head around it. But she didn't know who else to turn to as he was the last person she contacted before this happened. And still she couldn't remember where it all went wrong. She messaged him, got ready for bed, got Poe situated and went to sleep in her small apartment in gasworks. Only to awaken in a sparsely lived in apartment in Winlock Park. How could she help him understand what she didn't?

Shaking her head her eyebrows knitted in a furrow as she tried to wrap her head around everything. But all she could do is panic in her head. "I don't know Ro. I went to bed me, and woke up not me in a strange place, but me. I woke up with a dick and I don't mean a bad date." The cadence in her voice shaky as it made even less sense to her the more she tried to explain. She couldn't outside of what she already knew. She wanted to calm down, but she couldn't focus causing herself to get frustrated. Little did she know her host had some abilities, and that resulted in Roman's chair pushing back and falling over. Although she didn't even think of hurting him or how it could happen she knew it was something she did. Standing up she went around the table to help him and the chair up. "Fuck, I'm so sorry. I'm feeling a little less Maria Maria and more unwell."
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[info]devise
2021-04-03 10:53 pm UTC (link) Track This
The simple, raw emotion of the voice hit him far more than the words used. Some confusion at being called Ro, as he fully expected Ronan to pop up out of the blue. Possibly as the man this one was waiting to see? At least until the explanation came, leaving Roman far more worried than he was a moment ago. It didn't matter as much as to who this was, as something was very wrong. It only made him want to help, at least as far as he could. Perhaps it was a case of dementia that wasn't age related, but from dehydration. He didn't look as though he bumped his head or had an specific ailments.

He wanted to ask what that meant, how one would or could wake up with a dick, and not be a bad date? Would that be too much information? Did that lean into asking a stranger questions about sexuality? But even as he thought this over, an unforeseen force pushed him faster than he could move. Shoving him back and down leaving his eyes to go wide in the moment. Back slammed against the chair as it hit the floor. The air efficiently knocked out of him.

A hand moved to the back of his head, rubbing it before he even attempted to move. Whatever had just happened, it wasn't anything he could make sense to place blame on anyone. At least until the man came around apologizing as though he had been the cause. Eyes wide and even a bit wild with recognition, he moved to pull himself up. The reference here wasn't lost on him, as he had specifically given her a nickname due to a song. Even making references to it, as he called her Maria, or even shortening it to Mari. "Caspian?" he asked, as though to question the references. To put an end to whatever this was and hope it reached a better point of explanation.
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[info]medcheck
2021-04-04 12:27 am UTC (link) Track This
She knew what it looked like. She had to have been crazy, making herself comfortable or at least pulling up a seat opposite a stranger wasn't something that happened every day. But here she was trying to get him to recognize it was her. If anything, it would ,prove to herself that she wasn't just seeing things. That she really wasn't herself. He hadn't been affected, and that startled her. Why was this only some people, how was this chosen for who would be swapped. There were far too many questions, far too many variables. There was no way it had something to do with these strangers doing the same thing at the same time. It certainly wasn't because it was asked for. She wouldn't have asked for this in a million light years.

"Yes!" Her eyes wide, words spoken with excitement that he understood her. Even though she knew she didn't have the best way of speaking in this moment. Everything was frantic, jumbled, unable to make sense of anything. But through it all she hoped she could feel somewhat normal in this, hopefully temporary fiasco. "That god, I was starting to think I really was going crazy, Roman." Letting him sit down again she went back around the table and sat back down. "See why I said booze? It's Thursday and I'm dealing with a whole to do list of problems." There was being vulnerable and then there was being utterly helpless in someone elses body asking someone else who can't do anything to help.

"I went to bed with Poe on his perch by my bed and woke up somewhere totally different, with a whole different body but all my, Maria memories and personality and the such." Shaking her head she didn't know what could have caused it. "As far as I can tell I wasn't drugged, didn't do anything or eat anything out of the ordinary." Letting out a defeated sigh she shook her head. "I don't know what to do." She spoke the words softly before looking across the table at Roman.
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	fletch, emil & roman // march 24
[info]build
2021-03-22 02:40 am UTC (link) Track This
When Fletch wasn't working in the engine room, or trying to fix any other number of problems that had arisen in the ship, or trying to deduce what was out there in the empty space they'd found themselves in, or loading into shuttles to investigate, or theorising the science of wormholes and how they could get out of it without anyone, ever, having been able to create or remove a wormhole of their own volition that Fletch knew of — when Fletch wasn't doing that, all he wanted to be was left alone. He knew it wasn't fair, wholly knew that he was behaving unlike himself, had been for the last little while, both more forgetful than usual and now snippier. He'd snapped at Ronan before they'd even left the station, and now this — trapped here, and it was his fault, he was sure of it, his fault that the ship hadn't dragged them away from the pull of the wormhole fast enough — Fletch found his nerves frayed beyond repair.

Ventru wasn't helping, either. Or the image of Ventru, whatever it was, the odd cajoling every now and then, the laughter, the teasing. Fletch couldn't focus enough on one thing — couldn't focus on fixing anything, not with Ventru breathing down his neck, and he certainly couldn't focus enough to answer the legitimate concern of a friend. Emil had been talking to him now for — Fletch couldn't track the time. He didn't know. He was screwing bolts in the engine room and trying not to listen, because every time Emil spoke Ventru copied him, imitating him, talked over him, and Fletch thought his head was about to burst.

"Will you shut up." Fletch snapped, suddenly, finally, whirling around on Emil with a hot cutting look shot his way. "I'm fine and I need you to stop bothering me or else we'll never get out of this forsaken place."
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[info]futurity
2021-03-22 08:15 am UTC (link) Track This
Much of his concerns traveled from crewmate to crewmate, appearing like a sheen of droplets before him. Swarming against his consciousness like a buzzing family of bees. Buzzing endlessly until he gave it concentration. Gave any of it life, and when it did he sought out the most whom were the clearest in view. Sharpened like a crisp picture depicting their worst, even if their worst was difficult to translate through ribbons of imagery, his voice of concern wasn't out to annoy the ships engineer or the person who would know of the correct direction to link theoretical notions with another as a sure shot.

The fear of being stagnant and unable to reach a proper destination home, hadn't dawned upon Emil. Not like the way his fear of Fletch losing parts of himself, the rational, the sharp, and a gentleness he had not known to be void of, was present. It was a frazzled crusade for answers, and when he saw it for his very eyes, it eclipsed what was detected in his lapsed vision.

Spun in a different case that being spoken to as he were, wasn't an exact direction of being sniped at. It felt directed at something else entirely, perhaps someone else and it took the alien for a loop. His general understanding flagged with the burning read over his skin. Mood shifting from alarm to sudden distraught. "Shut up? I, to shut up?!" There was no ridding of Emil then and he erroneously closed the space for clarity, ridges wrinkled above his forehead with an intensity that was pressing just as Fletch's clear instruction to be left alone. He done so with vibrancy of using hands in expression of what was to be said. " What bother am I, if only to reserve space of understanding to not only our predicament, but yours?!" Doing so while also, mumbling a quick phrase in her native tongue out of frustration absentmindly.
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[info]build
2021-03-22 09:25 pm UTC (link) Track This
Stars, it was having the opposite effect. Though, in all honesty, Fletch had rarely been in a fight — an argument here or there with Ambrose, some shouting matches in past relationships, but never with a friend. Especially never with a colleague and friend, and Emil was both — someone he cared about deeply, whose worries he understood, which, in a far away place underneath the layers of stress and anxiety and confusion, Fletch appreciated. But when Emil whirled back, shot a short-tempered comment at him and closed in and encroached on his personal space, Fletch felt air start to tighten in his chest, anxiety crawling up him, near panic at being both cornered and put in a position where someone was trying to get him to talk.

He simply couldn't. It was out of the question. Fletch pinched the bridge of his nose again and tried to suck in a deep breath, but Ventru was behind Emil, hands on his hips, copying the phrase Emil had uttered in a stupid voice, and Fletch was positive his head would explode if he had to listen to any more — from either of them.

"Leave me alone, Emil." Fletch snapped again, not the calm that he'd hoped to exude — it came out just as aggressive and hot as before. "I'm too busy for this. I'm much too busy for this. I do not have the time to assuage your concerns. I'm fine and you need to back off." In some attempt to break it all apart, Fletch pushed forward, pressing a hand to Emil's shoulder in an effort to get him out of his path, so he could escape.
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[info]futurity
2021-03-23 11:38 pm UTC (link) Track This
Possibly taking the man's words to heart was the worst thing he could do but working on a ship that was running up the stress by being pulled through a wormhole and ending up in a location not originally set for. Emil wasn't the brains that provided efficient answers to what felt like an unsolvable problem but he in some ways wanted to help. He wasn't doing anything helpful it seemed by checking on Fletcher but also doing a disservice by invading the space that could've been void.

With the lack of care on the matter, he couldn't ignore what was envisioned. What it felt like to see firsthand through a conciousness outreaching into a future or present of someone in trouble. The sort of trouble that could also put the ship in a bigger predicament than it already was. But while his concern cause for an overbearing shadow to be near Fletch it also rubbed him incredibly the wrong way of which he was being spoken to.

As if he were a stranger, less than who he had been. Emil followed the tone but also stood firm in his attempt. Only to seize with a delayed bounce being pushed out of the way. Emil instantaneously, pushed back with a force he didn't bank on. A thoughtless reflex as not to stop him from becoming a pushover but to snap Fletch out of what consumed him. "Back off? I am only here not only as a colleague but a friend. Does that not mean anything to you?"
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[info]build
2021-03-24 12:05 am UTC (link) Track This
Like a hovertrain wreck unfolding in front of him, Fletch could see it happening as if he were a million miles away. He knew what to say to end it, to apologise, to say he didn't mean it, that he was tired, that he was experiencing something he didn't know how to handle, and was scared, but in the moment Fletch couldn't control himself. It didn't help that Ventru was sneering and laughing in his peripheral vision the entire time, mocking Emil, mocking Fletch, and he couldn't get his mind to settle, to stop racing five million parsecs ahead of himself.

The shove is what did it. He staggered backwards, taken by surprise from the strength of it, the suddenness of it, caught again against the wall where there was no easy escape from Emil's barrage of questions and concerns. He reacted without thinking, like a bolt of something had shot through him — make a hand from the Ventru in his brain, just for a moment, a surge of something furious in him. Fletch wrenched forward and shoved Emil back, thrusting with as much strength as he could manage.

"We're working. I don't have time for friendship." Which wasn't the least bit true and Fletch knew it, but he didn't know what else to do, already winding up to shove again, to curl his hand into a fist.
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[info]futurity
2021-03-24 02:46 am UTC (link) Track This
In all actions, Emil read pretty well and the deliverance from wanting out of the sinking ship was fair. It wasn't the exact line of thinking to bring him there, looking for rope to pull out of a swirling storm. As he saw the cocked fist and the resurgence of energy that could level an entire room if allowed, his amplified response that veered on fight more than fleeing, set the irreversible tone that he couldn't back out of. Not when the threat was looming near like a vibrant pulse to charge on site before he would get railroaded out of the vicinity. Emil's ridges crinkled deeply and like a live mood ring, skin shifted to a cautionary hue.

Brightening with a reddish undertone to his pale complexion. Seeing the drawn line in sand he didn't think would be there, leaving both to sink if reacting was delayed. He took Fletch's words to heart, feeling his throat want to close up on him, limiting the words to rouse a change of heart. Instead the steam was exiting flared nostrils the moment he seemed to take one or two steps in a quicken manner to corral a right fist, throwing it less skilled than trained.

It wasn't a street pummel or him initiating a fight as Emil locked in on where words came from Fletch's mouth. Unapologetic in the moment in the wind up to let loose a canon of a punch he didn't think deeply of at all but to silence the erroneous things said. "I challenge those words to be said again!!" Emil shouted in the midst of laying closed fist to face.
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[info]devise
2021-03-24 04:24 am UTC (link) Track This
A navy officer for nearly two decades, the current predicament wasn't far off for Roman. It was in the fact of where they found themselves and how this all happened, but it wouldn't be the first time he found himself on a ship floating through space without engines. Whether that was on purpose or otherwise, it certainly didn't matter. He had full faith and trust in this crew, as far as getting things up and running. Along with figuring out what to do from there. There was no need to panic just yet, and that wouldn't help anyone get anywhere. In fact, he kind of liked being out here, without anything trying to eat them or shoot at them. Worse comes to worse, the only worry Roman held included any surrounding ships or possible death traps that jumped in their way.

Looking over current readings, he hadn't been doing anything other than heading this way to ask a question. That was up until he heard the voices that practically echoed against the path. Without a second thought, his feet picked up the pace, unsure if he even believed his own ears. The increasing shortness of Fletcher's patience, or whatever cruelty that Cortez assumed had to do with a concussion. He wondered how far this would go, how far he would be able to handle the strain of what sleepless nights, difficulty in concentration, headaches, memory loss, and whatever else had come about. It didn't matter who had provoked who, if it were even necessary. A stressful situation was a stressful situation.

In full sprint for those yards he needed to make, what surprise had held him didn't show as he barely made it to the men just in time to see Emil's last words and a fist moving. Fingers went to his lips, as he blew letting his own whistle be what echoed now. If for nothing else, in an attempt to garner the attention of both men. For once, he actually felt like he was back on a navy ship. "Hey!" he called, once again moving for the two, looking to try and pry them apart if necessary. Maybe even play some version of monkey in the middle to try and calm this situation down. A hand moving for both of their shoulders hoping beyond hope this didn't turn into a regular event before they got out of here.
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[info]build
2021-03-25 04:38 pm UTC (link) Track This
It wasn't that Fletch wasn't used to being punched, though most of the Endeavor missions saw him getting electrocuted or possessed or shot. But he had taken up boxing, knew how to throw a punch himself now, and knew how to take one. But being punched by a friend? Fletch wasn't prepared, no matter how much he'd been shouting he didn't need friends in that moment, that he was just trying to work, that he wanted to be left alone. Truth be told, Fletcher didn't want to be left alone at all — especially not with Ventru laughing behind him, clapping along to the fight like it was one of the reality holos he'd been so fond of watching.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to express it — or explain that something was wrong, not when he was convinced it was exhaustion, or something else, the stress of what they were under, his responsibility for getting them out of that black zone and back home. And his temper was soaring, flared hot, shot upwards with more strength the moment Emil punched him, and Fletch staggered back, caught himself, and surged forward again with every intention of punching Emil back. Roman was there a second before he could, though, getting in the middle and taking away what would have been satisfying. Satisfying? Fletch didn't know when he'd ever thought a punch would be satisfying.

Fletch let himself be stilled by Roman's hand, his own pressing up against his split lip as he stared in shock past him at Emil. "Emil— I... Don't know what came over me."
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[info]futurity
2021-03-27 04:50 am UTC (link) Track This
Lucky for Fletch, Roman showing up meant an attempt to align himself in a space of mind that he should've been operating from since the start. But Emil was boiling, and it almost extended in a suckered swing just as the other man was wedged between them to hold off on the crew on crew showdown. The nose flared, and a huff of air emitting when he scoffed at both of them before pushing away. The distance was needed and so was looking away before sheer amount of shame began to find its way to the center.

He was uncertain what it meant but also wasn't buying what was being sold. Not in the moment. He walked away. Hands on his hips running a quick breathing exercise before the steam disrupted any reasonable sounds his ears picked up. "There is a lot not well here. There's not much anyone can persuade me otherwise!" He turned just enough to shoot a look in both men's direction. One that was mixed with conflicted of what he did physically and the overall way that it could've been handled.

Much like things being out of his hands out of a collective control, the rot of his imbalanced concern soared into anger. Was it uncharacteristic, not really but likely a part of himself he hardly remembered.
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[info]devise
2021-03-27 05:08 pm UTC (link) Track This
Step one, completed. No fists were flying. Step two, keeping it that way and making sure all sides were calm. While he had no idea what was going on in both men's heads, nor in areas of their lives, he could assume so many parts of this. He had seen it on other ships, in every day life. Even when cornered with no other place to go, there had been moments where he found himself losing a battle of unspent energy with a fist hitting a surface. The sheer number of times he had put his older brother through a table alone, it had turned into a running joke back home. Roman Cortez never liked being angry, it was a surge that never ceased to hurt him later. A reminder of not being himself and losing someone who couldn't ever look at him the same way again.

He wouldn't do that here, he wouldn't be that person on either side, and only hoped that he hadn't showed up too late. Looking between the two, Cortez took a breath before shaking his head and looking at the floor in thought. Raising his gaze to Emil as he called out. "You're right, a lot isn't well. But it will be." The words were far quieter, solemn in fact. "You both have made a home on the station, a real one, and have people who love you." Between Emil and the Trash Can, and seeing how anyone had taken to Dr. Fenn, and even the Dungeons and Dragons event, it was easy to surmise. Romantic entanglements aside, mostly because he had no clue if Emil had any of that going on. Roman wanted to build a bridge here, not a bonfire of assumptions.

Looking back and forth between the two, he continued on. "We are all stuck here, currently, and I know you both feel the strain. You've both been here longer than I have, and you've experienced things I can't explain. Hell, I probably can't even explain some things you've been through before you made it to the ship." There was a small bit of laughter as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You both have been nothing short of some of the smartest and kindest people I have ever met. Don't lose that latter, with one another. We're a family, and we'll power through this. We've been through worse." Scrutinizing Fletcher's face for a moment. A low whistle emitted from his lips as Roman pointed at him. "Except that. Time for a break and for us to put some ice on that. Maybe we should bump Emil up from Science Officer to Security, huh?"
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[info]build
2021-03-27 09:03 pm UTC (link) Track This
No, no, no, Fletch couldn't handle this. Roman was far too kind, too sweet — the message he'd sent before they'd left, and any number of other times he'd told Fletch that he was proud of him, respected him, appreciated him. Emil stalking away was much easier to handle than Roman standing there to reassure him.

Not when he was the problem — as Ventru had pointed out, regularly, emphatically, that Fletch was the one who caused so many issues, activated so many alien artifacts, and it was his engine that couldn't get the Endeavor out of the wormhole, and they were stuck there because of him, and his nerves were so frayed and fragile that he'd now gone and fought with one of his closest friends — Fletch sucked in a shuddering, horrified breath.

He shook his head at Roman, looking devastated and torn. "Please. Don't." He held up a hand, insistent that Roman say nothing else, cupped the other one over his mouth as if to hide it and the bleeding there. He wanted very much to laugh at the joke, to smile and thank Roman for his kindness, for interrupting them, but all Fletch could do was whirl and wrench away and launch himself into a run out of the room and down the hall, opposite in the direction that Emil left, with Ventru sailing along with him in his peripheral vision, giggling.
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	tui & cortez mar 22
[info]devise
2021-03-22 04:13 am UTC (link) Track This
Time felt like it meant so little anymore, but in some ways he had been used to that. The vastness of space allowed it to be some variable illusion. What was time through seconds or days, when you were so far away from home. What was time without a sun to revolve around? Cortez didn't want to worry about time or what influx of it they may or may not have here. Where ever here was, really.

Lack of sleep was a common enough occurrence for him, but his mind wasn't at ease in the way he needed it to be. Too many thoughts racing about, with not enough information to grasp onto. His typical fallback for such times were word puzzles, but he had managed to find some old crosswords for the time being. The screen blinked at him impatiently, as if expecting his quick response. Roman only blinked back at it, hoping to gain some focus and a brief lapse away from other larger issues that could not be tackled alone here.

Groaning at it, "I don't know." It was mostly muttered to himself. A cup of water and some scrap of a snack he had managed to pull together settled before him. Along with a deck of SP'UNO laid out in front of him as though he had been trying to use it to play a different card game altogether. "What's an eight letter word, one charging a flat rate?" For all he knew he was talking to himself softly in the quiet and supposedly late hour. Peering down at the puzzle itself. "You know you want to tell me."
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[info]wayfind
2021-03-22 10:18 pm UTC (link) Track This
Although Tui was consciously, reasonably aware that none of this was her fault, she still felt that guilt acutely, sitting leaden in her stomach - and there was definitely a problem when Tui didn't feel much like eating. She'd spent the first few hours - or had it been a day already? - pouring over all the star maps she had in the database, trying to find anything that might match the scattered pinpoints in the inky black space around them. But so far, no luck. They were somewhere, but nowhere, all at once. A paradox, a puzzle, a conundrum.

Her eyes burned from staring at the console projections too long, watching the maps flicker by in her vision, then watered blearily after she rubbed at them to no help. Definitely time for a break, though under these conditions, she didn't think she could sleep. Leaving the program to run itself, Tui wandered away from her work station on the bridge, no destination in mind, just avoiding her bunk. Ever the social creature, she was drawn to the rec room by the sound of a voice, a comforting sign of life.

She only caught the tail end of Roman's mumblings upon meandering into the area, seeing that he appeared to be working on a puzzle of his own. "I would like to tell you," Tui said, then shrugged, "But I don't know what you are referring to. Flat rate for what?"
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[info]devise
2021-03-24 04:24 am UTC (link) Track This
Hearing her voice, even before the recognition of what they came together to mean, Roman smiled fully. Turning his whole body to look over at her, "Hey!" If he could visibly relax more than he had, he would have in that moment. Having grown up with a larger farm family, he was quite used to packing a lot of people in smaller spaces. All with the great wide open outside to go run and play in. It was much of what he took to his navy career with him, and to this ship and all its scientific exploration. The hustle and bustle in tight quarters at all hours of what should be day and night. It never ceased to give him some form of energy and even joy to be surrounded by others.

Even without all of that, Tui was forever a welcome sight. Her own nature, there was little he could ever do but find understanding and kindness in boundless means. "I think it means more that you would. This puzzle here," he began as he nudged it, only to lift a hand to his cheek, as if to confide in Tui. "Doesn't want to give me any real clues. I think someone woke up on the wrong side of coded bliss." Roman dropped his hand and shook his head, before turning and looking down at his own mess. He couldn't imagine what that all looked like to someone wandering on in. "This is what I get for trying to toy with the classics." The words only partly muttered, before he turned his attention back to Tui.

"Still been at it, or just getting up?" Coming or going, it felt like the right question. While he hadn't seen a point in changing his own clothes, he couldn't say for sure if that would be up her alley for whichever direction she had been going. "You hungry?" The bowl near him nudged in her direction as an offering of its own. "It's just yogurt chips and granola. Brain food in the late or early hour?" Whichever way it was, he couldn't tell and it only led to a small shrug. "Something I packed had to come in handy, right?" he mused over that bit of conversation they recently had.
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[info]wayfind
2021-03-27 05:53 am UTC (link) Track This
Taking the presentation of the puzzle as invitation to join him, Tui pulled up one of the chairs and sat on its edge - her knees almost bumped the table, but she'd gotten used to the ill fit of the seating aboard the ship. Her own quarters had been modified to meet her specific needs - a wall moved out for a bigger bed, bigger desk, bigger bathroom - but most of the furniture everywhere else was a tighter squeeze. She didn't mind too much, though, when sitting still was probably better than pacing around so much she'd wear a groove in the ship's flooring.

"Haven't stopped working," Tui admitted off-hand, as if sounding casual about her lack of proper rest might make it more acceptable, or at least less notable. She leaned over the table, squinting at the tiny boxes lined up on the puzzle. The format was foreign to her, and it took a moment to comprehend how the words fit into place between overlapping letters. But the clue was as helpful as the strange composition of the lights in the starry void outside the ship. Which was to say, not at all. She frowned at the screen. "Are there other words on here that are...less confusing?"

Her attention then shifted to the bowl, the sweet smell of granola appealing to her senses. And yet, "Actually, I'm not sure that I am hungry." Which was strange, because on most days, she'd be eating twice as much as anyone else on the crew. But her sense of time had been disrupted ever since they passed through that wormhole - which also seemed to have impacted her appetite. Nevertheless, she took a pinch of the mix and threw it back, chewing while speaking, "But snacks are always appreciated. What else did you pack? Thought we might be hiking through more dangerous terrain?"
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[info]devise
2021-03-28 12:04 am UTC (link) Track This
Even for the lack of furniture in her size, Roman would have to admit it was nice to have her close by. Even if it was reminiscent of the way he played tea party with his niece. He missed that, and likely a lot more even though he kept up through video calls and sporting his own drink through those here. A small cup in his bunk, along with an identical one at home hidden away in a cabinet for those planned moments. The gift that kept giving, even though it wasn't from her specifically. It was part of a set he had given her, with promises to keep. Right now, he almost wished he had pulled it out for such a similar feeling, except with the roles reversed here.

Nodding, Roman wasn't about to press that one. He could understand it. "Sometimes," he gave with a small, light-hearted chuckle. Looking over the phrases again, a quick skimming, he pointed to it. "Cookie; creme-filled snack..." he trailed off, imagining such a cookie. That sounded good right now. "Four letters," he added, trying to shake off that glorious image of slowly opening the package, as that very specific scent of chocolate and creme scent hit his nose. "If that isn't up your alley, I don't know what is." Roman mused, even though he was sure she could easily figure out a number of words in this.

Brows shot up at the thought of Tui not being hungry. But at the same time, he understood the level of stress and concentration. It was something that tended to pull people either towards food or far away from it. A smile formed at her actually taking a bit for a snack though. "Dangerous terrain with the hopes of not finding plants that move with the sound of music." The music had been a joke, but given what they had already experienced, he wondered about how true that might have been. Cortez was far done with plants using him as food. "What didn't I pack?" he started, before a thought occurred to him. "Did I ever tell you about that time I packed a squeaky rubber chicken after Tidlosa? I never even got to use it. I was so bummed, but felt prepared." The sincerity in his voice, it was honest, along with the fact he had actually done this. "I ended up leaving it under my bunk, for at least another mission after that. At this rate, I expected it would be a good decoy for anything that wanted to eat me."
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[info]wayfind
2021-03-31 10:58 pm UTC (link) Track This
"That's too bad. Rubber chicken might've done some good in Opportunity. Could've used it to entertain the colonists. Lower the tension with a one man comedy show." Maybe. It probably still wouldn't have diffused the problems that the Canopus commander and crew had caused by aggressively trying to stake claims there. Neither would it have prevented the ancient ruins from rising up and nearly obliterating the settlement after they were disturbed. Maybe places like that were better off without anyone there, at all. But that was too serious, too downbeat to say when they were already all searching for reasons to smile. "Is it still in your bunk? Maybe you could make a game out of hiding it around the ship."

Speaking of entertainment, Tui leaned over the tablet, putting her face even closer to the screen as she tried to parse out the word. Even with his clue, she wasn't fully confident she knew the correct spelling — the English alphabet was still new to her, relatively speaking, a handful of years compared to the decades she'd spent practicing Finusian graphemes and Gholese glyphs. But if she sounded it out... "Or...eee-oh?" she said, trying to picture the packaging of the sandwich cookies. White letters on blue. "Oreo!"

Four letters. It fit, and she felt a tiny bit proud of that. But those little things would add up. She squinted again at the puzzle, then tapped on a cross piece. "Are. 18 across." Filling in the blank, it read as: You ARE here. How fitting.
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[info]devise
2021-04-04 12:35 am UTC (link) Track This
A good chuckle fell from his lips, and with a shake of the head, he had to admit it would have. But also, "They were a hard sell all around." Not that he could claim to blame anyone for that, except maybe the point of the Canopus hanging around with their own mission, hovering about. With the ruins there, he wondered how long it would have been before someone else had wandered on into it in search of something worth having. If it wouldn't have reigned down in worse ways if they hadn't been there poking their own noses into things as it were.

If only it had been under better circumstances anyway. But even without knowing so, he was in agreement with the thought that places like that would be better off without. Knowledge was power, and science the connoisseur of said knowledge. These things would be protected at all costs, seemingly understood across all cultures. His ears perked up at the thought. A slow grin moving right back into place. "Have I told you lately I love how you think?"

The way the word itself was sounded out, even as Cortez could have sworn he was watching some grand cogwheels turning in Tui's head there. It reminded him all too easily of a time of animal sounds. A time on Terminus that at least held worth in being more of a cherished memory of someone who was able to use his antics for good. Arms went up in the air, to cheer her on. It might not have seemed like something big to someone else, but these kinds of things, it felt bigger to him.

He hadn't even spotted that one earlier, and he couldn't help but grin. "Yes, we are," he joked. Where ever here was, anyway. But at least they were there together. Otherwise he might not have any actual hope in this situation. They weren't dying in some mad loop of triggered events, with a thousand ways to die. No, he didn't want to think about that either. Looking over everything, he made for a weird sound, "Argh, matey! What do you know about pirates? Or at least tales of them?" The four letter word for Captain Hook's henchman. "Smee," he breathed, still in that bad accent.
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	astrid & roman mar 23
[info]devise
2021-03-24 04:52 am UTC (link) Track This
The devil finds work for idle hands. It was a saying his own mother used to throw at him, one that had never ceased to haunt him. It had always rang true for him, finding focus, keeping things together. It's also what kept him busy. Although, in an attempt to keep busy, that also led Roman to things he shouldn't necessarily be doing. But this all has to measure up in trying to keep morale up, doesn't it? This was his line of thinking, regardless of how it turned out anyway.

There were some rags tucked into his belt, a bottle in one hand, wearing a pair of gloves, as he practically slid down the hall. His communicator playing an old song lightly playing. It was just enough for him to hear, and even attempt the to sing it without causing too much of a disturbance. At least until someone caught him turning to do a little spin in the process. However, much like anything else, the man got a little too into the moment, and closed his eyes as he did so. Nearly sliding into a body he wasn't aware was there.

"Ay mierda," he spoke before turning the communicator off a moment. "A clean ship is a happy ship," the words fell out almost immediately, as though he needed to explain himself. He was sure in that moment that his mother would be all too proud of him. Then again, if it weren't for those words, a number of things may not have happened in his own navy career. "You okay? Busy?"
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[info]guided
2021-03-25 03:53 pm UTC (link) Track This
The truth was, Astrid hadn't been sleeping well since the whole thing with the ship had happened. For the most part, she kept close to her post, not straying too far, only going away for a nap or two here and there. It wasn't healthy or good for her to do that, though, and after she had some reprieve, she went off on her own, to take a little walk around the ship and clear her head.

It was exactly what she needed, beside a good nights sleep, but that wouldn't come until they were safely back and out of the black hole. While the normal ship routines were happening, she did happen on Cortez and she smiled to herself as she watched him from a distance at first, laughing silently to herself. In the midst of all of the chaos, she didn't realize how badly she needed something like that until she saw it. "No, I'm good," she said with a smile, crossing her over her chest and leaning against the wall of the ship.

"I'm tired," she admitted and shrugged her shoulders. "The stress of the situation will do that to you, I guess. I think a lot of us have been through worse. No one's injured so that's comforting, at least." She didn't even want to say yet and jinx the entire mission. "How about you? You okay?"
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[info]devise
2021-03-26 04:57 pm UTC (link) Track This
For that brief moment, listening to Astrid's response, just taking everything in as it were, Cortez acted quite serious. Nodding, as though what had just been seen of him hadn't happened. A thoughtful look crossing his features, possibly too much so, as she turned the question on him. Clearing his throat, he haphazardly shrugged. Looking down both directions of the hall, he then leaned in and spoke quietly. "This is the first mission here that I haven't been shot at. I'm fantastic." Straightening himself up, he quietly mouthed 'It's true' before speaking up again and adding, "Tell no one. This conversation never happened. I don't need anyone thinking I don't love that." He only continued this feigned need for secrecy before smiling and even laughing.

"Don't get me wrong, I know we're not exactly on mission. I know we're all technically in danger. But I'd like to think this is the universe's way of saying here, have some free time away. We put our lives in each other's hand every time we step onto this ship. And I happen to know they are damn good hands." Roman said it with enough certainty that even he wondered if he hadn't said too much.

Grabbing hold of a rag from his belt and wiggling it in Astrid's direction. "Wanna help with some busy work? I'll even let you choose the song?" Only for the man to start a small dance. "Because I can't get NO satisfaction when there's dust bunnies haunting this place."
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[info]guided
2021-03-26 07:51 pm UTC (link) Track This
When he mentioned he hadn't been shot during this mission, Astrid wanted to make a witty little quip that it hadn't happened yet. But she didn't. Neither of them needed that sarcastic energy in their life at that moment. Instead, she leaned in and she whispered, "Your secret is safe with me," and threw in a thumbs up for good measure. It was nice for her to have a moment of levity in a moment where she was feeling like everything was out of control. Even in her attempt at positivity, she worried that she wasn't letting the gravity of the situation hit her in a way that was productive.

She took her position leaned against the wall again, this time resting her head against the wall while he spoke, not making any mention that they were in good hands because she felt like an utter failure in that moment and couldn't possibly acknowledge that she hadn't done something that had landed them in this hell in the first place. Instead, she took a deep breath and let herself swallow hard.

Thankfully, the pity party wouldn't last long when Roman was now dancing in front of her. She grabbed the rag mid-air and let out of a laugh. "Oh, we can keep these tunes on. I don't mind." She started cleaning opposite of where he was currently cleaning. "I mean, you saw what my karaoke song was so I can vibe to something like this." She said with a smile and she began her work while she spoke. "I do appreciate what you do to bring us together as a team. I think we need that, for moments like this, you know? It's good for morale."
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[info]devise
2021-03-26 11:32 pm UTC (link) Track This
Even without any sarcastic remarks, Roman was still expecting to get shot. It hadn't happened yet, but it was still worth it's own minor celebration. Living up the good while it lasted, before that other boot dropped. Whether it be some accident set off, maybe a bolt that just found itself buckling and being set out to all too literally bite him in the ass. Or his own relivable nightmare of someone trying to take the ship. But these were all thoughts he had purposely left behind, in his own bunk. With a lot of little notes based on what tactical advantages they may have here. Her ease only added to his own demeanor as he smiled widely, lifting his own thumbs up to match her own.

As she shifted, taking a deep breath, he regarded her a little differently. Almost as though he were the one trying to read her mind, and coming up nil. That didn't stop him from going on though, especially for one good point. Especially given the perfectionistic tendencies he had found in the crew. "You know, you count in that too. If it weren't for you, we really might not have made it through still breathing on this side of whatever was out there." Between whatever accident or chance occurrence that happened, the outcome was what mattered the most where he stood. Not everything could truly be prepared for, known, or understood. That's why they were out here anyway, letting nerds be nerds. "You deserve some time off."

With a happy groan, Roman's thoughts were easily steered back to karaoke. Pointing a finger at her, he had to give her props. "Look. 10 out of 10, would listen again. You knocked that out of the park." Roman gave far too matter-of-factly, only to turn and begin to get cleaning again as well. The words though, he hadn't been expecting not only gave him pause but also grinning. "How dare you figure me out like that. Everyone's supposed to just see me as..." he looked up at the wall a moment before finally coming up with the words he was looking for, "an eccentric kiss ass." Breaking into a small bit of laughter though, he shook his head. "But really, thank you." The thanks spoken with him looking at Astrid, but with little pause as he moved back to cleaning. "None of you are built to be machines, while forever facing the unknown. High stress, shit pay, for a thankless job with what return? You deserve to know your worth outside of your name, rank, and serial number. You deserve opportunities to not be dragged down by shit you met out here."
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[info]guided
2021-03-29 08:40 pm UTC (link) Track This
Astrid couldn't take a compliment, even when one was directly given to her face. She was always striving to do better, to be better, and she couldn't accept anything that she deemed less than perfect. It was a damn high bar and, while she appreciated the words that Roman was saying to her, she couldn't acknowledge them with anything more than a shrug. "After all of this," she started, an amused look on her face, "We all deserve some time off." Astrid figured that would be the case - they were always pretty good about getting time off in between missions to rest and recuperate but this was a little more mentally taxing than most missions were.

She rolled her eyes at Roman giving her another compliment but this one she could laugh off more, since it was in regards to her karaoke skills. "Oh thanks. Any time anyone here needs a little song to cheer them up... I'm your girl." She half pointed to herself but rolled her eyes even at the thought of saying that out loud. She continued to clean a little, since that was the whole reason that she was there. "I mean, this isn't so bad." Astrid said, as she looked at Roman. "It's high stress but it's not as bad as something else."

She thought back to her time in the war and how stressful that was. This felt like a cake walk in comparison. "I mean, when I was in the war and flying all the time? That seemed like nothing else could get more stressful." Her voice got a little quiet and she smiled to herself to not get down about anything. "If I could make it through all of that I feel like I can make it through anything."
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[info]devise
2021-03-30 02:15 am UTC (link) Track This
He had heard those words so many times, even spoken them, but when it came down to it he only really viewed it outwardly. Roman taking any time for himself always had a sort of feeling he didn't like to reminisce on. The kind where all hell would break loose, finding a vacation he needed one from. Time away was far too rarely a positive experience. The more time spent, the worse it seemed to be. Not for lack of trying, but perhaps it was a good time to take up believing in luck. Perhaps he had broken a metaphorical mirror years ago and still found himself in the cruel abyss that drew him to whatever gremlin that held tight to him.

The idea of a little song for cheering up, he couldn't do anything less than look over at Astrid and smile. "Then you're always my girl, because if you haven't noticed, I can't handle a certain kind of silence. I talk far too much, and can barely sit still." It wasn't a way that he had always been, but it had always seemed to have a hold on him. The need to move, to do something. The thoughts that lie ahead of him, calling for a shift in what he could attempt and what reality told him. But her next words gave him pause. Listening a bit more intently, as he wondered where she was leading.

It didn't take long to figure that out, as he gave a knowing nod, even flashing a smile as he paused his own work. "During the war, I was always on the move, locked away in engineering." Too bad on a few of those circumstances, it was far too literally. Memories he would never shake, but also never regret. Even if at one point he was held prisoner and treated in a way that still made his skin crawl. "I like the way you see it. Although, I think mine was more if I could survive post-war, I could survive anything." Roman gave a small chuckle. "The way that people treat each other, no matter the cause, well. Being on this ship? Traveling between, this is where I feel most myself. I'll fully admit, I have no idea what I'm doing on station, but at least the orders are clear cut when on mission. Even if we're dodging death." Cortez tried to keep his tone lighthearted, even for the sentiment placed there.
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	Ollie & Roman // March 26
[info]extrospect
2021-03-27 02:09 am UTC (link) Track This
Appearances are everything. The phrase may as well have been carved permanently into Ollie’s soul for the prevalence it had always held in her life. Composure came to her as easily as breathing, eclipsing her true emotions so completely that sometimes she could forget they existed at all. It helped that she hadn’t been thrown as immediately into panic as some of the others. There was no denying that what had happened to the lot of them had been terrifying and strange but Ollie was new to the ship, to the crew, to the job and to space travel in general. Just about everything in her current experience was strange to her. The only gauge she had as to the level of strangeness was the reactions of those around her. It was only in the aftermath of blanched faces, somber spirits and mechanical wreckage that she came to understand the gravity of their situation.

Once it did sink in, however, she immediately defaulted to a state of calm and sought out every way to offer help in any capacity it may have been needed. Even without having been asked. When she wasn’t working, she was walking the ship from end to end in a sort of methodical process of making the unfamiliar feel less so. Memorizing the pathways and the rooms, noting who she tended to find where, learning her way around. These halls were a second home to the rest of them but for her it all felt foreign, like being lost both on the inside and out of the Endeavor’s steel walls.

Time had seemingly been restored from the stretch they had all felt inside the wormhole but Ollie had yet to regain a sense of it. It may have been late, or early, or anywhere in between when she found herself standing in the conservatory running her fingertips gently over the edge of a thick green leaf. Plants had been a rarity in the metropolis that she’d grown up in on Fissa but she had developed an unexpected affinity for them since coming to Terminus. Even now, she felt an overwhelming ease being surrounded by them and perhaps a bit of a rush from the excess of oxygen. She needed less than most humans to begin with but drew in a deep breath of it nonetheless.

“Things seem alright in here,” she said out loud, addressing an audience of plants as if they somehow needed her particular brand of reassurance, “we’ve got a full stock of resources in storage so you shouldn’t need to worry about that and I was in the engine room earlier, the mechanics are making progress.” Ollie was silently thankful that the greenery did not share in her ability to innately identify a lie. “I don’t believe we’ve veered too far off course so once everything is up and running, I’m confident that we…” She jerked around with a start at the sound of movement behind her, suddenly aware that she was no longer alone with her new green friends.

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[info]devise
2021-03-27 03:12 am UTC (link) Track This
He could have sworn he just had it, square in his hand too. Retracing his steps, he wandered the corridors, brow furrowed in thought. Maybe he should start questioning where his mind had run off to now. Was it with time loops? Another ships? Did he happen to leave that back on the station too? At this rate, anything was possible because this was more aggravating than misplacing his keys while in a hurry to drop the junk he found to 'refurbish' at home.

Finding his way all the way back to the start, Roman wanted to groan, desperately. It was the moment he was in the doorway, his eyes were on the prize. Prepared to open his own mouth and make a comment about something being bad, making him walk all this way back, it was in that moment he heard another voice. Okay, no need to talk to yourself or inanimate objects when someone else was around. However, the familiar voice, well, as he peeked in, he could see her back was to him. And there was no one else. This was about to be very awkward.

Ollie had made quite a first impression, early on. A bit skittish around him, given station. There was a preference for others to feel comfortable around him, how else was he supposed to interact and really understand the needs of the crew? Someone who was strict, stern, and demanded respect was less likely to gain any such things. And had only caused him to try and make her feel more part of the crew as quickly as she seemed to want to. As it stood now, she was there talking to herself. And as he took a step, meaning to announce himself or at least attempt to grab the left behind tablet on a shelf there on the far wall, he boot squeaked.

In this moment of all or nothing, there was only one thing to do. "Freeze! Hands in the air, yooou rascally rabbit. This is a stick up! Do what you're told and no ooone gets hurt." The words were spoken in his best, or maybe worst impressionistic accent, as he held finger guns up in Ollie's direction. At least in the case she decided to turn around anyway. "I told ya Jethro, to check all the rooms! Ya forgot this one here!" Okay, maybe this wasn't the only or best thing to do. Hostage situation 101.
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[info]extrospect
2021-03-27 03:57 am UTC (link) Track This
Ollie was caught off guard and her hands immediately shot into the air as instructed. Irrational as it may have seemed given the wording and the accent, a flood of possible scenarios rushed to mind and her breath caught in the peak of her throat. As a rule, she was strict about letting her mind run free with it’s full capabilities but considering that she had just been caught talking openly to plants and was now the victim of a rogue stickup, that kind of control seemed a bit out of reach. She allowed herself to interpret the intention of the voice, an impulse that took little more than a second before making her laugh out loud. Relief slackened the tension that had gripped her muscles and her hands fell easily to her sides, slapping audibly against her thighs on the way down.

“Is this some kind of hazing ritual?” she asked, having sensed not only the playfuless of the situation but also the source of the heavily accented voice. If Cortez had been aiming to make Ollie feel comfortable around him, he had very much succeeded. Her utter candidness in the moment had something to do with the added understanding she’d gained but his presence alone was enough to bring some ease. “Sneak up on the new recruits and hold them up for compliance?” She hadn’t yet turned for him to see the smile that crept across her face but it was there just the same.

She made the turnaround a dramatic one, holding out her hands as if to ensure him that she was unarmed. “Don’t shoot,” she called, her voice lilting upwards in amusement, “Nobody needs to get hurt here today, Jethro.” The references were unfamiliar to her, as were most earth-bound things, but it was easy enough to play along anyway. Once she was facing him, she dropped the act and shook her head with a chuckle. Now came the real question here. “How much of that…” she gestured to the plants she had been orating to, “did you see, hm?”

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[info]devise
2021-03-27 04:25 am UTC (link) Track This
Watching Ollie visibly relax after having her hands in the air, he kept up pretenses. Or at least the finger guns pointed at her. The all too certain expression called to have his brow raised. He likely looked a little crazy, but that was okay. Holding onto the joke, as though he simply weren't finished with it just yet. Although, a hazing ritual? He almost wished he had thought of something like that early on, but at the same time he didn't find himself thinking too highly of those in college, nor when he first entered into the navy. Maybe there was a good middle ground for that, he would have to really think a little more deeply on that later. At least when no one was left alone to talk to the plants here.

"Jethro!" he called, moving to turn some, knocking his head back in some vain attempt to throw his voice. "Ah, fooey! Sorry, Bo! I thought I got them all! Could'a swore!" The new impression came about. Straightening up, he turned back to Ollie, to once again play the part of Jethro. "Yeah, well I'm gonna tell ma on ya for this." Taking a step forward, he squinted. "You got a mouth on ya. Everyone needs to get hurt, ma said." This was only followed by him pretending to shoot said finger guns, with its own bad sound effect, blowing raspberries in mass effect, as though this were some mob style warfare.

Lifting them to blow on his fingers, he moved to pocket them. "How ya like that, ya filthy animal." It was only then that he finally dropped the act, and shrugged. Now instead, moving away from her to gather up that tablet he had been meaning to. "Plants love to be talked to, it helps them grow. You should try singing next time. Opens up a whole new world, but I can't promise there won't be a full audience by the time you turn around." The amusement had trickled into his own actual voice by now, even as the corners of his lips turned upward, flashing a full grin. "We all do what we have to, and sometimes hearing it, it makes things real for you as much as it does them." Roman stated, as he nodded in the direction of those plants behind Ollie.
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[info]extrospect
2021-03-27 04:56 am UTC (link) Track This
The single Jethro callback was all that Ollie had in her to contribute to Cortez’s one-man show but she was happy to watch it unfold in front of her. His full commitment to the act only heightened her amusement and she found herself eyeing his finger guns with an exaggerated look of caution. “Don’t you…” she tried to interject without success as he launched into the next voice and character, “I said, don’t…” But before she could finish he was firing off the raspberry guns and she was ducking and dodging every way to avoid the invisible bullet spray. Just before he finally blew the guns off and put them away, she took a dramatic shot to the gut and sank to her knees with a hand up as if to say goodbye cruel world.

And then, just like that, it was over. Roman shrugged and Ollie let out a final easy chuckle at the whole thing. It felt good to think about something other than what they were going through. Better yet, to not think at all. Whatever embarrassment she had felt about talking to the plants had long since melted away, though she still appreciated his reassurance about it. “I can’t promise the plants would survive,” she countered, eyes wide as if challenging him to question her lack of singing skills, “trust me, I wouldn’t jeopardize our oxygen supply like that.” There was a reason she hadn’t rushed for the spotlight during karaoke. She looked over at him, mirroring the grin. “You’re welcome.”

She said no more about the plants, about what she needed to hear and how desperately she wished she could believe it was the truth. “Whatcha got there?” she asked instead, nodding to the tablet in his hand, “anything I can help you with?” If he was paying attention he might catch the hint of desperation in her voice, the pressing need to be useful instead of left to the devices of her own mind that had brought her down here in the first place. Clearly that wasn’t helping anyone, not even the plants. “I’m happy to lend a hand, you know? I thnk these guys have heard enough from me anyway.”
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[info]devise
2021-03-27 06:34 pm UTC (link) Track This
The whole follow through on the acting right through it all, it deserved a round of applause and ovation all on it's own. If he hadn't been playing into the moment, he would have given it to her. There was always later, he was sure of that much. This crew had never failed to surprise him, and she was very much apart of it here now.

He wasn't about to go pushing her about singing, or even attempting to challenge what ability she may believe she had or didn't. The singing had only been a thought to add for the sake of trying to normalize it for her. So he was more than content to go along with her version of how things might go if she had. Giving her a smile and a nod to say as much.

Ollie's quick attention to the tablet, it had Roman moving to the mild dramatics again for a moment. Pulling it flat against his chest, as though he needed to protect it now. "What? And give away how I only play games on this thing? Solitaire? Pac-Man? Bubble Pop?" What else was there out there? He was coming up mildly blank, but laughed and shook his head. Keeping busy and keeping the mind moving, he did understand that need. "It's really just structural schematics and systems checklists to do an extra check over." He gave back, not wanting to worry anyone as he started trying to check supplies and look at other possible scenarios on how long they may or may not be here. "But I could use your help with something, if you are sure you're up for it?" he started, nodding towards the exit. Waving a hand towards the plants, his voice light and holding a mixture of seriousness and amusement. "Not going to leave them without a goodbye, are you?"
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[info]extrospect
2021-03-27 11:59 pm UTC (link) Track This
“Pac man?!” Ollie shot back, grasping to the one game she’d heard of even if she’d never seen it played before, “have you been holding out on us all this time?” She eyed him with exaggerated suspicion and managed to keep a surprisingly straight face. One brow raised in question, she left a dramatic pause before continuing this interrogation. “What else are you hiding, hm? You got secret snacks stashed away somewhere too? I feel like I’m missing out here.” One last searching look broke the dam of her resolve and she let out an almost uncharacteristic giggle, the sound clearly surprising her because she brought the back of her hand over her mouth as if she could somehow will it back inside. She had a sense of humor, sure. But giggling? That was a rare occurrence and it showed.

Pulling herself together, she nodded at the actual explanation that he had to offer. Checking up on things seemed a rational idea in their current situation and if anything, it worried her less to know that someone had the forethought to walk through it before anything became critical. “I’m up for anything,” she told him with confidence that she didn’t have to fake. Whether she’d be capable of whatever he put in her hands would remain to be seen but there would certainly be no lack of enthusiasm for trying on her side of things. “Please,” she assured him, “put me to work.” With his nod to the exit, she was ready to follow but he caught her off guard one last time.

“Oh them?” she asked, flicking her eyes carelessly toward the plants and then back to Roman, “nah, they won’t miss me.” She punctuated the thought with a shrug and this time took her turn to nod toward the exit. The plants weren’t going anywhere. Though, it seemed neither were they anytime soon. “I’ll be back anyway, next time I need to chat.” Her lips tugged upwards in a teasing grin, poking a bit of fun at her own expense. She nodded at Roman again, ready to go. “Lead the way, boss.”
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	Squishy Buzz Lightyear ([info]devise) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2021-03-17 17:10:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	delila dewitt, roman cortez

WHEN THUNDER ROLLS
ROMAN CORTEZ & DELILA DEWITT
SIP N DIP TIKI BAR // MARCH 17, 2658


There was a slow lull to the aspects of a crowded room. All it took was the right place at the right time. To find music thrumming, even if it was only heard through some internal semblance of what was left of sanity. To hold the glass high and drown one's sorrows in it. Not his typical means, but this would do in a pinch.
In but two short months, Roman Cortez would have been on this station for a year. And such a long year it has been. As if he had been here for lifetimes. Through attempts to find his own place here, to make himself a home, and make others feel part of something, there was still this ever innate sense of finality to it all. He stared at his own communicator, a recent contact and past ones. Things saved for the sake of looking back at. Positive words of encouragement in thanks, along with grievances. Practically side by side on screens as he flipped a finger back and forth.

Glimpses of faces of crew, people he's called family over this past year. Some of those faces, he had seen die, only to come back and not recall those moments. Faces he had been able to watch come and go through laughter, serious conversations, and struggle through fights that weren't their own. Finishing off the drink, he waved at the bartender for a Hurricane.

Closing his eyes, the smile that came was glued to his face, as he heard the drums. Lights flickering, as thunder rolled. It only had him tap the bar lightly, to match the drumming. An old song coming to mind as he sang, "And the thunder rolls..." He was about to turn in his seat, when he nearly ran into someone. The drink now being placed in front of Roman as he stood a little more wide eyed. "I'm sorry. You okay?"


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[info]shimmering
2021-03-18 02:27 am UTC (link) Track This
The bar wasn't always Delila's scene, however it was her birthday week and she was determined to celebrate it. For the longest time she had always worked on her birthday and typically the day after as well so she never really had the chance to let her hair down and have a little fun. Now that she didn't have anything going on, as she waited for the rest of her episodes of the soap opera to run their course, Delila had the time for herself while she thought about her next move.

She was dressed casually in jeans, a tank top, and a leather jacket. Her hair was in soft waves and hanging down, although she wasn't looking for attention from other people. All she wanted to do was drink a little and maybe see if anyone she knew was out and about at the bar. She had made her way back to the bar when she had been run into and she was a little startled, though she laughed slightly, something she did when awkward things happened to her. "Oh yeah, totally cool."

She looked at the man in front of her with a smile. "Are you okay?" Now it was time to turn the tables on him and maybe this was what she needed for the night. She had no expectations of making a new friend but this could be good for her. Even though she was on and off Terminus frequently, she didn't have as many friends as she would like, thanks mostly to her busy schedule and her former career. "It's totally easy to have something like that to happen when there's a lot of noise and people." She held out her hand for him with a warm smile. "I'm Delila, pleased to meet you."
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[info]devise
2021-03-18 03:36 am UTC (link) Track This
The laughter had thrown him off a little more, but also gave him reason to smile. As though the man ever actually needed a reason to. But once he heard her words, he felt much more relaxed, even visibly so. He would have felt quite terribly if he had even accidentally hurt someone, all for the sake of his own shenanigans.

As her own concern towards him, he had to pause. That was a nice enough feeling he hadn't expected. Looking down at himself for a moment, as if to check himself comically for any open wounds before popping back up. "All good," he replied with a smile before reaching to shake her hand. Firm but not lingering in doing so, he gave a small nod mentally making a point to remember the name and how she pronounced it. "I'm Roman, the pleasure is all mine, especially knowing I didn't nearly send you for a tumble there."

Looking back at the bar a moment, he caught sight of the drink. He didn't know if she was here to meet someone or just enjoy the ambiance and want as much, but he waved in the direction of the Hurricane. "Have you ever tried one? You obviously deserve it for being so kind. If you're up for the challenge, anyway." he mused, trying to wave his hands near it, as if to put the drink on display.
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[info]shimmering
2021-03-18 11:42 am UTC (link) Track This
She waved her hand off like it was absolutely nothing for almost sending her for a tumble. She almost spoke, told him about the time she got into a 'catfight' on the soap opera but she bit her bottom lip and kept her mouth shut. It didn't seem like this man had recognized her for anything and there was something that was so comfortable and normal about this and she didn't want to ruin it, at least not right now.

The drink on display was alluring and she had never been in this particular bar on Terminus. "Psh. Challenge is my middle name!" There was so much bravado and gusto that she had and then she laughed. "I mean not really but I'm always up for a sort of challenge." She looked at the man with a big smile. "This is actually my first time in this bar so I've never had anything like this. Is this drink something you need to experience and not know anything about?"

Was she really about to drink something that some stranger offered her in a bar? It wasn't typically what she did but it would be good to stretch outside of her normal comfort zone. "I should also tell you that my birthday is in a few days so if it's a good drink for those kind of celebrations, count me in!"
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[info]devise
2021-03-21 03:23 pm UTC (link) Track This
Roman was far from knowledgeable about the woman before him. Although, even if he had, he wouldn't have been the most likely candidate to acknowledge much beyond telling someone they were great at something. People had their own lives to live, and they didn't need to become some source of pandering love or ridicule in an open setting, depending on the level of fan or otherwise. For his about to be 19 years in the navy, he wasn't one to go expressing that without a purpose either. The scrutiny he felt for it, it didn't mute his sense of pride, but it also wasn't a way he wanted to change any experience in meeting someone new.

Roman had to laugh with her, once she admitted that it wasn't really. He knew the saying well but he also knew that sometimes it was a very honest thing, some parent laid upon their child. Either out of what they liked, or with a deeper meaning. "You know, Delila Challenge does have a good ring to it. If you're ever in need of a new middle name and not about your current one. Taking the open seat that was next to him, he offered the seat and nodded. "They are famous for it. It's all the rage, or however people put it anymore. But mostly, I have no idea what's in it."

His brows shot up towards his hairline. A birthday? "Is it? I can't imagine a better time." Waving at the bartender, he asked for another one. Getting eyed, as if he was sure, but it turned into a total celebration on it's own. The lights began flickering, as the drumming began. A thrall to the sound of created thunder across the bar. All the while, Roman took one of the napkins there at the bar and began folding it, until it found the form of a small cone hat. Reaching over and placing it over her head as the second drink met him there at the bar. "Celebration day one is on!"
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[info]shimmering
2021-03-21 11:42 pm UTC (link) Track This
There was something so simple about someone being clueless about her. It had been so long where she had been somewhere that one person wasn't coming up to her, trying their best to ridicule her or get some sort of rise from her in character. She had one friend on Terminus who she could simply be 'Delila' around, the simple girl from Mahoroba and she was going to relish in the moment. "You know, I like the idea of changing it to Delila Challenge. I have an alliterative name so it's triple D's for me," she said with a laugh and roll of her eyes. It always felt so silly to her but her parents had done it to both of their children so how was she even going to judge?

"If they're famous for it, I have to give it a go!" Delila had always been adventurous but rarely had the time to try it on and delve into something for herself. Now was that time with Roman. The bar seemed to take on a life of it's own and Delila found herself bouncing with excitement, almost like she was a kid all over again. All of this felt so normal and exciting and Delila couldn't have been more thrilled.

"To new friends!" Delila said, holding up the drink and took the first sip of it. It was strong and she knew that she was going to need to continue. First,s he needed to get her bearings and her wits about herself. Some small talk would do the drink while trying to keep a clear head about her. "So, Roman, what is it that you do?" She took another big gulp of the drink and she realized she was in for a long night, with a tolerance that may not have been up to the par of this particular challenge.
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[info]devise
2021-03-24 05:30 am UTC (link) Track This
"Triple D's?" he asked, as if to verify the claim here already. Making a face, he shook his head. Not for distaste of it, especially as he didn't know what her full name was. He couldn't hardly make such judgements anyway. No, it was due one simple thought. "So, on a scale of 1 to 10? How much of a tongue twister is the triple D? Did it drive you crazy when you first started learning how to jot that one down?" His imagination moved into overdrive with thoughts of a teacher hovering, as a little girl huffed. Mostly for the way he did recall such events by his own little sister. "I only have one D, but I guess I'm lucky to have that. In my middle name."

The excitement there was contagious, although, if he were being honest he had quite a bit of it himself. This time wasn't meant to be some low moment, but to appreciate what he had. Adding another smiling face to it. It didn't matter that it were by some accident, if anything he would deem that a blessing. Much more so with the like minded rather than having to plead some case.

"To new friends!" he smiled and laughed, raising his own drink right after Delila had. A drink of his own, left his staring at the glass a moment. Taking in the flavor of it, the strength, and cataloging his own mental notes on it, he waved the bartender down again. Only for the sake of asking for an order of nachos. Attention back to Delila, he pointed at the man, as if to ask if there was something she wanted. Then opting to answer her question. "Right now? I've got a little job as a coach. At least until I'm called for greater things that get me off this station. What do you do?" The words stayed rather up beat, not holding any negative tone about being on the station. It was weird enough to call himself a coach, but he was also thankful to be able to have found something to make himself feel useful while here.
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[info]shimmering
2021-03-25 06:23 pm UTC (link) Track This
Delila laughed a little and threw her arms in the air, a big exaggerated shrug. "On a scale from 1-10 I'd say that it's probably a six or so." She pondered to for a moment, biting down on her bottom lip. "So, it's Delila D'Arcy Dewitt. It's not too hard but I feel like if I said it fast enough repetitively it could become more than a mouthful." She sat back and took another sip of the drink. "When I was younger it was just my name! It didn't seem like that big of a deal but that's the thing with kids... sometimes they don't realize until their older what their parents did to them." Delila smiled and thought of her sweet parents. They hadn't caused any great trauma or stress with her over it but it was a lot as far as names went.

Delila took another sip of her drink, focusing all of her attention on the new friend that she had made. "A coach? That's really cool. What kind of coach?" Delila had dealt so much with actors being pretentious about their lives and their jobs that it was nice to have a conversation with someone who was doing some sort of noble work. She did pause for a moment while she thought about what she did. She bit down on her bottom lip again, then took a drink, delaying the question as long as she could before flipping her hair back.

"I'm starting some charity work soon, mostly involving children and arts education. It's important work and I think creativity is something that shouldn't be overlooked." When she had finished even Delila was surprised by what was coming out of her mouth. She had thought about work that she wanted to do but never talked about it with anyone else in specifics. It didn't even matter that she was vague, she hadn't gotten past 'charity work' before so it was a step in the right direction. "I basically retired from my old job and have the time and money to really devote myself to a more noble cause so might as well do it, right?" She said, raising her glass to him, and took a large gulp of the drink.
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[info]devise
2021-03-26 06:28 pm UTC (link) Track This
Roman couldn't do more than smile as he mentally tried to run her name through his mind as though he were trying to pick up the difficulty of it himself. But also permitting it to memory. Why did it sound familiar? He didn't know, not that he thought of anything from that either. He figured he saw it in some company name somewhere on the station for something or other. "Delila D'Arcy Dewitt," he finally came out with, nodding in agreement. "And sometimes, they think something's cute when someone else in your family gives you a nickname and it sticks. And then you're all in public and everyone's calling each other something else trying not to act embarrassed. ..not that I'd ever know what that's like or anything..." But upon the amusement in his voice giving that away, he felt he needed to even out the amount of information given here. "Roman Dominic Cortez, at your service."

He had to admit, he was surprised by enthusiasm again, even though it was very much appreciated. "Fitness coach. Dance, boxing, self-defense." He still recalled how all of that happened, and was thankful for that as well. If nothing else for the sake of things to do while he was on Terminus, giving him a regular routine and keeping him together. "Dancing helps with boxing but is fun on it's own, and self-defense was because I could and saw the need. I've got a great full tactical, padded suit for that last one. Get beat up a few days a week. It's great." The words fell from his lips so easily, with sincerity. The padded suit gave him some leverage and he enjoyed acting out in it, trying to put people at ease even in such situations.

Children and arts perked his ears right up. "I couldn't agree more. How much are you looking forward to it?" The amount of creativity in the universe was unending, it had created everything around them in some way or another. A true force to be reckoned with and pushed to it's limits to bestow emotion and beauty to everything it touches. But all of that felt like a lot to drop on someone in the moment, unless they were asking for it. "The old job, did it get a good farewell?" he asked curiously. Raising his own glass, he grinned again. "To fruitful beginnings and worthy causes then." Taking another drink himself. Alright, maybe he was beginning to really get into this flavor, even as his own nachos slid in front of him. "What all will you be doing with the charity work?" Roman asked, picking up a chip.
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	X ([info]medlock) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2021-03-14 14:22:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	exavyera ala'al, roman cortez

throwing hands
x & roman
step-in, march 14, 2658

The weight of X’s body shifted easily from foot to the other, just her toes pressing into the soft bounce of the ring floor as she readied herself for the next reflexive action. She kept her hands up in front of her face, parted enough so she could watch Roman’s every move across the short distance that separated them. Her focus was laser sharp but the smile on her face was unmistakable. Even with her muscles tensed in anticipation, there had been few instances in her time on Terminus that X had felt so fundamentally at ease. It had only taken one round to awaken the instincts that years of hand-to-hand training had instilled in her and as they prepared to go again, her body thrummed with excitement and familiarity.

Her breath caught momentarily in her throat as she studied the man before her, eyes tracing every inch of him for some sign of muscle movement, some hint of what his first strike might be. X was not an aggressor; she was patient, cautious, trained to defense. As her eyes scanned upward to his face, they met his and she raised a brow ever so slightly, challenging him to come for her. Teasing. But ready for it. He was skilled, she’d seen it; he’d bested her quickly the first time around. Having something to prove made her all the more eager to take him on again.

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[info]devise
2021-03-14 10:17 pm UTC (link) Track This
The call to the ropes, the mat, the entire ring, it was always felt in the pit of his chest. Some bittersweet symphony calling from past days tied to his sternum and played to the tune of his heartstrings. There was a competitive drive in him, then and now, but it was never against his own opponent. It flew along the rivalry of himself. How far could he could, how far would he, and still achieve the goals he set for himself. Never allowing the light in his own eyes to drain away, focused on each task as it was needed. It was partially what led him here, accepting one position after another.

Every position he held, it required a similar kind of footwork. Steps that led down paths to be taken. Roman wasn't here to win anything, he was here to help, no matter what he told anyone. His main prerogative was to help others, not himself. If she was going to adjust here, with her means of fighting, she was going to need to know of more than one system of means. Instead of making a move, he only mimicked her stance. She barely had him by height, a mere inch, but he held more mass. Even with a well practiced ability on how to distribute it, knowing his own strengths and weaknesses, he didn't for a second believe she couldn't take him down with the mind to.

Bouncing around on the mat a little more, he focused more on the route he now wanted to take this, purposely made a point of trying to circle her a bit. Until, the moment he opted to step in with force and aggression. Quick as it came, keeping one arm up prepared to defend, while pursing a right jab.
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[info]medlock
2021-03-16 02:44 am UTC (link) Track This
As Roman moved, X moved. She kept her motions light and as much in sync with his every bounce and turn as she could. It briefly crossed her mind that she may not have been wise to leave her opponent with so much time to think through his next move. He had her dancing in circles a bit, anticipating, overthinking. Her downfall, always. Still, when he threw his first jab she matched it with a block as if her body were acting entirely of its own accord. Her counter was not the straightforward left that could easily have been expected but instead a quick drop of her right hand to swing a hook to Roman’s side.

They traded shots back and forth, each landing a few and blocking others. Overthinking ceased to be a problem the minute their hands began to fly. X dodged and swung, not thoughtlessly but without any conscious deliberation. It was all action and reaction, taking in as much as he would give her and matching it in turn. It wasn’t until she felt the beads of sweat sliding over her skin that she fell out of instinct and became suddenly aware of herself. The moment of hesitation left her guard down, her mind momentarily unfocused on the fight.
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[info]devise
2021-03-16 06:07 pm UTC (link) Track This
There was no focal point to win, only to understand, to help. It was in his nature. Knowing some of her views about what may or may not happen while out there, and while working as a medic, the offer for certain types of practice had been tossed out there at any opportunity. It felt like such a small offer to someone in hopes that they feel comfortable in whatever life they had chosen. For what life she had, even for as little as he knew of it. Outside of pirates and the joys of when bots attack, anyway. She was here to make a home for herself, and a home she should be allowed to have a real attempt at. One where she felt a little less alien to it, and without worry over the unknown.

Even through the back and forth, shots and blocks alike, he felt a little proud. He didn't need to be who showed someone how to fight, only the style of it. The various ways were nothing less than appreciated, and memorized for the sake of what may or may not work better. A forgotten elbow that should be pulled in tighter, the step into the swing, and the like. The second she hesitated, he didn't move to make a blow. Instead, he kept his stance, and called out to her.

"Kid," it wasn't too loud, but enough to get her attention as his padded fists came together. "You're not going to hurt me." It was more a promise than a statement. The words stated a little more softly. All based on an assumption of something he had seen before. The worry about what one might be able to do to someone else. Roman could be wrong, very wrong, but that didn't stop him from being certain of himself and willing to go an extra mile to put someone at ease.
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[info]medlock
2021-03-18 01:49 am UTC (link) Track This
There were a lot of ways to hurt someone, X knew this all too well. Roman’s assertion captured her immediate attention but her mind was still working. He was right, of course, in so much as he understood. Trading blows in the ring the way they were wasn’t going to cause either of them any harm. But there were other things that she had to think about; her basic biology itself could become a hazard for someone not of her race. She hadn’t gotten close enough to anyone here on Terminus for the concern to arise and before she got here, concern for others hadn’t exactly been at the forefront of her mind. If someone had gotten a dose of her unique chemistry in the process of her making an escape for her life, she hadn’t stuck around long enough to witness its effects.

She nodded in response, acknowledging what he’d said and offering a smile of appreciation for the fact that he’d been thoughtful enough to say it. “Let’s take a break,” she suggested, dragging the back of her forearm across her brow, “I could use some water.” Given that they were both flushed and damp from sweat, it was an honest request. Whatever seeds of concern had begun to sprout were easily buried deep in her belly for the time being as she pulled off her boxing gloves one at a time. A quick cooldown wouldn’t hurt and maybe she’d get the grand tour of the place, or at least as far as it took to get to the water bubbler.
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[info]devise
2021-03-18 02:53 am UTC (link) Track This
There was a moment of reflection for himself, as he stood there eyeing her curiously. Whatever had been on her mind, he wouldn't push. It wasn't any of his business, and she did air enough things that if she wanted to talk about it, he was sure she would. Whatever advice he could muster on certain aspects of her life that she was looking for it, he had done his best thus far. It wasn't about to change now. So with an ease, he simply pulled his own gloves off and began to loosen his own wraps for a sense of ease.

A nearby bag had been prepped, leaving him a few towels, a water bottle of his own, and a few other items he typically used for teaching. A quick nod was given as she took off for that break and to get a drink. He was rather slower about it, more watchful. Waiting for her to come back towards him, he tossed her a towel. "You okay?" The question voiced its own concern in the cadence of his own voice.
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[info]medlock
2021-03-18 03:43 am UTC (link) Track This
Taking her time on the short walk for water, X turned over quite a few different scenarios in her mind. It would be easy enough to explain herself, she didn’t doubt that. Roman had an open mind and so often went out of his way to make her feel less the outsider that she knew he would at least make an attempt to understand. It wasn’t expecting a lack of acceptance that caused her hesitation but moreso that the thing she was holding back didn’t belong only to her. It was a trait of her people and even this far from home, she wasn’t the only one affected if the truth of it fell into the wrong hands. She felt protective of that, of the safety of someone she cared about, even if she may have been more readily lax with her own.

Then Roman tossed her a towel and she pressed it to her face, whatever moisture hadn’t yet been wicked from her skin in their break from exertion was soaked into the fabric that she now held in her hands. Looking down at it, her stomach tightened. Not explaining herself also put someone she cared about at risk. “Can I tell you something, Coach?” her voice lowered as she moved in close to him to keep their conversation private. For a split second after she asked, she met his eyes with genuine fear reflected in her own. She knew his answer would be yes, she wasn’t waiting for confirmation so much as buying herself an extra second to work up the nerve.

It had always been in her nature to be trusting but her nature hadn’t always served her well since leaving Kenope. But what she felt for Roman wasn’t blind trust. The trust between them had been earned and so when she finally spoke it was with the confidence that what she told him would remain discrete.

“I’m...different.” It was about as vague as she could possibly be, unintentionally so. She drew a deep breath and made another attempt to explain. “My body is different, than a human one. When I sweat it has an effect on anyone who isn’t from where I’m from. It causes hallucinations.” Her eyes lowered as she continued, this latter bit added as a measure of her own safety. “We’ve been hunted for it. My people have and before I got to Terminus, I was. Humans sell it recreationally. As a drug. If anyone finds out...”
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[info]devise
2021-03-18 04:25 am UTC (link) Track This
At a loss of what had her mind turning the way it was, he had simply started sipping his own water from the bottle. Until she was asking for his attention, anyway. Whatever offbeat possibilities of responses he may have thought to expect, he stilled to listen. Uncertainty holding strong in his features as his brow knit together. The answer was never anything less than an absolute. A slow nod in reply, as he waited on whatever it was to come.

Being different though, that only led to a quirk of a brow. He understood she wasn't human even though there hadn't been any notable features for as much. But the conversations themselves, they paved the way to that being more obvious, noticeable, and even admitted. As she went on, he practically waited for some version of super strength or some random thing that could hurt or kill him somehow. Maybe she blew up once she reached a certain temperature. This close to the Gateway, he left nothing out of the realm of possibility.

There was a part of Roman that wanted to ask if she thought for a second that he would lick her, and crack jokes about his lack of drug experimentation in his entire life. But he couldn't actually say he didn't understand why she was so apprehensive. The worry and fear of what could happen or the ramifications of it. And that alone made him not want to come off insensitive to such a thing. She had for whatever reason, entrusted him with this. And he wasn't about to go blabbing it off to anyone, not that he would have anyway. "You'll kill me? Don't let that 007 stuff get to your head." he tried, now, at least hoping to relieve any stress she had for the moment. "You're not a hovercar, I'm not here to mess with your fluids. You're safe here." Maybe that was a little insensitive still, but he hoped not. There was a softness to his expression, even as he smiled. "Next time, don't hesitate." Roman added, pointedly.
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[info]medlock
2021-03-18 04:48 am UTC (link) Track This
The arch of X’s eyebrows shot toward the ceiling when Roman suggested she might kill him for sharing the secret she’d just entrusted but it quickly became obvious that he was teasing and the shock melted almost instantly into relief. “Good,” she countered, “just keep your hands out from under my hood and we’ll be fine.” The kick back was a lighthearted acceptance of his joke, recognizing the levity he was looking to create in counter to the tension she herself had been feeling only moments before. She appreciated it. It seemed there was no end to the things she had to appreciate about him, he was constantly surprising her. When he said she was safe, she believed him without question.

The added pointer came as sharp as if he’d hit her with an actual jab but even so it made her laugh. “I’ll remember that,” she shot back, wrapping her hands again and slipping back into her gloves. She nudged him gently in the shoulder with a smile, a silent thank you for listening but not lingering. “Watch out though,” she said, her face hardening into a serious expression like she was truly ready to take on the fight, “now that you have my full attention you’re about to find out what you’re in for.” As if she hadn’t been giving it her all before she hesitated in the first place, as if she had some secret store of strength and energy that he didn’t yet know about. Of course, none of that was true but if focus counted for anything then maybe this third round would be the charm.
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	hit snooze on apocalypse // fletch, cortez & roz
[info]build
2021-01-09 11:13 pm UTC (link) Track This
Commander Clay had looked at him and said I hope you managed to make the trip worth it. He'd thought he had. He had acquired new data, new learnings - new information that they could use. But now, as all things, that had gone to hell. Had it been his fault, again? Touching the hologram info display ejected by the pedestal, activating the anti-gravity and nearly opening up that dome like an oculus? Had it been one of the other groups? The logical part of Fletch knew that, no matter what, this would have happened one way or another. A colonist or otherwise would have stumbled across it, would have unintentionally opened the gates. At least the Endeavor was here to help, along with the others, a haphazard joining of crews that normally wouldn't have had much business together. And Fletch, at least, felt confident in his - albeit meagre, still, but something - understanding of the Creator ruins. He could stop it. He, Cortez, and - he'd missed her name, hadn't he? The woman from the Wayfarer. They'd end it, and it would all be well again.

The wind whipped in Fletch's curls as the hover they'd piled into ripped over the terrain, back to where he and Cortez and the others had gone not that many days before. Fletch had been pouring over his findings since, comparing it with what he'd seen on Tidlosa and Sivrak Prime, comparing the tech to what he knew, talking to Adella to translate what they could. It would have to be enough. Ahead of them, through the dust and sand and cloud blowing around, Fletch frowned at the sight of the ruins - now larger, more hulking, spires pointing high up and a new bit of uncovered rock with a door waiting them. It felt like an invitation, and Fletch wasn't sure if it was a good one. The hover halted, and Fletch scrambled out, already racing, nearly tripping over Roz in his hurry.

Oh, Miranda. That was right. The name brought a little bit of amusement to the back of his mind. The Tempest. That was what they were caught in now, after all. "There's a door!" He shouted over the wind to Cortez - so thankful, Fletch was, that Roman was with him - and Roz, and Beemo shot out of the hover behind him so he could follow Fletch up the rocky path towards it. Fletch fell against the door, bracing himself against the tornado, and searched for the similar access panel Beemo had found before. He didn't need to - as soon as Fletch's hands touched the door the structure seemed to sing, a little glow of fine white light racing about the seams in the doorway before it slid seamlessly open. He stared up through the entrance, lit with light along the halls, and then up at the tower that had risen in the place of the underground structure. Well. No way to go but up.

"This way!" Fletch called back, already diving headfirst inside, well aware that Commander Clay would have had a word to say about that, but not interested in wasting any more time, and unaware, for now, of the humming in the walls that was coming from something else, things made to defend.
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[info]devise
2021-01-10 02:20 am UTC (link) Track This
As far as Cortez was concerned, Commander Dingus was lucky he had already taken off. He was going to need that head start. Orders may have been orders but he had achieved just what Cortez had expected. The Endeavor was left caught up in something that had nothing to do with them. They weren't rushing off to save themselves and abandon ship, leaving all of these poor people to some shit show some Commander Dickwad only used for the sake of tactics. No matter what they had found, the trip would have been worth it. It gained necessary information in more than one way. But worse, given what kind of jeopardy they had all witnessed and been in firsthand through each of these little exhibitions, it did not mean that people should go tampering with things they don't understand. No matter what someones issue with who claimed this mining settlement.

Where the same could likely be said about the Endeavor, at least there was more to it than simply taking control or using power moves in their political game of chess. Cortez held far too many thoughts on everything, but given the current need of going back into that space again. He had his doubts about a time loop coming soon to an Opportunity near you. But he was content to stay as close to Fletcher as he could, if nothing else, for the sake of making sure that the man didn't end up being shot by some plasma bolt straight through his core again, or any of his other thousand ways to die.

While Cortez was still quite a ways from even having been on the crew for a year, he had bonded with them in his own way quickly. It was his own way. There had been a number of issues he had grown through with living on Terminus, but they had nothing to do with the crew themselves. Fletcher had always been someone he looked at fondly, not only for the man's personality, but seeing parts of people he had served with in him. Much of Cortez's own experience in navy life, was working in Engineering. He knew an asset when he saw it, no matter what someone might think of themselves at times when trying to accomplish things. From live toasters to a comfortability in fighting skills. There were so many traits to admire here, and Cortez was happy to call him family, in his own way.

"I hope you're armed," Cortez offered as he tossed a look over at Roz, not at all recalling her name either. Had he actually heard it? He didn't know, but that didn't matter as much currently. What mattered was there was Fletcher making a run for things again. Where the ever special Commander Claymation would have said things about that, Roman was content to follow believing Fletcher had a better idea of what was going on than anyone else did. And if he didn't, he'd be the best person he could possibly know for the job on figuring it out and working through it. As long as he didn't just jump in front of anything looking to open fire. Cortez's feet moved that much faster, quick to arm himself along the way, knowing that anything could happen here.
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[info]aircraft
2021-01-10 05:18 am UTC (link) Track This
This was already going better than their previous jaunt into the ruins. Roz watched the door slide open, and as she watched Dr. Fenn run headlong into the structure, she wondered if the crew of the Endeavor just repeatedly threw themselves into danger without being prompted, or if it was just the few members of the crew that she'd met. Between Ronan and Hal, and now Cortez and Dr. Fenn, she was getting to know a crew she had very little interest in. It ruffled her feathers to spend this much time with members of the Alliance, wearing their pride on their sleeves. But right now, saving the colony, protecting them from their own home, that was more important than starting a fight with the Endeavor, not when the obvious villain was on a different ship. When the need was here, now. 

Roz shot a look to Cortez, holding her blaster. But it wasn't exactly what she needed. She'd carried a few extra things in the pockets of her pants, climbing gear, extra tools to jam any doors, lessons learned from the first go-round. She wondered what these two had learned, what lessons their adventures had taught.

The whirring in the walls, Roz knew that sound too well. "Dr. Fenn," she said, rushing to follow, to get ahead. "Stay low, and move quick. They're going to start firing —" She cocked her arm, drawing out the shield with just enough time to duck in front of Fletch, lifting it as the first turret panel opened, the blast hitting her shield and knocking her back into Fletch. "— Now. They're going to start firing now. Dr. Fenn, do you have a weapon? We need to disarm them or we won't get by." 
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[info]build
2021-01-10 06:15 am UTC (link) Track This
Even Beemo was having trouble keeping up with Fletch as he raced up the path, half expecting steps and finding none, just steep, dark rock or metal or whatever mineral or material the race had built these with. There was no time to stop to investigate more than he already had - all Fletch could think of was ploughing ahead, getting to that same pedestal, if it was still there, if it wasn't now within a maze of halls and towers like this one now that the ruins had lifted out of the ground. It was the least they could do - the Endeavor had come with the Canopus. Commander Clay's words still rung in his head - I hope you managed to make the trip worth it. Was this the whole point all along? Playing distraction so they could take everything the colony had worked towards in the name of the IPA?

Fletch was a loyal Alliance citizen, had never once doubted them - and still now believed it all to be the work of Clay, of the marines, and nobody else. At least, he thought, they could make up for it, they'd fix the problem. They just had to get there first. Fletch could hear Cortez behind them, and then Miranda was there ducking ahead, shielding him at the right moment to avoid a blaster bolt to the chest. He sucked in a sharp gasp. "Yes." He said, shooting a hand for his blaster. He slipped it from his holster, remembered the training and the practice he'd put in, but he would never be as good with one as Cortez, or Ro, or even Ambrose.

Some panels opened up ahead, and Fletch aimed and shot. His blaster bolt went wide, and he tried again, this time managing to crack the side of one panel before it could form into turrets to fire at them. But Fletch was feeling too hardheaded and determined to be waylaid for long. More panels opened, and he stared up ahead, at the end of the staircase - he could see that it bottomed out not far away, opened up into a wider room that he couldn't identify just yet. The main chamber, maybe? Or an antechamber. Either way, closer than they were now.

Fletch pursed his lips, glanced at Roz and Cortez from their hiding place behind her shield, and then snapped. "We don't have time for this." And then to Cortez, behind him, a little look of apology in the way he glanced at him. "Cover me, please." And then he lurched forward, ducking underneath Roz's arm to dart forward, underneath a flurry of blaster bolts - one caught him in the arm, but just a graze that burned a hole in his Endeavor jacket and left a red mark behind. Beemo let out a very unhappy sounding beep from behind and activated his arc welder and rocket boosters so he could help protect Roz and Cortez as they followed, and he seemingly called after Fletch a, you dumb shit! What are you, a cowboy now?
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[info]devise
2021-01-10 04:41 pm UTC (link) Track This
Just as Roz had been calling out about it firing, Cortez was shooting from behind them. For all the little that it did, seeing how Roz still found her shield hit and knocked back like that. If this had been any other time, Cortez would have at least winced and maybe even called to check if everyone was alright. Maybe even sarcastically spoken up about how much he just loved running. Sliding in behind Fletcher, he tried to peek past the shield some to get a better visual before tossing a volley of his own shots. When was there ever a time where one of these things ever died easily? It was a thought that doubled in leaving Cortez in awe, as well as annoyed by their current position. They were a sitting target and he didn't know how long Roz's shield was going to hold like that.

The moment that Fletcher spoke out, Cortez had an idea as to what was going to happen. At least, it was what happened before, on Tidlosa. How things moved, and how Fletcher had shut things down behind the scenes as others played cover. A curt nod was given as Cortez didn't second guess anything, moving to give as much suppressive fire as he could. Pausing only long enough to grab a stun grenade held to the back of his own belt. "I hope you don't have a hearing implant on or anything." Cortez more muttered to Roz as he peeked around her shield, firing to a tune in his own head.

Pulling the pin with his teeth, he held the weight of it in his hand. He knew just how long he had before it blew. A new mental count going on, even as he his feet moved to his left, quickly rushing away from Roz's shield and Fletcher's direction. Instead, towards some weathered rocks he thought he could use to take cover now. Suppressive fire, check. More targets, check. At least as he rolled into the dirt before chucking the grenade into the air even further from Fletcher's own direction. It might not actual stun or damage anything shooting at them, but he was looking for the distraction before he started firing again. "Decoy is out!" He called out, covering his ears and closing his eyes just at the right moment before widening his own shot and trying to give the turrets something to really want to blow away.

"How are you doing there, cowboy?" Cortez called for Fletcher in between shots and ducking back down. Beemo may not have been happy when using the phrase in binary, but if the shoe fit, why not keep that ball rolling?
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[info]aircraft
2021-01-10 08:58 pm UTC (link) Track This
This wasn't what Roz expected from the Alliance. Haphazard running, without a care to wait for cover, a stun grenade, it was a distraction but it wouldn't stop them from getting shot by the turrets as they spun on their arms, following along with Fletch as he ran for the opening. This was a good way to get killed, but it seemed commonplace to these two. 

"Fuck's sake," she breathed, pulling her blaster from its holster and taking aim at the nearest turret from behind her shield. The first shot fired wide, marring the wall, but the second shot hit the arm holding the gun, and the whole apparatus fell flat against the wall, limp and shooting aimlessly at the ground. One down. But Fletch was still charging ahead, along with that angry-looking robot. Roz wished for a moment she too had rocket boosters. 

"Officer," she shouted, "Cover me." The turrets turned their heads towards Roz, who fired off another volley of blasts at the next turret, knocking it back against the wall. It continued to fire, but the mechanism was jammed, leaving it stuck in one position high over their heads, at least, for now. She pressed forward, eager to cover Fletch from any fire, seeing as he was eager to charge directly into the line of danger. "Dr. Fenn, please, let me cover you."
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[info]build
2021-01-10 09:22 pm UTC (link) Track This
If anyone expected Fletch to handle things the way an Alliance soldier should have, they'd be surely mistaken. That wasn't his role on the Endeavor and wasn't something he ever had any interest in taking on - he did his training, managed to practice as much as he could with a blaster, took up boxing for self defence, but Fletch would always turn to his words or his screwdriver before anything else. He was thankful, then, that Cortez had some idea of what he was up to, and felt guilty for not having enough time to explain as much to Miranda, but they would just have to make do with what they could. There would be no way for them to get any further if the walls continued to open up into turrets, and Fletch was positive he could find a way to stall them - at least for a moment.

All he had to do was find the access point. "Beemo, scan!" He called, ducking and nearly getting shot again, but between Cortez's concussive blast and Roz's blasts Fletch seemed well protected. Beemo beeped back at him, identifying a panel at the bottom of the wall at the end of the hallway above them, and Fletch lunged for it. Beemo's arc welder sliced a hole through the metal and Fletch had an arm through with his screwdriver a second later, flinching when another blaster bolt from a turret nearby sprung away from the suddenly appearing Miranda and her shield.

"Thank you." He said, blowing a puff of air up over his face to get some hair out of his eyes. Fletch couldn't see the inner workings of the wall defences but there was no time to be patient with it - he grit his teeth, angled his screwdriver and gave a hard yanking with one hand. There came a spark, a bolt of electricity that shot half way up Fletch's arm and sent him jerking backwards, and then the wall turrets gave a drowsy little hum and froze. The firing stopped. Fletch gasped for breath, moving so he could continue to scramble upwards, towards the open passageway at the end of the hall.

"Hurry! I don't know how long they'll be frozen for." He shouted back to the other two, gripping his singed hand with his other one, bursting through into the next antechamber space - huge and connected, surely, to the central room he and Cortez had been before. The walls had dropped away on either side, leaving one long bridge and emptiness around it, stretching into the dark to the edges of the tower. "There's got to be a way into the main room from here." Fletch said, hoping.
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[info]devise
2021-01-10 10:24 pm UTC (link) Track This
Cortez could be in command of his own ship, trying to find his way up the ranks to Admiral on some navy ship, or better yet, retired after all of his years of naval service. A ranking captain as an executive officer, it wasn't uncommon, but someone else in his position might not have accepted this position. Someone like Commander Clay, for example. And as much as Cortez worried about the tactics and survival skills of his own crew from the start, that didn't mean that he believed that they were in the wrong. No matter the roll over rate for the positions on the Endeavor may have been over rougher missions, he trusted their capacity to do their jobs. And while many of the crew weren't enlisted officers, he knew that they were supposed to be some of the greatest and highly skilled minds. And his job included their security. If only they made that easier sometimes, but knowing them was also to realize they weren't all soldiers nor were they supposed to be.

They were outgunned and outmanned, so to speak. Fletcher was right, they didn't have time for this. If he had a way to make this go by quicker, that would be all they needed to slip inside. Distraction and cover fire, that was what he was going to do to make that happen and he was happy to do so. Because if anyone had any idea on what to do with this current issue, it was Fletcher. Rather than taking turns shooting at something that wasn't going to just shut down but continue to pin them down, and likely do what it could to recalibrate and learn from it. All in hopes of popping more than a metaphorical and literal cap in each of their asses.

Quick to roll over and jump to his feet, gritting through what that did to that knee that was still bruised up previously. Cortez wasn't about to require being told twice here. Blaster still in hand, he was tempted to kick the damned hunk of metal on his way in but he didn't need that turning unlucky either.

As the walls around them dropped away, Cortez looked around them but kept his feet planted firmly on that now bridge. Half expecting some crazy alien monster to come out of the abyss and turn this into a bad arcade game, his hands tightened around that blaster. He had no idea what would happen or how this could go. He didn't see any panel, console, or know if there was a way to move forward. "You didn't touch anything before," he half muttered, but there was no blame in this coming from Cortez. He knew Fletcher hadn't but there had been something about that hand hovering and their previous loss of gravity the last time they were here. "You think there's something to hover your hand over to move us along?"
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[info]aircraft
2021-01-11 04:28 pm UTC (link) Track This
Quickly following the two Endeavor crew into the next antechamber, she caught Cortez's words about hand controls, hovering. "We had that on our elevator," she said, looking back and forth between them. "A dial, it was controlled by gestures, not by any real touching or anything. I don't think you need to—" 

A rumbling beneath their feet as the door behind them closed, and the bridge began to shift — to separate into sections, dividing between them until each member of the team was standing on a floating block, drifting apart. "Well, fuck," Roz said, struggling to stand still even as the section of the bridge she was on began to raise higher. "Shit fuck goddamnit," she managed, looking around for a way to drop down to the section of the bridge Fletch was on, or Cortez, before she got too high. Another rumble in the deep, and up shot another block the same size as her own section, soaring high above her, joined by another and another. Columns of rock moved swiftly, up and down to fill the space, change direction and drop back down, jostling against its neighbors. 

As Roz shot up higher, she looked frantically around for a way down, her gaze caught on something familiar on the far wall. She turned, staring as she tried to comprened before shouting out — "The door!" She pointed to a faintly glowing opening on the distant wall, high up above where the bridge had been. "We have to get across!" But even as she said it, the section of rock she was on dropped suddenly, plunging back down towards the dark.
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[info]build
2021-01-11 05:18 pm UTC (link) Track This
Fletch was scanning every corner of the room - as much as he could see, which wasn't a lot, considering the behemoth size of the tower - searching for any sign of something, his mouth half open to reply to both Cortez and Roz when the latter suddenly disappeared to his side, and up. Fletch blinked and lunged for her, but it was too late - his segment of the bridge was already breaking off, floating further away from Cortez, and Fletch spun, barely balancing on it as it sank a little and then began to rise again. It was - well, incredible, and it was hard to fight the awe from his face as he took it in, trying to understand how it worked - did each block have its own personal propulsion? Was it anti-gravity at work again? But their own bodies weren't--

Right. Roz was swearing, and pointing to a glowing shape up higher than Fletch at a far wall, and he quickly jerked his attention towards it, and her, just as her section of rock shot downwards. "Beemo!" But Beemo was already on it, a little annoyed at having to save the asses of these organics - as usual - but more helpful than he'd been before, loosing out a cable from one of his metal compartments that shot down to snag Roz by the hand before her rock could take her with it into the dark depths below them.

"Are you alright?!" Fletch shouted down to her, but he could feel a rumbling in his and Beemo's own rock, and they were passing close by to where Cortez was on his own. He shot Cortez a worried look. "I think we'll have to... well, jump. Before they go back down. And try to get to the door!" Fletch swallowed back a heaping of fear that had lodged in his throat. This was not his expertise. He could barely stay upright on a good day, let alone leap from floating rock to floating rock without falling. "Beemo, you'd better bloody catch me." He said under his breath, and Beemo replied with but I thought you were a cowboy now.

Fletch sighed, and threw himself across the distance as it closed in. Beemo followed with his rocket boosters, hopefully carrying Roz along as he did. Fletch narrowly made it with a sharp inhale of breath, flashed Cortez a happy little smile at having not died, and then continued - jumping as best he could from floating rock to floating rock, until he'd grown close enough to the door. There was a ledge there, just large enough for the three of them, and Fletch took a big breath, braced himself, and jumped. And that was just at the same moment the rock beneath him fell away, and Fletch let out a yelp, dropped, and just barely managed to catch himself with one hand at the edge of the ledge to the door, where he dangled as he struggled to clamber back up.
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[info]devise
2021-01-11 11:19 pm UTC (link) Track This
As the bridge pulled apart, Cortez kept his stance, feet shoulders width apart, in line with his shoulders. It left him with more control, even as he dipped down, treating this more like surfing only with a platform on air. Gaze moving quickly around the room, still feeling as though something were about to pop out of nowhere. Or worse, whatever else the platform decided to do. Between the time loops and this, he was now questioning if this race hadn't created the first arcade games. Or maybe they just had really long legs and decided to take leaps like this normally. He simply wasn't nerdy enough for this.

Watching as everything moved before him, he finally holstered his blaster. As much as Cortez actually enjoyed rock climbing and surfing, he never seemed to find a time he did enjoy it on a mission. This wasn't fairing any better. Especially not with the way everything was moving. This was feeling like a dance and not the kind he knew the steps to. Clenching his jaw, he took a few deep breaths, stealing himself for whatever could happen in the moments where everyone was jumping around. At least until it was up to him to get started and head into this himself.

Taking a running leap off his bit of platform, and making his own way over to the one Fletcher had previously been standing on, Cortez had never felt so grateful for the antiskid rubber of his boots. But using that same momentum, he didn't pause. Pausing meant overthinking the next step and how far he would have to go. Jumping from rock to rock, it wasn't until he saw Fletcher drop that Cortez felt light as a feather. There wasn't a breath to breathe, a thought to think, a pain to have. It was as if nothing else mattered, as the moment moved in slow motion. A reminder of slips off other high places.

Upon his own final leap, he was careful not to be too close to the other man. Quick to stabilize himself, he reached for the arm that held the platform. Taking Fletcher's forearm with both hands. "You jump, I jump." Cortez muttered under his breath. "So get your ass up here, Fenn." Not taking his eyes off the task at hand and doing his best to help his favorite engineer, he called out to Roz. "Hey, Blondie! Got anything else tucked away in that shield of yours?" Pausing for a second, he added a comment directed at Beemo. "I've got a 100 credits for the most useful in saving cowboys."
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[info]aircraft
2021-01-12 01:20 am UTC (link) Track This
Roz had serious doubts about how much the little robot could carry her with its little rocket boosters, even as he lifted her off the rapidly descending rock, disappearing into the dark. She reached up with her other hand, holding tight onto the cable. She tried to keep her legs from dangling too much, trying to keep herself as steady as possible as the small robot motored them through the sky towards the ledge. "Oh thank fuck," she breathed, looking up at Beemo, as the brave little robot managed to lift them up, higher and higher. 

Just as Beemo flew over top the ledge, Roz reaching out with her foot to alight when another rock zoomed up, catching her other foot and lifting it high. Roz pitched forward, crashing into the ledge from above, catching herself on her palms and knees. "Fuck," she spat, before begrudgingly getting to her feet. "You made it look easy," she said, looking aside at Cortez. "Dr. Fenn, are you alright?" she added, looking at Fletch as he managed to find himself on the ledge with the officer's help. 

Leaning down, Roz scooped Beemo up, lifting him just enough to leave a kiss behind on his display screen. "Thank you, my knight in shining armor," she said, before setting him down. "Let's get the fuck out of here." She approached the door, a faintly glowing seam in the wall on all three sides. A panel sat beside the door, with a few strange symbols etched into them. "Maybe this?" she asked, waving her hand over it vaguely. 
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[info]build
2021-01-12 01:55 am UTC (link) Track This
Fletcher couldn't remember most of what had happened on Tidlosa - snippets, here and there. One or two deaths. But his heart tugged at what he said - you jump, I jump. He wasn't about to let that happen, and with Cortez's help scrambled up onto the ledge and let out a breath, realising then that he'd been holding it the whole time. "Yes, yes, fine," he breathed back to Roz as she arrived with Beemo, who tooted back at Cortez and his bet with a, get ready to pay the fuck up, baby. Fletch just made a sour face at him and got to his feet, steady, where he came up to stand beside Roz and the door and the symbols etched into the panel beside it.

Fletch reached out, hesitated for only a second, and brushed his fingers against them. They responded, soft light blooming as if it had heat tech that flared with his touch. Nothing happened, however, and Fletch hummed to himself and considered them. He pulled up his omnitool, flashing up the holoscreen of it so he could bring up some of the recordings he'd taken earlier in the week - and any translations he'd sorted through with Adella. None of them exactly made this clear, but it clearly required some kind of code, and Fletch had enough experience with that to feel confident enough to tackle it.

It took him three tries - muttering to himself and shifting from foot to foot as he selected a few different combinations. When the last try flashed red instead of white, Fletch's chest tightened up. One more attempt, he thought, hoping he hadn't already been locked out. Fletch scanned his records, back to the access pad, as the symbols clicked together in his head and he said, "Oh!" He pressed three fingers onto three separate symbols at the same time, for this attempt - and that did it. The door gave a hum and a hiss and lit up before simply folding away into the wall.

Beyond, Fletch stared through in awe. It was the same room he and Cortez had been to before, but the bridges had all but collapsed, and the main pedestal had risen much higher in it - they were now at the top of the tower, and the roof of it was completely open, folded apart with a shocking bright light beaming from the centre of the room, up and out. It lit the three of them with Beemo and Fletch stared at it wide eyed, enamoured almost, and stepped through. "I've got to get to that pedestal." He said finally, pointing up towards it and searching for a way to ascend - just as red lights appeared in the recesses of the room, and two Sentinels whirred and extended its robotic tentacles, both crawling out from opposite ends of the enormous space, its laser light focused on the three intruders.
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[info]devise
2021-01-12 05:36 pm UTC (link) Track This
Cortez didn't think too much about making anything look easy as much as the focused need to make sure that the worst didn't come of this. Down to the wire, with everyone else having had their hands full. The last thing he needed to do was drop the ball, or Fletcher. Doing as well as he had, could have still meant one misstep that led him pitching himself into the abyss and he realized that. "You just need rougher hobbies," he had meant as a joke. He had no idea what she did in her spare time, for all he knew it was polishing that shield. Some of his own hobbies were questionable enough, as it were. Talking to inanimate objects, dancing around or gesturing in front of the mirror, storytelling, none of these would have helped him in these moments either.

Standing up, he grinned over Beemo's reply as he wiped his gloved hands off on his pants. Cortez was good for it and he couldn't even begin to doubt Beemo's abilities now. But watching as everything unfolded before him yet again. His heart may have dropped into his stomach. If it were easy, there would be thoughts on it being too easy. And this? Hello reminders of the big boss stage of arcade Tidlosa. His gaze following slowly, to the pedestal. "Blondie? If you're about getting in on these bets, I'll put up another 100 for who gets rid of this tentacle porn." Cortez called out as he was quickly turning away from the group and running. Blaster pulled out and armed, firing wide to not only distract but to get away from those laser sights.

"I'm really not into this," he muttered under his breath, gaze strictly on one of the sentinels, as if he were trying to speak to it. "I can't speak for everyone, but I'm sorry. What happens in Opportunity, does not stay in Opportunity." The only answer he gained was returned fire. Not exactly something to laugh at, but he needed closer. Cortez dodged the tentacles as best he could, tucking and rolling.

He didn't know if any of this would work, but he had been playing with his own gadgetry since Tidlosa. And while this wasn't the glitter bomb he sent Ronan for his birthday, if one wanted to play into catching fish, an exploding net for these tentacles? Cortez only helped that the materials used actually helped. Pressing the button and throwing it in the direction of the tentacles, the net sprang open with force. Almost as much force as a net cannon itself. As the sentinel moved to swing it away, the large encompassing net, wrapped around it's bottom and pushing it back onto the ground. Down, but not out, it continued to fire at Cortez, a shot grazing his left shin.
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[info]aircraft
2021-01-13 12:45 am UTC (link) Track This
Roz pulled her blaster free, scanning the room behind them as it continued to move, the blocks shifting and swooping with abandon. She nodded as Fletch opened the door — thankfully someone knew what they were doing, because she was sure as fuck that she didn't. As long as no one died, she felt pretty satisfied. "The pedestal?" she repeated but there wasn't time to process what Fletch was saying. She looked aside at Cortez, before wrinkling her nose. But she had to admit, the net worked. 

Which left the other Sentinel, snaking its way towards Fletch. "Not today, fuckwit," she said, rushing forward, blaster blazing. A few blasts zinged off the tentacle, turning its attention to Roz. It shot out before she could dodge, grabbing hold of her leg and yanking her off her feet, her blaster falling to the floor with a clatter. "Motherfuck!" She had just enough time to tap the cybernetics in her arm and open her shield before the tentacle smacked her hard against the wall, the shield doing some work to absorb the shock. 

"Dr. Fenn, keep going!" she shouted, slamming into the wall again with a grunt, but if it distracted the Sentinel enough to let Fletch do his job, that would be just – thud – fine.
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[info]build
2021-01-13 03:17 am UTC (link) Track This
Stars. Fletch knew he'd stand no chance against those blasted Sentinels, not unless he could get up close enough to use his screwdriver, but there was no time for that. Cortez and Roz were already diving towards them anyway, taking the brunt of the danger so he could reach the pedestal. Fletch's heart tightened with fear for them both, and he swung a desperate look to Beemo. "Help them, alright?" Fletch ordered, a little sternly, and Beemo beeped back a sassy, you're not the master of all tech, Fletch. But Fletcher had already turned to start racing towards the tower and the pedestal, desperately searching for a way up - there, a bridge, taut and angled up now that everything had risen, but a bridge nonetheless.

Beemo beeped, exasperated, and turned so he could offer backup support to both Cortez and Roz, first firing off on rocket boosters to help Roz with some distraction while she got thrown about.

Fletch, meanwhile, launched himself at the bridge - it creaked, but didn't give underneath Fletch - he remembered how Happy had fallen through a hole in it, nearly into the depths below. He steeled himself, set his gaze on the glowing pedestal above, and started to make the climb. The railing gave way under his hand at one point and Fletch slipped and gasped, but that was it - he was getting there, steadily up and up and up, until he finally managed to reach the edge of the platform the pedestal stood on, glowing blue and lighting up the front of him. He stared at it, a little entranced for a moment, yet again - and then hauled himself up and threw his hands into the holographic display, careful not to touch anything that could send them all spiralling up into the open tower ceiling again.

He'd have had more luck, too, had a rogue Sentinel bolt not shot wide and struck him across the shoulder, tearing through his uniform and flesh and sending Fletch staggering sideways onto his knees, torn from the pedestal momentarily. But maybe it was a good thing - Roz looked like she was in trouble, and Fletch shouted from above, a winced, "Cortez, she needs help!" And then a beat, as the Sentinel Cortez had wrapped in a net started to laser its way through. "Watch out!"
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[info]devise
2021-01-13 10:54 pm UTC (link) Track This
The words hit Cortez's ears just short of the hit. The shot grazing his leg, it had him cursing in Guarani, in a long descriptive slew of words that more or less called the sentinels a pair of heinous donkey balls along with various ways of how he wanted to kick this ass. Dipping down after the shot, he tucked and rolled in an attempt to get away from subsequent shots aimed in his direction as the robotic menace began cutting through the net. Running to where Roz was dealing with the other sentinel. Firing wide, he kept running in it's direction, purposely treating her blaster like he was passing a soccer ball. In some vain attempt to get it to want him a little more, he ran behind it, firing as he went.

Distraction tactics at an all time fail, the robot barely paid him any attention beyond some robotic eye passing a glance at him. He knew it wouldn't be long before the other was finally up and rushing for him again. However, he did miscalculate how long that would take, as a tentacle from behind found him and hard. Leaving Cortez flying towards an opposing wall. The wind knocked out of him, especially as that knee that had taken a beating the last time they ventured here slammed hard into the floor to break his fall.

Looking down, he saw the laser sight on his chest, and was quick to get to running again. The adrenaline suppressing the pain of it in that moment, but there he was running towards the sentinel that was focused on Roz. Where he knew that it didn't work in previous attempts to have them shoot at one another, on Tidlosa, he wasn't about to even try for that. Although, with something else in mind, he took something else to try in hand and slammed into the floor as he slid beneath another tentacle reaching for him. "Seriously, not into that," he muttered as he threw another little explosive at.

There was no special 'bang' with this one, only a porous substance that looked something akin to fluffy whipped cream quickly covering the robot beginning at its tentacles. Once covered, the substance hardened. The audible cracking spoke volumes of how this wouldn't last too long. Noticing a little someone that was sent back, flying around. "Beemo!" Cortez called out a little more hoarse as he jumped back onto his feet and began running again. Shots being fired at him. Pointing back at the stiff sentinel, he asked, "Maybe earn your cowboy saving points?" Focusing his own shots on the tentacles of the one with bits of net still hanging off of it. Pulling a pin out of a plasma grenade, he threw it, to his own amusement calling out, "Fire in the hole!" Even though he was running for the only person with a shield, all but colliding into Roz as it went off.
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[info]aircraft
2021-01-13 11:31 pm UTC (link) Track This
In some alternate universe, Roz was sitting in a warm bath, sipping a cold champagne, and not thinking at all about  sentinels, tentacles, or robots, but rather reading some interesting tome on money markets or a historical fiction murder mystery about a cozy little town. 

In this universe, Roz was crushed beneath a muscular executive officer, making quick work to wrap her arm around him, shielding them both from the plasma grenade in much too close proximity. The blast knocked her arm tighter around Cortez, crashing them both onto the ground, but at least they were in one piece. Or at least, in the same number of pieces they were two minutes ago. "This is gettin' re-dic-ulous," she managed, breathlessly shifting out from where Cortez was atop her. 

Quickly getting to her feet, she ducked under the wildly swinging tentacle, its perception sensors seemingly covered in goop and unable to get a good read of their location. "Hey! Excuse me, I am walking here," she shouted at the tentacle, dodging it again – but thinking better of it. Waiting like a jump roper, Roz stepped to the side, then hopped onto the wildly swinging tentacle, clawing her way up its form to the root of the Sentinel.

The blaster arm spat out blasts wildly, but without its mechanical sensors, it couldn't follow where Roz was. She pulled her butterfly plasma knife from the compartment in her cybernetic arm, flipping it open with a sizzling pink glow. "You fucker," she swore, stabbing into the blaster appendage, ripping through the metal with the laser knife, just enough to make it fall limply against the wall again before the tentacle managed to buck her off, sending her flying. 
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[info]build
2021-01-14 12:14 am UTC (link) Track This
I'm earning them! Beeped Beemo back at Cortez, and helped with his arc welder to slice a little tip of tentacle away from the final remaining Sentinel. Above them, Fletch had dragged himself to his feet again, ignoring the burning pain in both arms from the shallow wounds there, and the ache in his palm from where he'd earned that minor shock. There was no time to wallow in getting a little beaten up - especially not when Roz and Cortez were both taking more severe beatings down below, and if he had anything to say about it, it would all be finished and over soon.

Fletch plunged his hands back into the holographic displays, fingers swiping through recognisable and unrecognisable symbols. There was the anti-grav controls, which Fletch avoided, other things that weren't helpful to him in that particular moment, but what he'd have given his left arm to study, if they'd had the opportunity. But they never did, did they? It felt like too long - like hours, when it was really only minutes of searching - until Fletch had carded through what surface information he could, down to the very depths and centre of the commands, until he could access a beating pulse point at the middle of it. Fletch wrapped his hand around it and it fluttered like a heart in his palm, and through it Fletch watched as the strands of light within the holographic display seemed to take on a mind of their own, became lines that slipped up his fingers and around his wrist and up his arm, like his skin was merging with the controls.

Down below, the Sentinel's red laser eye turned a brighter, more urgent red with a periodic flash of yellow, and it spun its domed head towards the pedestal and Fletch above. Broken and sparking, it started to struggle its way towards him, intending to go through Cortez and Roz if necessary.

Fletch had never seen tech like this before, not quite like this, even Tidlosa hadn't been so -- responsive. It wasn't until the strands of light had reached his temples that Fletch understood the intention, the make - that the core of these ruins weren't controlled by touch alone, but mind. Fascinating, he thought, though it slipped away like the wind had ripped it, in place with an explosion of imagery and colour and a thousand, million, trillion too many things at once. From up above, Fletch let out a slightly anguished noise, lit up from the pedestal, as an uncountable flood of knowledge rushed through him, and in the middle of it, the key to shutting all of this disaster down.

Override, thought Fletch, and he heard it echo only through his head, Initiate shut down sequence, and nothing quite worked until he curled a hand around it in his own mind, and against a near impenetrable wall of resistance managed to snuff it out. It wasn't build for his hand, his head - but it didn't matter, the controls listened, finally. The light sucked back inwards into the pedestal, loosening Fletch from it at the same moment the entire thing burst and broke with an overactive whir, like it had built up far too much energy and now it had nowhere to go. The beaming light pointing out of the tower top sucked back down into the turnstile in front of Fletch, and the explosion knocked him flying backwards, straight into the railing, which snapped, and then he dropped, unconscious.

The Sentinel's red laser eye light fluttered and died.
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[info]devise
2021-01-14 01:02 am UTC (link) Track This
It was in that moment of realizing all parts were still there, and if they weren't? Well, they felt like it and nothing else mattered. As Roz spoke of ridiculousness, which, Cortez wouldn't have argued against at all. At yet, as she pulled away, all that ended up falling past his lips was, "Come on Barbie, let's go party." No matter how much he would have rather just fell on the floor and laid there for a nap, here he was clambering back up to go running again. Not near as fast as he was before, but he wasn't sure if he was about to turn into a moving target right away or not. Heading back towards Beemo, to see if help was needed and to see if he needed to start counting those credits.

At least when it all started to happen. Everything going strangely haywire, more so than it already felt. With the sentinels fully shut down, there couldn't have been a better moment. The future looked bright and not full of laser sights, explosions, and plasma bolts. Cortez dropped his hands to his hips, bent forward and breathing heavily, as if he just finished some marathon he never actually wanted to be part of. Only having time to say, "Oh, thank-" when the explosion happened.

Far enough away from it all, he felt the blowback like a breeze against his face. Eyes closed automatically against the rush. This never seemed to stop his mouth though. "Fletcher!" he called out, even as his feet rushed in the other man's direction. "Fletcher Fenn! I swear-" the words held back, but Cortez wasn't about to stop going until he reached him. What would he swear? If he just did just die playing cowboy- no, he really didn't want to think about if that was even possible. Much like their time moving across the broken, floating bridge and rocks, Cortez was far too focused on Fletcher. At least where he should be.

"Come on, Fletch. It's okay, the dirty tentacles are all gone!" he continued on before finally reaching the point of the blast. The destroyed pedestal, and his engineer lying crumpled on the ground. Pulling him away from the railing, he double checked his pulse. A little relief to be held there, at least. "Keep this up, and you might really start being about that fresh shave look," he muttered more to himself than anything.
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[info]aircraft
2021-01-14 09:57 pm UTC (link) Track This
Struggling to her feet after being chucked aside by the tentacle that now fell completely silent, Roz watched in horror as some sort of explosion threw Fletch back, afraid he would tumble out of reach, where they wouldn't be able to save him. "Dr. Fenn!" Roz shouted, rushing to follow Cortez to Fletch's side. "Is he —" But the relief on Cortez's face was clear. Fletcher must be alright, breathing, at least. 

Looking around to account for Beemo, Roz quickly crossed herself that no one had died, yet. "Let's get out of here before anything else goes wrong," she said to Cortez, bending down to slip her arm under Fletch. "And while at least two of us are conscious." It wouldn't be easy getting the strong, hefty professor back to the ship, and she had a feeling there were more questions than answers left behind, but it was better to escape while they could, together.
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	Cortez & Open // Jan 5.
[info]devise
2021-01-04 10:12 pm UTC (link) Track This
Restless. The word itself held a heavy weight all of it's own. Pushing and pulling wildly, even as he looked back behind him. Previous excitement of getting off station and having new orders, the fresh start to the new year, it was all stifled. Smothered by the worries drawn by another crew, soldiers each in their all too familiar uniforms. People he might otherwise be happy to see, to be around, to find solace in the type of life he had spent the last eighteen years. At least before the changes that came by accepting the assignment that led him to the Endeavor. A crew he had come to look at as a home for over six months now. A crew that was getting eyed in a way that didn't deserve here.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath in, enjoying the air in the way he couldn't on the ship, or even on Terminus. If anyone was going to give him dirty looks or whisper behind his back, he was going to give them damn good reason to do so. And it wasn't going to be because of his chosen career. If it wasn't for this same career, he wouldn't be here, able to see everything he was. With a light stretch of his muscles, that felt like they were singing to another tune, he moved forward. This was the first mission he was able to be on that had a living population of people. Not just some abundance of wildlife out to take a bite, or plants with a similar agenda. Even if this turned into him getting food thrown at him, he wanted to make the most of it.

A smile was planted on his face, as he made eye contact with every single person looking his way. Roman's hand came up as he gave a small hello to a couple passing before him. One of them spit on the ground as they passed, but he was going to treat that like a friendly hello, instead of the 'scum' that was harshly whispered in the process. At least no one is out and about taking a swing at him. "Don't worry, my shoes already had their spit shine! I appreciate the offer though!" he called back, with an extra bounce in his step. This was all the fault of the unwanted Canopus, as far as he was concerned.

There would be a lead in towards the cantina, but first, why not have a little exploration of this fine colony? It seemed like a great idea, even though he felt like there was some weird spotlight on him. Did he have something in his teeth? A giant puss filled zit on his nose? No, he was sure of those things. He checked before he left the ship. But if these people were going to stare, he was a little too tempted to give them a show for the simple sake of it. Body movements became stiff as he crouched down, feigning having dropped something. But there was nothing to do but stand and wipe his arms off, hearing a tune to a song that only he could hear. Looking at this crowd, maybe only he recalled. Words fell into a soft cadence with new steps. "Do you remember, when we fell in love? We were so young and innocent then. Do you remember, how it all began? It just seemed like heaven so why did it end?" Maybe no one should have allowed him out of the ship.
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	starbound ([info]wayfind) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-12-08 23:47:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	roman cortez, tui'lelei'mavaelagi


SEE 'N SAY
TUI & ROMAN // 9 DEC 2657 // GASWORKS, TERMINUS

"I have it this time!" Tui exclaimed, though it came out as au te 'iloa in her native Vorutian. The excited sentiment was obvious all the same, though, no matter the language. Her shout was loud enough to startle Niu'niu from his perch in the windowsill overlooking the street, where he'd been napping in a warm artificial sunbeam. He lifted his wide head to peer over at Tui and the guest, though he didn't get up just yet, allowing them to go about their game.

For the purposes of this afternoon's exercises, she'd disabled the chip implanted behind her ear, which was wired into her brain and networked into her synapses, able to process audio input and rapidly translate any identifiable linguistic patterns into her own vocabulary with minimal error. Output worked in a similar fashion; whatever she intended to convey, the algorithms took care of selecting the correct words and syntax for her to 'speak' aloud, or type into text. It was sort of a cheat - Tui rarely had to deal with the messiness of miscommunications and misunderstandings, save for the occasions where she stumbled across an uncommon colloquialism or had too literal an interpretation of a phrase.

But after her second time dealing with C.A.L.'s particular brand of technological havoc, Tui knew she couldn't afford to become complacent or lazy. She'd spent enough time around humans that she ought to have been better at their language by now. It was, frankly, embarrassing that she wasn't - she lived in their world, yet hadn't really tried to assimilate. Now that she had more partners to practice with, she felt determined to face this challenge. She was smart, she was capable. She had this figured out.

Tui pulled up the holoscreen on the application that was rated for kids 3 and up, flicking through the options available. Her finger hovered over the image of a quadruped with the splotchy black and white body. "Moo! Cow! Moo?" she pointed it out to Roman, hoping for confirmation of her guess.

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[info]devise
2020-12-11 07:33 pm UTC (link) Track This
Even as unfamiliar words hit his ears, Roman was waving her on. Whether he was being a little overzealous about this was difficult for him to say, because for him this was like watching a game. Yes, he was part of it, but in the moment she may as well have made it to the twenty yard line and finding her opening to make that goal. Lost in those seconds, watching as she made it there, he jumped up from his own seat. Arms were stretched above his head, as he did. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" he called out, moving to touch the tip of his nose as if this were now a game of charades to let her know how spot on she really was. But also, in a sad attempt to force some similar version of a nose as a cow.

A low, guttural sound came barreling out, as he even recalled days where he did get to taunt and harass the cows back home. One though, stood out above all the rest. The one that his little sister had favored. The way that she would rush over to the fence and try to get the cows attention, only for it to wander on over at the sight of Roman. Mostly for the sake that he had to help feed and clean up after the large animal. Even how he would slide a gummy worm or two in to her hands to pass along.

The memory of it all, only furthering on his enjoyment of this, and how happy he was to even be able to help like this. There was no lack of faith or trust in Tui's abilities in anything she set her mind to. And the creativity to improve her Common like this blew him away as it is. Waving her on in another way, for the next animal, he only continued to cheer her on without the use of words for the sake of not drawing her focus from the task at hand. No, he was using all of the excitement he was easily pulling from all of this.
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[info]wayfind
2020-12-12 03:43 am UTC (link) Track This
His excitement and enthusiasm was infectious, because Tui was suddenly whooping as loudly as he was, as if they'd had a gravball game on. Which would've probably made more sense to her neighbours, but the only sounds in the apartment were coming from them rather than the holoscreen, which sat powered off for the time being. She raised a hand for a high five - a human gesture she'd readily adopted and frequently found reason to utilize, though she often had to remember not to put too much force behind her arm.

"Yes! Good!" she laughed, proud of herself, but delighted in general. Tickled, even, by the concept of a cow. She reached up to the projection of the bovine, stretching it out to enlarge and enhance the image. "Cow like that? Really?" She'd never seen one before - a steak, yes, but not the living animal, and the Fetu had no livestock. Their edible protein was usually plant-based, or otherwise acquired from planets they traded with, or managed to hunt and gather resources. It was almost hard for her to imagine an entire farm just for cattle, though she knew they existed.

Looking down at the controls for the app, Tui tapped another button that brought up a wheel on her screen - the randomiser that would select the next animal she had to guess. She passed the tablet over to Roman to read the screen, so she wouldn't cheat.
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[info]devise
2020-12-16 04:48 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman was not about to leave Tui hanging, he was going in for that high five like his life depended on it. He trusted her enough that he didn't expect to end up hurt purposely. If there were any sort of accident, he wasn't about to hold that against her either. Only be all the more thankful that there was no hurt involved if he ever figured out that was even a remote possibility after that training. Because that was a time he fully expected to get whipped around a room and go flying a lot higher than he had.

That smile of his wasn't about to go dropping anytime soon, only giving an emphatic nod as he answered her. "Yes, really, cow. Just like that." He didn't know what she had seen in her lifetime, and really he could only imagine. Especially with the way it was far more extended than his. He was grateful for how he was brought up, even though it simply put, wasn't for him. Even if he could easily go back to it, find a place for himself, take care of his father's land. But he wouldn't, except maybe to visit.

Getting the controls, his face lit up that much more. Content to let the wheel spin, literally too. Until it brought up a slightly taller animal. A muddy brown color, with a long trail of perfectly brushed hair down the back of it's head that matched it's tail. Roman put the controls down for a second, finding a seat and cupping his hands. Clapping them against his knees as if to promote the sound of the animal coming towards her before adding, "Heeheehee" shaking his head and blowing a raspberry with his lips.
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[info]wayfind
2020-12-17 04:25 am UTC (link) Track This
She wanted to ask how Roman knew, if he'd seen many cows, if they were nice animals - but that would all have to wait until they were done playing the game. Her vocabulary wasn't diverse enough yet to convey all of the thoughts and questions she had swirling in her head, though Tui made a note to return to the subject later. For now, she focused on identifying the sounds Roman was making with his hands and his mouth. Her literal mind had trouble understanding what the clapping was about - she couldn't recall seeing any farm animals with hands, though that seemed like it would be extraordinarily useful in an agricultural setting.

No, she was getting too distracted by the visual - Tui had to focus on the sound of it. The simulated clip-clop was familiar, from some old holos she'd watched late at night. The ones with the men with funny hats with broad brims, and the silvery bits on their boots that jingled when they walked. Cowboys - that's what those people were called. But not because they rode cows (though that would've made more sense) - this was the other animal they used as mounts! She'd figured it out, but now she had to recall the right name of the beast.

"Au. What is?" she started to say, thinking aloud. It was on the tip of her tongue - literally, her tongue stuck out, expression as goofy as it was pensive as the image slowly crystallised in her mind's eye. "Is...is hoss?"
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[info]devise
2020-12-20 05:41 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman was having far too much fun and getting a little too into this in the moment. But that was far too easily in his own nature. The rhythm for that simulated clip-clop, it held a high standard for old memories. If he had thought for a second her mind moved to cowboys, he may have wished he had a cowboy hat on. Sadly, the only one he had on the station was locked away in his closet. All with enough little things from home that were only sent here a few months after he had been sure he had a place for it.

Once he looked up and was watching her, taking notice of just how close she seemed to catching it all? He was prepared to go full throttle on this whole scenario and prance around like a horse on as close to all fours as he could get. Or at least imitate while prancing around, half doing the doggy paddle like he had to in a play as a child. Those memories, he wasn't looking to relive, but you did what you had to in the moment. Including galloping in the wrong direction in that play, and falling off the side of the stage before jumping up and yelling that he was okay.

But there it was, he tapped his nose and jumped up in excitement. There was no 'r' in there, but he suspected that was more than likely an accent even though he was not at all sure. It wasn't as if he heard her going on about horses lately. "Yes, horse!" Something about this, it felt like he needed a scoreboard for all these she was getting right. That was his thought for a next time.

Taking hold of the controls and letting it spin again, his eyes went wide with mirth as it all stopped. He loved this one, on a personal level, and there was no denying it. Getting onto the floor, he rolled over onto his back, moving to his front, and back and forth. A few good snorts coming from him, until he got on his hands and knees. Lifting one hand enough to reach his face, he pulled his nose up and blew up his cheeks before snorting and grunting again. Then in his own amusement, went charging at her feet, coming up short. All the while, snorting and squealing.
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[info]wayfind
2020-12-21 10:26 pm UTC (link) Track This
"Auuu. Horse. Hooorrrse," Tui repeated, correcting herself. It hadn't been her accent so much as a bit of confusion, blurring the slow drawl of the cowpoke in those classic western holos with the more common rhotic pronunciation of the word. She would remember it now, or at least she hoped she would, the next time a horse became relevant. But there weren't that many out here in Terminus space for it to be a frequent topic of conversation. In fact, there were probably far more useful words and phrases she could be learning right now, when the nearest farm was several planets away, but she had a fondness for astrozoology.

Plus, it was just plain fun watching Roman's animated performances. Among the many traits Tui appreciated, his lack of pretension was one she ranked highly. Some people were the type to make others feel small - even those of her stature could be reduced to a joke, a punchline. But never Roman. Since they'd met, she'd always felt at ease in his company, accepted for exactly who she was. Tui tried to match that energy, valuing Roman's qualities rather than judging him. She was glad for his sense of humour and willingness to be silly - at least, when levity was appropriate.

Niu'niu, on the other hand, was far less appreciative of the display. Where Tui couldn't help but start laughing at Roman snorting and rolling around on the floor, the cat-beast shot up straight, alarmed by the squeals. Back arched and hair standing on end, he started hissing and jumped from the windowsill. His talons scraped loudly, pitter-patter along her floor as he skittered sideways across the room. Niu'niu leaped onto the kitchen counter, then sought higher ground on top of her fridge, where he glared down at them, thick tail lashing back and forth. Tui had held her breath to that point, finally breaking with another laugh, "Au. He no like."
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[info]devise
2020-12-31 02:35 am UTC (link) Track This
The correction of herself only added to his own excitement in her having it. A few added cheers as he pointed to his nose, as if to tell her she still got it. If there were points to be had, he would have given it to her fully. Roman very much believed that correcting one's self was about the best thing anyone could do to remember anything later on. Even if there wasn't something to find of relevance, he could only imagine good possibilities in Tui being able to find or create a reason to use the word itself. Even if it turned out to be due to some random nerdy literature about horses.

Tui had been nothing less than that welcome wagon, albeit unintentionally, for him from the start. He was sure that worked out differently for others, with the actual intentions and less a run in with Niu'niu and Beemo along the way, or large rats in alleyways. He had never felt anything less than pride in knowing her, and easily treasured any conversation they had. The allowing for silliness and seriousness where it was needed without the hold of judgement only added to the sentiment.

A little too into his own play of the role of pig here, Roman hadn't quite caught sight of Niu'niu right away himself. But once he had, he looked over at Tui and let out a bark of laughter of his own. Getting to his knees, his hands on his thighs as he shook his head. "Everyone's a critic," he still laughed, before slowly getting up to his feet. "Is this how you go about asking for some extra fish too?" he asked, looking up at Niu'niu. Roman sucked in his cheeks for a fish face, full pucker. Hands raised to try and play fins on the sides of his face. As if Niu'niu had to get in on this little game too.
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[info]wayfind
2021-01-01 03:05 am UTC (link) Track This
Another growl rattled through Niu'niu's throat as he glared suspiciously down at Roman, judging him as though some kind of imperious child emperor atop a metal throne. The offensive squealing might have stopped, but the cat-beast's ears were twitching warily. The only moment they had stilled was when Roman had said the magic word: "Fish." Tui repeated it, seeming to diffuse at least enough tension that she wasn't pained by fear her pet might try to launch himself at Roman's head again, claws out and fangs looking for skin.

"Eat fish?" Tui said in the sing-song sweet voice that animals seemed attuned to, then approached the kitchenette to rifle through her pantry. Tucked away in one of the upper cabinets was a bag of treats. All it took was the softest crinkle of the plastic for Niu'niu to sit up straight and cautiously tiptoe to the edge of his perch, curiosity piqued. "Fish!" she called again, shaking the bag until Niu'niu was successfully lured over.

With lofty grace, Niu'niu descended from the refrigerator and hopped on her shoulder, curling around her neck like a fancy fur stole. He sniffed at the bag, nudging his flat face against it until Tui opened it. A strip of fish jerky wasn't quite the same as a fresh filet, but it was better than nothing, and better than letting him tear up her friend. One talon snatched up the treat presented to him. "Hungry." She could understand the sentiment, feeling a sudden pang of hunger churning in her own gut. "Break time?" she suggested to Roman, although she had forgotten to make her last guess.
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[info]devise
2021-01-05 12:06 am UTC (link) Track This
If someone would have decided to launch himself and attack, it certainly wouldn't have been Roman's first rodeo. All that would have mattered to him was that it wouldn't have been his last. His first meeting of Tui and Niu'niu had been strong in the forefront of his mind. The last thing he would ever forget was what someone favored, especially from such a fateful day.

Watching Niu'niu move for Tui the way he did, it nearly felt like a case of deja vu. The simplicity of it, anyway, without people getting knocked to the ground or giant rats looking for fights and hissing as fire was directed at them. But also, it was nice to see someone simply so content with only having gained a treat. Animals always felt easier to understand and read than people, in so many ways.

Roman now relaxed and without a single animal sound to give, stood no differently than as if he had just stepped inside. A smile on his face at the words, he gave an affirmative nodd and repeated Tui. "Break time."
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[info]wayfind
2021-01-06 09:24 am UTC (link) Track This
While Niu'niu was preoccupied with his treat, Tui had a hand free to reach up behind her ear. The gesture looked like a simple tuck of hair away from her face, but the point was to trace her finger over the patch of skin where the subcutaneous piece of Vorutian tech was installed. It took a second, but she soon felt that strange, familiar tingle in her scalp as the neural network reactivated and rewired her synapses. From the outside, nothing changed, though she gave a little shiver as the chip kicked in.

Aural transmitters first, filtering speech to her own tongue. Then vocal settings, turning the thoughts in her head into sentences that Roman would understand. At least to the best of its capabilities, anyway - some words just had no equivalence in any human language. But the translator could parse out something as simple as, "Want lunch? I've got stuff for sandwiches." She waved vaguely at the kitchen, to say 'make yourself at home'. Her pantry these days was overflowing with food in store - mostly to cover the appetite of her brother, Kit, who had become a part time roommate since his arrival on station a few months ago. Whether he chipped in for groceries or not was another matter, but Tui had been raised with the mentality of sharing resources if she had them.

Which was one reason Tui had encountered a bit of culture shock when she'd come to this side of the Gateway, and saw how humans lived. So focused on monetary exchange, on the concept of individual wealth, on having more than someone else. It wasn't a universal quality, but one she saw frequently enough, promoted in society, in advertisements around the station. No one on the Fetu would go hungry if they could help it. Though, she supposed the one thing they lacked was the luxury of choice. If they didn't want sandwiches, there was always noodles, or sushi, or anything else at the tap of a finger on a commlink menu. "Or we could order in. I'm not picky. Though I reckon I'd rather go for something veg after all those animal noises."
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Welcome to the Frozone \\ Tan, Ronan & Cortez
[info]devise
2020-11-14 07:56 pm UTC (link) Track This
A haze of flickering and dimly lit emergency lights gave all the dire aesthetic this needed. Even if it weren't for the automated and ever glitching words spoken through the speakers assaulting their ears in regards to the amount of time they had, no one was going to view this as a bad night clubbing. This was one of those areas left in the depths of Roman Cortez's nightmares. A place he had been before, in a number of ways. But never on Terminus, never against C.A.L. As much as he wondered about the suicidal tendencies of this supposed viral intelligence and the anger it held against whatever was left living, he had to be thankful for one thing. At least outside of the company he was keeping in the moment, anyway. For as well acquainted with this station as Cortez had made sure to be through the usual and unusual means, what better time could one have to reach depths as these? He couldn't help it, he did love to know how things worked and how much of it was optimally. For as many years as he spent in engineering throughout his career, he was a fly to this honey.

Reaching what appeared to be the right level, he eyed the two men curiously. With the manual approach to everything that had to be done, right down to making it to this level, not everyone would have been up to the task and he knew that. This was one hairy situation to be in, but he could at least say he was in good company. If he ended up in part of some explosion and shot into space, these are some of the people he would be content to last see. Mostly because of the belief that they did do all they could, and to actually believe it was the truth of it. That semi-emotional two milliseconds aside, he pressed a button calling back maintenance on the other end. There was a high temptation to speak in code, playing this out like a military operation, but he bit it back. For once, anyway. "We've made it, what's next on our to-do list here?"

The silence on the other end irked him. Only for the sake of not knowing if anyone was able to actually hear or if something else had glitched again. In retrospect, at least he had permitted to memory the schematics he could get ahold of of this station. Private sector or not, the last thing he was willing to do was sit on a floating space rock and feel helpless of some wayward attack. The last plant diabolical antagonist proving that point. But hope came through the static filled radio. "Down the hall, second door on the left." Another pause. "Panels at each of the tanks will have pump levers to break the seals. A crank in the middle of the room to push the water."
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[info]roughshod
2020-11-15 05:06 am UTC (link) Track This
Tan wasn’t a sentimental person. He had no particular attachment to the station beyond recognizing that it contained the few people he’d come to care about in the verse. So preventing it from hurtling itself into the nearest planet seemed—prudent, and if the first step of that was getting control of the reactor so they didn’t all blow up then he was game enough to try. His mind wasn’t exactly on the job—despite how he tried to keep his focus, he was distracted, and only so much of it could be blamed on his mildly malfunctioning memory.

“Second door on the left.” If he could repeat things, he could generally remember them, for at least as long as it took to take action on them. Tan didn’t know the men he was with, but it didn’t matter—they had a solid enough goal and a clear enough initiative to handwave little things like trust and familiarity. Tan came to the aforementioned door, expecting it to slide open as he got there—but it was locked tight. He stepped back, taking a look at the door panel beside it, even surreptitiously leaning back to count doors and make sure he’d approached the right one. One, two—and this was definitely the left (yes, he was enough of a trash child to mentally check that using his hands before he reached for his radio. “The door is locked—can you let us in?”

There was silence on the other end—a long enough pause for Tan to pull a skeptical face and look at his cohorts—but the radio crackled to life before he could outline how sketch the situation was in general. “Hey, sorry—the doors aren’t working. Just give us a second to try something.”

He was about to respond when the door in front of him hissed and opened up, allowing their entrance into the reactor. Tan wasn’t dumb enough to hesitate on entering even if every bone in his body screamed that this felt like a trap. “That worked, thanks.”

The radio hissed to life for a second before it was cut off—and in that moment Tan would have sworn he heard the maintenance tech start to say they hadn’t done anything before being cut off for silence instead. He didn’t want to ask for clarification—it was better not to know.
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[info]aimbot
2020-11-17 12:17 am UTC (link) Track This
As terrible as the situation very obviously was, Ronan much preferred it when there was something he could do, so he hadn’t hesitated when there had finally been a task he could help with—that it was in the company of his XO was a bonus, since he had just about enough of maneuvering perilous situations in the company of untrained or downright chaotic civilians, and considering everything that was on the line (his newfound home and the people he cared most about), there really wasn’t any room for error.

Then again, they were only one of many simultaneous missions to keep this station from careening into MALM, and there was no point in thinking about how many ways this could go absolutely terribly wrong. They had a job to do.

Ronan had easily fallen into line as the last of the three of them, particularly because he knew little of Tan and this hence seemed wisest, but that did mean the doors prematurely sliding shut behind them with an ominous hiss only barely missed him. It didn’t exactly come as a surprise, but it certainly didn’t bode well, either, and he cast a glance over his shoulder at the door that stayed shut.

“If this isn’t the right way, great news, we won’t be turning around,” Ronan pointed out wryly, a little too accustomed to everything in his life leading towards the next near death situation at this point, and only hoping his friends were faring better. He knew Cortez had gotten onto the station even later than Ronan had himself, and he turned to Tan instead. “Were you already here the last time this … thing tried to take over the station?”
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[info]devise
2020-11-17 07:12 pm UTC (link) Track This
Where Cortez didn't hesitate anymore than anyone else to step into the room, there was that little devil on his shoulder that was practically singing the warnings of others. The number of times he had heard or been asked if he had been staying out of trouble on the station, through all of this mess. The ever vigilante greeting and end of conclusion of conversations that held the phrase 'don't die' felt all too regular. The way that door closed behind them, he was feeling Ronan's words. "With any luck, we won't need to," he threw back with a grin. Of course, that only led to him questioning if there was any luck left to squeeze out of this.

The corner of his eye turned to check on Tan's answer to Ronan's question. Tan had seemed quite capable, from what he had seen. Between a time of angry plants, and trudging down here through the insanity of a virus. Cortez knew little beyond what information he had gained from Fletcher, his own curiosity piqued. Looking over the room and trying to find the right panels. It was too quiet in here, even for his own tastes.

The furthest panel not wanting to pry off, Cortez moved for some tools he had left inside his coat pockets. With everything that had been going on in past weeks, he hadn't once left home without some for this last week. It becoming increasingly easier with the extra drops in temperature. If there were traps here, may as well get this party started.

Looking back at both men, "I come packing, if you guys need anything let me know." He offered, quickly. A small lingering thought on how this place didn't look like it would start shooting at anyone, so there was that. No worry about Ronan getting shot having to help someone. Or so he hoped. Even though, he wasn't entirely sure that didn't mean they couldn't get shot into space. Not the best time for those new experiences, at least on the station. At least without a tether and a suit? But that one wasn't actually new to him, especially since one of the ships he was the engineer on had blown up. What were the chances now?

A shift in color in the corner of his eye caught his attention just as he had pulled the wall panel away. It was a floor panel turning red a few feet away. Brow furrowed, he called out to the two men. "Anyone else seeing that?" The last thing he needed right now was to think his brain wasn't getting enough oxygen right now.
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[info]roughshod
2020-11-18 01:08 am UTC (link) Track This
Tan usually was fairly capable—less so now, with his memory and inner ear still not perfectly up to snuff—and this was hardly the kind of situation where his talents really shone. He was better at the kind of tasks where you pointed blasters and told people to put their hands up. Still—he’d been on enough varied jobs to know his way around general machinery (that he’d also grown up on a tiny, dusty mining rock where things broke as often as they worked was a detail that he rarely brought up—he was never sure how much of that he could truly remember). There was a eyebrow at Ronan’s question, but Tan answered honestly enough. “Nah—lived here, but I was off-station at the time. “

The next part was wry, and utterly contradicted by the fact that Tan moved further into the room, approaching another one of the panels on the wall that maintenance had mentioned. “Kind of wish I’d been off-station for this one.”

He looked up as Cortez spoke, turning to figure out where the other man’s gaze had drifted towards the floor. The panel was definitely red. “No—no, that’s definitely red.”

Tan reached for his radio again, calling back to maintenance. “Hey, guys—we’ve got a floor panel that turned red on us—something we should be concerned about?”

After a moment came the reply. “Um—hang on a minute, let us check something.”

They sounded concerned. Tan pulled a face but didn’t press for a reply. The only way he could see out of this mess was to work forward. He turned back to the panel he’d just started working on, taking it down so he could look for the levers that had been mentioned. A moment passed and then a floor panel near him shifted to red, and he hesitated—when he spoke it was to the men in the room, not to the radio. “Guys, we’ve got another one. I’d assume it was some kind of sensor panel for when these are open, but they sure didn’t seem familiar with it.”
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[info]aimbot
2020-11-18 11:02 pm UTC (link) Track This
“Are you just reciting your fuel bio, boss?” Ronan arched a skeptical brow in Cortez’s direction, though, similarly, Ronan had come prepared, within means. Shooting things certainly wasn’t the most tactical way of turning anything off, but it was one that came in handy, and he had paired his usual gear off with wrist cuffs that administered electric shocks, made for him by a friend. Because life on Terminus was strange, and called for stranger means of dealing with it.

Nodding absently as he focused his gaze on their surroundings, Ronan grimaced. “I was supposed to be on vacation right now, don’t remind me.” Should have been somewhere on Babylon, with a view of the mountains, maybe a campfire, not freezing his limbs off and possibly dying, again, for the third time in four months. “Think we all would have been better off elsewhere.” Of course, had he been off station for any of this, while his friends were stuck here dealing with this, Ronan would have driven himself mad and restless with guilt.

Still. It would have been nice if the station simply weren’t trying to kill them. Too much to ask for.

While Tan turned towards the wall panel, Ronan made for the crank they were supposed to use once the levers were flipped, careful to avoid the lit up plates on the floor. “So I’m guessing red means bad, does it,” Ronan mused out loud and just barely suppressed a sigh at this less than pleasant, yet less than unexpected turn of events, as another panel flashed up red. At the current rate, there would be more red than regular ones left within minutes. “Is this... normal? Anyone at all think it is?” The resignation in his tone suggested he certainly didn’t think so, and a cursory glance around told him there wasn’t a lot in the way of higher ground. “Maybe we should hurry this shit up.”
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[info]devise
2020-11-19 03:34 pm UTC (link) Track This
"Dammit, I knew that late night decision was a bad one. You found it on there and sent me a slew trouble, didn't you?" Cortez tossed back in reply, feigning seriousness. At least for the moment, anyway. If only he could have been so easy to pin all of his bad decisions on someone else. But that wasn't about to happen today or any other day. "I knew all those dm's about being a killer and wanting to choke out a fleshbag were a little off." Cortez only half muttered to himself.

The idea of a vacation right now, sounded like a dream. One that was intangible, no matter how far Cortez could reach. He really couldn't recall the last real one he had. Where he had the time, there had been this near nonstop need to be of use. And a level of worry about what he was missing, what could be needed, all while he wasn't there. As if this one man could make such a difference, even in the slightest of ways. But the idea of being somewhere real, surrounded by nature, breathing air that didn't need to be recycled. Priceless.

His mind was left reeling over thoughts of the possibilities on what was going on. What C.A.L. was up to here again. It didn't help that he was really beginning to question the level of experience of those people on the other side of the radio. Was there some manual reading going on here? A great disquisition of systems while it was actually their lives on the line? Would they get a plaque here if they ended up blown out into space?

"Fuck," he muttered, before pointing at the crankshaft on the other side of the room. "He's trying to block the path of the water." Pulling off his gloves and dropping the coat, outside of the omnitool he had in hand, he moved for the crank shaft on the other side of the room. "The water isn't held back like a dam, it's compressed." Ignoring the lockout blinking on the panel, he opened it up to a few sparks. Nothing he wasn't used to, given how many times he had to play with equipment these past weeks. "Say this is a normal engine? He's setting us up for something like a hydrolock. To damage the pistons pushing the water using opposing force compression."

Working on the panel and swapping a few wires, the room started to shake. Just enough for Cortez to grab a pole for support, but also the panel to close with some flickering skull and bones smiling back at him. Rolling his eyes at it, he turned towards the other two men. "I need you guys to turn this crank and don't stop." Opening the panel back up, he went back to work muttering again. "Yes, that is what he just said."
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[info]roughshod
2020-11-20 03:20 pm UTC (link) Track This
(While he would never have admitted it, Tan would similarly not actually have chosen to be anywhere else. He had begun to care too much about others on the station—he in fact cared too much about people in general to leave them to this fate.)

And none of that engineering stuff made much sense to Tan. He had never focused on that side of things, but it didn’t mean that he couldn’t get the gist of what Cortez was saying (it was the specifics where he was lost). When he was at his best, the shaking wouldn’t have affected him in the least, but it played right into his current state of mild vertigo. He stumbled slightly, having to reach out to steady himself against the panel.

He hurried after he settled, moving to help Ronan. He could only assume from what Cortez had said that it was going to get way more difficult to turn and quickly. He fell off with the banter—because that was what Tan did when things were going wrong. He focused, went serious—he tended to be quiet and focused instead of fun, which made him good enough at his job and terrible at being charming when the world was blowing up.

It didn’t take long for it to look like Ronan was struggling with the crank—he braved himself and reached out to help crank. As he did he paused for a moment and then snorted, loudly. Looking up at Ronan with an almost sheepish expression, “Sorry, I uh—just got that joke.”
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persephone & roman // 11-9
[info]boyet
2020-11-08 03:04 am UTC (link) Track This
Oh, Terminus, how things going crazy never surprised her. Over the past few days, the place had gotten cold and the whole flippity-floppity of the light and dark parts of the day had really thrown her off her game. Pom supposed everyone else was thrown off their game as well because who wouldn't be? Still, she tried her hardest to keep her head straight while still coming into work whenever she was asked. Now that was something that she was still trying to wrap her head around.

That day wasn't going to be spent worrying about work or the station going nuts instead she was planning on hanging out with Roman for a little while, which happened to be one of her favorite things. There had been no plan outside of hanging out and seeing where the station took them. Maybe it would be a movie or the arcade or maybe even one of the junkyards so Pom could pick up some parts needed to finish her engine rebuild that was sitting in her apartment. She might be a model but she still liked getting her hands dirty.

Bundled up in a sweater, jeans, and boots she was tempted to bring the blanket from her couch with them because it was so cold. "Maybe we should get coffee or cocoa before we go on our adventure?" Pom shot a glance up at Roman to see what he was thinking as they stepped into the lift heading up a level in search of warm beverages and the hope that heat still rose in the station.
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[info]devise
2020-11-08 06:41 pm UTC (link) Track This
The cold chill that ran from the tips of the fingers and toes, straight into the marrow of his bones. There was something, almost disturbingly so, that Roman loved about it. With enough exposure to the elements in the past, and enough work in space, he knew the depths of just how it could all feel. Step by step. It held a comfort all on it's own, to know that future, to know how it could all turn out, and to know what kind of control you had over it, along with what you didn't. Extra layers held their own promise to righting the feeling. Like a warm hug, pressing all other negatives away. Roman kept a smile on his face. All unseen bruises healing, mixed with the inhalation of icy air, he breathed easier. It reminded him of long morning hikes and standing on a mountain top in the early morning hours.

Speaking to and being around Pom had an air of it's own though. Mostly of bad luck, even though he didn't fully want to admit to that. Beyond how they met, timing seemed to always be against them. In some light though, did have him worry about what types of situations she might have found herself in, at least when he wasn't around. Between plants attacking in the park, her inability to stay awake after such a time, it all seemed to fall into place. Even his own previous and admitted grumpiness that held nothing to do with her. If they were supposed to wait on some other time to hang out, they might never get there. And he would rather know that she was okay.

He wasn't quite as bundled as she was, looking a little more like his own regular self with an added pair of gloves, a beanie. Along with his coat, albeit open, lined with a nice sherpa material inside. The idea of coffee or cocoa felt like more of a nice wake up call for him. Something to keep him going, and he hoped didn't turn out with it being sprayed at them for ordering it. Bad luck be damned, it still sounded good. If it did come to that, he would happily stand there with his mouth open, until he found it burning him. That's a whole different slew of problems. Following Pom onto the lift, he nodded even with this slew of thoughts on the forefront of his mind. "When was the last time you had a good cup of either?"

The doors closing, everything almost felt right as rain as the lift moved upward. At least until the lights flickered, metal screeched against metal, and the entire thing stopped hard. The jolt of everything leading Roman to fall back into the wall, gripping the handrail as it came to a stop. Looking over at Pom, he didn't ask if she was alright, as much as saw for himself. Yeah, bad luck, and she wasn't even a ginger. If his father only knew. But friends were friends, luck or none at all. "Guess we got a detour on those drinks, huh?" he tried to joke.
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[info]boyet
2020-11-08 07:04 pm UTC (link) Track This
Unlike her partner in crime, Persephone hadn't noticed her streak of bad luck as much as he had. Well, not simply bad luck but bad luck when they happened to be around each other. Why was it that she seemed to have the worst luck when she was around those she cared for most? Suppose it was a good thing she was no longer in charge of the maintenance of the Revenge. The last thing she needed was worrying about a whole crew because she was a cursed woman.

"Honestly, I can't recall. We had coffee at one of my recent holo shoots and it was horrible. I'm thinking about bringing my own coffee with me next time." Pom was still finding her footing with this whole modeling thing and knew sooner or later she'd have to get a manager or an assistant to help her with it all. "Think it'd still be counted as cocoa if it was half marshmallows and extra whipped cream?"

Pom's gaze lingered on Roman for a long moment, a teasing comment about taking his hat on her lips before the lift stopped hard and caused the woman to topple to the ground. Laying on her back she blinked up at the ceiling while trying to get the breath stolen from her chest. A sigh left her lips and she carefully sat up then stood, rubbing the back of her head. "Maybe we won't be stuck here very long? Don't these things have emergency buttons or something?"
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[info]devise
2020-11-08 08:55 pm UTC (link) Track This
A puff of air blew past his lips, as if he couldn't believe she would ask such a thing. It was mostly for the sake of joking around, but at the same time, as far as he was concerned, cocoa was cocoa. How someone had it, was no different than having a hamburger. Everyone had their favorite way, and if anyone wanted to judge, so be it. He was the last person on this station that could claim such a thing anyway. His own preferences would lead to him making it on his own at home, but that didn't make some from a shop any better or worse. Maybe better, sometimes, since he didn't have to make it. But that was an entirely different debate to be had. "If it's got cocoa in it, it's still cocoa."

Roman was quick to nod at her comment, and even point it out by the panel next to her. "Go for it, but these things are rarely quick unless they have a technician ready. And sometimes, even then." With everything that had been going on, more heard than experienced first hand, he had little faith or trust in the idea of getting out of here anytime soon.

Waiting on Pom to go ahead and make that call for help, he was checking for other options. There seemed to be a panel above them, but also, he wasn't entirely sure how far away they made it between levels. The lights flickering again, causing him to not trust what was being shown there either. At least no one was claustrophobic or anything like that. No hanging to their deaths. He could get used to this. "So, anymore thoughts on this one?" he asked, looking at Pom expectantly?
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[info]boyet
2020-11-08 09:05 pm UTC (link) Track This
"You were supposed to lie to me and tell me we're going to be rescued quickly and not stuck here for the rest of our lives." This was Terminus after all and who knew what type of fate they might have stuck in an elevator. Persephone was quick to press the emergency icon on the touchscreen control which caused static to break out through the speaker beside the screen. "Hello? Is there anyone there?" More static and then the sound was cut off. Well, shit.

So they were on their own.. great. She even went to her com device to see if she could maybe call for help that way but the screen wouldn't turn on. "Oh, c'mon! I don't wanna be stuck in here. I'd say I could look at the problem from a mechanical point of view but I'm not messing with that when it could mean getting you hurt." Because she never wanted to hurt Roman. "Guess we can go up and see if we're close enough to the next level we can escape that way? Or we can just stay here and hope for the best?"
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[info]devise
2020-11-08 09:14 pm UTC (link) Track This
Shrugging haphazardly, he didn't think too much about his own answer to that. "I'm shit at lying." The honest truth there. He could crack jokes for days or not want to talk or tell someone something, but in the end, he really was terrible at boldly lying. The truth was so much easier to tell. It required less recall on things you've had to tell people.

Being stuck in a lift with all these weird glitches or maybe even electrical surges, he wasn't entirely sure what the right answer was. Even without them getting anything out, someone could see that it wasn't moving and ask about it, after waiting on it. But that was still more time. Looking up again, he pointed towards the panel. "Mechanical would still be out there. Anything computerized and electrical is more dangerous to play with."

Looking back down over at Pom, he waved her over to him. "I'll hoist you up there, you find out where we are? If we're close enough to the floor, we can try to pry the doors open and climb out? Or just find a maintenance ladder on out of here?" Because hoping for the best wasn't really his personal belief on anything.
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[info]boyet
2020-11-08 10:03 pm UTC (link) Track This
Pom huffed, "I was being sarcastic, ya know." And she was. She just needed Roman to help her level her head so she could figure this out. So they could figure this out. She wasn't in this alone and she needed his help in all of this. As Roman mentioned mechanical being outside of the lift Pom looked up and nodded. It looked like they were going up.

It only took a matter of seconds for Persephone to be standing in front of Roman, her attention more on the ceiling than the handsome man in front of her. "Well, I'll see what we can find, and hopefully one of those options are waiting out there for us." This would be easy. She'd climb up there, give a look around and they'd be out on the next level back on their trip to getting a hot beverage and maybe with a shot of something stronger inside of it. "Just don't drop me?"
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[info]devise
2020-11-08 11:18 pm UTC (link) Track This
"Good to know," he barely blew out as an idle thought, as if to say he wasn't paying attention. More to her words now, rather than the ones before. Another breath in, then out, he was too tired of that sort of response to him during the mission he had come home from. He wasn't about to pay anymore of a mind to it than he had then. At least early on. Instead, he began humming to himself.

"Do you have anything to pry it open with?" Either way, he was prepared if she didn't have anything on her. Where he didn't go around carrying an omnitool around the station, he did have his old Leatherman, and he pulled that out of his pocket moving to hand it to her, just in case. Whether she took it or not, he wasn't about to get offended. Instead, he ducked down in hopes of getting her a boost up, waiting for her to take those steps. Using his own hands and shoulders to reach a height that was further above them both for that panel.
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[info]boyet
2020-11-08 11:50 pm UTC (link) Track This
Why she hadn't thought up the way to get the panel open was beyond her. Maybe it was just she was trying not to freak out? She didn't know but she knew she had to get her head in the game."No, I don't." Her face lit up at the Leatherman, "Oh, nice! This will work great!" At least one of them were ready for anything crazy to happen. With the tool in her mouth, she used Roman's height to boost her closer to the panel. She needed to stop making him support her weight when life went sideways on the station.

Being balanced on Roman she placed a hand on the wall of the lift and grabbed the multi-tool to start attempting to get the panel open. She did her best not to wiggle around too much as she worked on undoing screws, sliding the tool into her back pocket so she wouldn't drop it while she pulled at the panel, slipping a little bit in his hold and trying the hardest not to hurt him. "Sorry, sorry..I think I got it."
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[info]devise
2020-11-09 01:25 am UTC (link) Track This
There was very little Roman cared about as she climbed up. Mostly that she didn't drop the tool on his head. Anything else, he was sure he could handle. It had at least been over a week since the Endeavor had docked back on the station, and two since he had received his own injuries. As far as he was concerned, there was a clean enough bill of health, but he also had a hard head. Paying attention, the best he could on her, the slipping was caught. There wasn't much he could do if she fell, other than attempt to catch or be what she fell upon. Either would be makeshift and the latter being the only idea he had up his sleeve if this elevator ever decided to move again anytime soon.

"Don't worry about me, nothing's shooting at us." Speaking those words, he only hoped that didn't mean suddenly something would. "Just tell me when or if you need higher." So he could at least try to help.
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[info]boyet
2020-11-09 01:35 am UTC (link) Track This
"I'm always going to worry about you, Roman. It's just what I do." That was just what Pom did when she cared for someone and she cared greatly for Roman. The sound of the panel popping out of place, then clattering to the floor, echoed a bit in the small metal box that they currently inhabited. As long as it didn't hit him she was good and luckily for the both of them it hadn't. "Just get me a little higher so I can get up here?"

Once she was given the extra boost Pom pulled herself out of the lift and looked around trying to get comfortable with what she was looking at. "Well, looks like we do have a ladder for maintenance we can use but it's like.. a decent climb to the next level." Pom looked back down into the elevator, "Here, take my hand and get up here." Laying on her stomach she wrapped her legs around a metal bar to attempt to give her some more strength. Pom was a small woman but she was sure she could help Roman climb up.
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[info]devise
2020-11-13 05:07 pm UTC (link) Track This
"Doesn't sound like a lot of fun," he chided. In all honesty though, it was nice to hear when someone cared enough for that. But the part that got to him, was the fact he didn't want anyone hurting themselves over him. And to some degree, that is what he saw worry as. Hurting oneself. Was that to say he couldn't do it too? No, he could and would, and he would admit to being that type of hypocrite. The pop of the panel was like music to his ears though, as if all of this could be that much closer to over. The distinctive conversation and being trapped on this lift, as if they were waiting to freeze to death. As much as he enjoyed the cold, he wasn't content to sit around all day. Pushing her up, he waited until her weight felt released from him.

Looking up, he did his best to see her in this state of flickered lights and emergency ones vying for control. A heavy sigh, as he was hoping for the easier fix. Glancing back at the closed lift doors, Roman turned back towards her voice and saw her extended arm. "I'm not a piece of machinery, but I'm heavy. So I'm sorry." Which he figured she knew, but he was going to try and mix the joke with an apology early on. Dipping down and jumping for her hand, before trying to grab anything that wasn't her in order to try and help pull himself up.
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[info]boyet
2020-11-18 11:31 pm UTC (link) Track This
Persephone wasn't stupid enough to assume that she could ever pull Roman up by herself. While she was stronger than she looked she wasn't going to be picking him up and carrying him around anytime soon. Her offering him her hand was more of the hopes that he'd use it as a way to reach up. So she said nothing as he jumped for her hand, her palm wrapping around his wrist in a death grip. "C'mon, handsome, get up here."
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Anatomy Lab || Honda, Zoie & Cortez
[info]devise
2020-10-23 12:45 am UTC (link) Track This
There was an all but clinical stench in the air, as if it had to be overrun by the presence of death and the metallic fluids from Vadu's latest and greatest achievements. If only there were a way to move forward from that, to take the man away from this place for the harm he's done here. The sheer aggravation held by Roman alone over the sake of yet another holographic image flickering out. First at the door, and now this too? Was the man ever really anywhere? Maybe he wasn't entirely real or maybe he didn't really look the way he claimed. There were enough thoughts on this, but the one that remained abundantly clear, they were left empty handed, outside of the very large tank opening up. Another turn that left Roman's heart plunging from his chest. Was there no end to the way this guy tortured the souls of others? Either way, they needed to get out of dodge, and fast.

Slick feet stepping onto the laboratory floor in their very own unbridled heavy thump as this mangled beast came to life. Joints flexing as if to bring those claws to light, drawing upon the fear that could be called upon here. One look at it, it was safe to say, it's only thought appeared to be to do it's master's bidding. Even as Vadu had already left it behind. There wasn't much time to think what to do, there wasn't even a certainty on what could slow or stop this Vadu created beast.

The stairs they came through behind them being the only exit, Roman gave the two women a worried glance. "Run!" Where it may have seemed obvious, he still urged them as he lifted his blaster and began to take shots at it. At least in hopes of buying time, allowing them a head start while he covered them. Perhaps there was something or somewhere that would help them out, from their way here? He hoped so, but he wasn't about to go until they were already running. "Move!"
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[info]hypothesis
2020-10-23 01:19 am UTC (link) Track This
The smell of something awful fills the air, pungent and yeasty, it stings Dr. Honda's eyes and wrinkles her nose. She meanders closer to the monster to get a better look, her white kitten heels sloshing through the spilled green liquid. She sees it emerge. An enormous slick, rubbery body soaking with green goo. It's swollen pink tentacles writhe in the open air as it lets out a hideous screech. The scientist stands in amazement before it, slack-jawed in wonder, "magnificent..." she utters. She immediately recognizes the abomination from the designs she discovered in the parlour, and she's astonished by its existence. It's ability to exist and the empirical implications of such a creation. "Don't hurt it!" She begs, grabbing Cortez's wrist to stop him from firing any further. "It's a creature of science!" Unique in its creator's hubris. Her respect for Vikomt Vadu grows.

The monster has less compassion. It lumbers, fumbling to gain its bearings in its master's laboratory. With a frightful, enraged shriek, it grabs hold of an ancient tesla coil standing erect in the room. It throws its body until the pillar cracks in its grip and lifts it high into the air with a wet roar. The monster rears back and hurls the electric tower with unspeakable force towards them.
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[info]starcloud
2020-10-23 04:35 am UTC (link) Track This
Zoie didn't feel like she was holding up well. She was genuinely starting to think the mission had triggered something within her, some sort of traumatic impact she would deal with later. She couldn't help but tremble periodically. She just wanted to complete their objectives and get the hell out of there, as quick as possible. Though making their way up what seemed like an impossibly long, winding staircase, seeking Vadu's lab - Zoie couldn't see how this would be quick. She recognized the smell of death before they even reached the labratory. And as far as she was concerned, this Vadu guy was a monster himself for putting them through this. A holographic monster perhaps, but a monster nonetheless. There was no time to be fascinated/distracted by any of the things in Vadu's labratory; another problem at hand clearly presented itself.

One horrifying hell of a creature. An experiment, to be sure, but horrifying nevertheless. She gagged at the smell of it, and couldn't help but notice the way she could not detect any sort of emotion or life force really within the beast. Zoie couldn't blame Honda for her fascination with the creature, as a scientist of sorts herself, but she knew that they didn't really have a choice. It was the beast, or them. Roman was taking point, firing off his blaster, and Honda was grabbing his wrist and trying to stop him - and Zoie could sense the trouble brewing. She wasn't about to leave her fellow crew member there. "It's a creature of science, but there is no conscious thought within, Honda," Zoie insisted. "It will kill us all if we allow it."

She tugged on Honda's sleeve insistently, noticing already Roman's frustration with the fact no one was running. The terrifying shriek that Vadu's monster emitted was enough to set Zoie's skin crawling, and as soon as it picked up a tesla coil like it was nothing, hoisting it high triumphantly, Zoie knew they were in deep trouble. The tesla coil was flung in their direction and there was no choice then. "Run!" Zoie shrieked, turning and bolting down the long, winding stairs, tugging on Honda's sleeve as she went. The three of them seemed to narrowly miss getting struck by the ancient tesla coil, and skittering down the steps, Zoie within her blaster pistol and fired off a few shots of her own. She was horrified, watching the monster smash through a stone entryway smaller than him, following their path down the stairs.
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[info]devise
2020-10-23 02:59 pm UTC (link) Track This
This was going to be fun, was a short-lived, sarcastic thought pushed out into the universe as he all but dead eyed the good doctor. Of course, scientists. There went his hope that this was too morbid for everyone. But no one had time for this. They didn't even know what could or would really hurt this thing. And even with Dr. Honda wanting to make sure nothing hurt it, or in this case, Roman didn't hurt it, he couldn't imagine Zoie's attempt at talking sense was about to help them out here. The lack of conscious thought, that likely could be experimented with all on it's own. Here's to hoping there's no likely ability to play with time here, at least given the trouble he had with that clock in the room he had entered. There was no way he would live through this hell on repeated time loops.

His jaw clenched, exhaling. "If we kill it, I will personally drag it back to your shuttle and you can do whatever you want with it." he tried for, but then in the midst of it noticed that Zoie threw something. What? He didn't know, but could at least surmise what it was. Even as Zoie tugged at the other woman's sleeve, he wasn't about to worry that she was about to get free of this and pull something that would get her or all of them into more danger. He also wasn't about to knock her out, and carrying her held few options. Few in the fact he wasn't about to go giving her opportunities to really get loose here. Dipping down, his shoulder hit her middle as he threw her over him.

Leaving Zoie to run ahead of them both now, and him still with his own blaster out. Not bothering to look back until certain noises hit his own ears. Especially with how the thing moved through a doorway. So there was likely no trapping the thing. With all the doors in this place, there were a few mitigating questions in his head. "Do you think there's a room we could leave him in?" Maybe some other beast to battle it out with? But was that looking to get them into more danger on their way out? It wasn't as if they could let this thing chase them to their shuttles.
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[info]hypothesis
2020-10-23 09:19 pm UTC (link) Track This
She could have slapped Roman right then. "I’d want it alive, dammit!" Accentuated by the loud smash overhead, a deafening sound as the coil cracked and clattered to the ground, crushing more laboratory equipment as it tumbled. "Unhand me, Dr. Wikolia!" Honda snapped, yanking herself from Zoie's grip. She didn't care if it had conscious thought! Then suddenly, "Oof!" She felt winded as her throat dropped to her stomach, and she was lifted off the ground and onto Roman's shoulder. "Set me down this instant!" Wiggling uselessly, feeling like a small child.

They booked it down the stairs as the monster smashed through the archway, sending stone shards flying as it stormed through a cloud of dust. Honda bobbled on Roman's shoulder like a novelty toy. Stomp, stomp stomp stomp!! The creature's glistening body came closer into view, taking two, sometimes four steps at a time in its pursuit. As the light from the laboratory shone through the cracks in the monster's silhouette, Dr. Honda could hear the heavens sing. Time slowed, and she felt weak, gripping onto the fabric of Roman's shirt for support. "It's so beautiful." She whispered, her mouth opened wide as she stared, brows knit together in veneration.

The monster squealed until her eardrums ached. It thrust an arm forward and swiped at them. It smashed its claws into the side of the wall, and stones tumbled down the steps towards them. Honda rouse from her trance, "Go, go!" She tapped Roman's back anxiously.
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[info]starcloud
2020-10-24 12:21 am UTC (link) Track This
Of course she'd want it alive. Zoie could only shake her head, able to sense in waves the emotions coming off of both of them. The need for survival in him, and the near worshipful respect for Vadu's creation rolling off of her in waves. She wasn't surprised when Roman finally just picked Honda up and threw the doctor over his shoulder. Whatever got them moving faster, as far as she was concerned.

Zoie ran down the stairs ahead of them, the long stone staircase winding out in front of them forever it seemed. She stumbled over her feet a couple of times, turning and trying to fire off shots from her blaster. Roman's question was valid. A room, possibly, that they could abandon the creature in? Somehow? Something had to give with this beast, they couldn't just lead it back to the shuttles. "Uhh... maybe?" Zoie had no idea what to do. "What did we pass when we came up? Was there a room we can barricade?"

The loud, ear-piercing shriek of Vadu's beast was enough to leave Zoie's ears ringing. "Fuck..." Zoie winced, holding her ears, sparkly pink blaster in her hands. "If we can lead it outside we'll have a clearer shot--" The space they were in was too narrow. Too primed for the creature to snatch and swipe at them with its claws. "Fuck these motherfucking stairs! Fuck!" Zoie couldn't resist shouting in frustration. "If we can aim where the brain stem would 'supposedly' be, that might take it down?"
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[info]devise
2020-10-24 01:00 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman had to stop himself, at least for the reply he wanted to give Dr. Honda. The kind that said, 'So bring it back to life. Apparently that's possible.' That was not a tale he wanted to worry about as far as the next issue on Terminus. Some rampaging living dead thing stomping, slashing, killing, and meandering in it's own general destruction. One mad scientist this year seemed like enough of a less than trivial problem. Although, he may have been willing to see a singing plant that didn't eat people.

Following Zoie as close as he could, he was all too happy to ignore the good doctor's comments. At least up until she started calling for him to go. Which he hoped was away from the monster, and not to let her go now. One might have been better than the other, having the eyes behind him in a way that didn't force him to have to look back and turn. Either way, he was going to take it as the better of the two and run this more like a sprint and less like a marathon.

"I don't know about barricading," he said in a rush. "But if we end up in one of those room's like wolfman's and find the other door? He might get trapped in there?" Barring that there wasn't another crazed occupant and they could figure it out quickly? "How fast are you at puzzles, Doc?" he asked, gripping the back of her knees a little tighter to signal he was in fact speaking to her.

The noise had him closing his eyes for a second but not enough to lose his footing. If his ears ended up bleeding by the end of this, so be it. He was set on getting out of dodge. "But how are we supposed to get behind him?" he asked, sincerely, given the current close quarters. He wasn't about to take that idea out of the running, even though he worried about there being some possibility that this thing wasn't built with popular physical anatomy, except to what the eye could see. That didn't mean he wouldn't shoot for it first and ask questions later, if there were a clear shot for it.
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[info]hypothesis
2020-10-24 02:45 am UTC (link) Track This
Blaster fire sizzled off the monster's chest. It left scorch marks but was otherwise unharmed, unable to penetrate its thick flesh. Dr. Honda whimpered; its perfect anatomy was being tarnished. "No, we will not aim for the brain stem!" She shouted, her voice a jumbled mess of desperation as she continued to bob over Roman's shoulder. "We'll trap it on the Dauntless." She sounded rash, reflecting her decision. The monster would likely wreak havoc on the ship before being contained in any meaningful way. Even as the words escaped her, she knew better. Knew they'd never make it to the ship in time. There was no way they could outrun it without a significant lead. But even if they could, she knew that they'd be trapped without the time to properly contain it. Knew they'd be bringing danger to the rest of the crew.

She let out a surprised "Oh!" as strong arms tightened around the backs of her thighs, losing her train of thought. She scoffed at Roman's question, "I solve puzzles for a living." Yes, she took it personally. "Did you say Wufman?" And yes, that's how she pronounced it. What fantastical moving castle was this, and how could she stay forever to explore its enchanted perversions?

There was a short, guttural huff, and Honda craned her neck to look up, suddenly face-to-face with the monster. It's tentacles snagged her around the throat and ripped her off Roman's back like a ragdoll. "HURKK!!" Was all Dr. Honda could muster as she went flying into the air, nails struggling to dig in, to get a grip on its pink flesh. It squeezed tighter and more tentacles wrapped around her chest. She could feel its hot breath on the back of her neck and smell the foul it emanated. "Shoot the brain stem." She choked. The monster spread its arms wide, it's prize caught in its jowls.
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[info]starcloud
2020-10-24 04:38 am UTC (link) Track This
Trap it on the Dauntless. Zoie couldn't resist a snort; that would go over really well with their captain. "And which one of us is gonna break that news, huh?" It didn't really matter, she thought, they weren't going to make it back to the ship in time. Roman mentioned the wolfman's room, referencing the strange cabin room they had investigated with others before ending up here, and Zoie couldn't help but frown. She thought of her concern for the wolfman, who was clearly - to her at least - something of a victim. "How many more rooms might there be? Vadu can't have that many monsters, can he?" And were they all victims? She was starting to get Honda's frantic desperation.

But it was them or this beast. And if they didn't put it down, it could hurt someone else, even if they managed to evade it. She had no idea how they were supposed to get behind him, but it seemed it didn't matter. Vadu's monster answered the quandary, when he suddenly and terrifyingly snatched Honda off of Roman's back. Zoie froze, immediately sensing her fear and finding it spill over into her own. "Shit!" Zoie skittered to a stop, nearly colliding into Roman in the process as she tried to aim her blaster. If it had been any other moment, she might have found it comical the way Honda finally gurgled, Shoot the brain stem. But a life was in the balance, and Zoie couldn't laugh. She fired off a couple of rounds in the beast's direction, but the ghastly thing kept writhing, and she couldn't seem to steady her aim enough to hit any vital points.

So she did the only thing she could think of to do. "HEY!" Zoie suddenly yelled, charging forward, back up the staircase and towards the creature with Honda in its jowls. "HEYYYYY, YOU! OVER HERE!" Her aim was to leave Roman on the other side, to distract the creature and hopefully turn it around enough so that Roman could get a good clean shot. Zoie fired off a round from her blaster, but aimed it at the stone, setting off a spark that caught the creature's eye. "Yoohoo! That's it, look over here," Zoie coaxed.
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[info]devise
2020-10-24 05:32 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman had literally no words for anything being spoken of. Talk about hard to do with this man. But the thought came to him, given the thick skin of the beast itself, as all of this went on. A thought about how things happened back in time loop central. And the thick skin of a certain Vorut on his own team. One he sorely misses in this very moment. Maybe if she were here, she might have a better chance at holding this thing down without getting hurt and leaving it tied up to whatever fate that it held, without having to argue with anyone about how to live through this.

But before he could get a word out about this, everything may as well have moved in slow motion. Dr. Honda being pulled away before he can even do more than turn around and attempt to hold onto the woman he had forced onto this little venture of running away. Jumping back as those claws slashed at him, barely missing anything important, leaving his shirt cut with a long, but superficial trail of blood along it. Hissing in pain, he began shooting at the tentacles with his blaster, careful not to hit Dr. Honda, hoping beyond anything that either he could reach the brain stem that way or else the flesh wasn't nearly as strong there.

Above all else, he only wished he knew what he was handling here. As Zoie tried to get the attention of this monstrosity, who at least did pay her the time of day. Roman dug into his bag as he kept firing his blaster. Throwing everything he could from smelling salts to battery packs at the damned prehensile tongues. Watching as it dropped Dr. Honda and moved for him again, Roman guessed for annoying the hell out of it, or maybe it was that battery pack it swallowed? Either way, Roman finally found what he was looking for. Pressing a button and tossing it next to the creature, only to take off running two beeps too late. A small, condensed explosion left the stone ground beneath the beast crumbling from it's feet, claws reaching for them like a good little minion doing it's masters bidding. However, this led to the ground crumbling under Roman and Honda's feet too, even though he pushed her ahead of him.

Just as he thought he was about to make it, he didn't. Dropping out of sight, seconds after the beast fell to a level below. Roman left holding onto a beam struggling to hold himself up in such a position. "Little. Help. Here?" he tried calling up at the women through gritted teeth.
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[info]hypothesis
2020-10-25 06:36 pm UTC (link) Track This
With Zoie distracting it, Roman was able to get more than a few clear shots fired into the monster. She could smell its fried skin, crackle and pop from the blaster shots. Dr. Honda closed her eyes as the wind choked out of her, and dust from the stone stairwell peppered her glasses. She reached up and tangled her fingers in the wiring on the side of the monsters' head and pulled, ripping as hard as she could to no avail. Her shoe came flying off in the struggle, watching the white pump clatter against the steps as her vision started to turn black. Some kind of tongue hit Dr. Honda, and it was the last thing she remembered before the explosion went off.

Momentarily dazed, Honda came to on the cold steps, gasping and inhaling as much air as she could. She coughed and pushed herself up on her palms, looking over her shoulder to find a chasm in the place of where the steps once were. She felt a pang of regret as the monster had, clearly, fallen into the pit. Looked around to find Zoie safe and ... "Where is Roman?!" That's when she heard his plea for help, and she scrambled closer to the edge. "Hold on." She reached forward with an outstretched hand, and the stones beneath her supporting arm crumbled under the weight. The tips of her fingers barely swept against Roman's hand. Through the corner of her eye, she saw the colourful reflective glow of four eyes shining in the darkness below. "Dr. Wikolia, help!" They didn't have much time.
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[info]starcloud
2020-10-26 06:45 am UTC (link) Track This
Zoie was in shock. Everything seemed to happen in such quick succession. While she distracted the creature, Roman picked up the metaphorical baton and threw everything he could at it. Firing his blaster, throwing smelling salts and battery packs, even an incendiary device. It was a relief, watching the creature eventually drop Honda. But everything really happened so fast. The blast, a small explosion that crumbled the ground underneath the creature's feet, not to mention Roman's. And Honda's, though it was with more relief that Zoie watched Roman shove the scientist ahead of him to safety. But Roman didn't quite make it, and Zoie was taken by surprise at the way her gut churned at the sight of him dangling, struggling to hold onto a beam. "Oh my stars..." Zoie breathed, stunned at the end result. She couldn't tell if the monster had been really taken out in the blast or not, not that there was time to consider it, what with the way Roman was gritting his teeth and pleading for help.

Honda was quickly there, leaning over the edge and offering her hand, but it wouldn't be enough. Zoie could already see stones crumbling beneath her weight. As soon as the words fell from Honda's mouth, Zoie was thawing and rushing over, worry in her eyes as she too tried leaning over the edge to offer her hand. She inched a bit closer than Honda had, and Zoie could feel even more stones crumbling beneath her feet as she stretched out. Somehow, she managed to clasp around the warmth of his hand, but the weight of him would be too diffcult to lift. "Help pull me," Zoie gasped, refusing to let go of Roman's hand no matter how much of a struggle it was. She was hoping that with the added force of Honda trying to pull her body backwards, they could get him over the edge before every damn stone crumbled.
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[info]devise
2020-10-26 07:39 pm UTC (link) Track This
As far as Roman was concerned, they were safe, even if it were a 'for now' scenario. Mostly due to the fact that he could hear both women above him and not any of those nightmarish tentacle sounds. Roman knew he wouldn't be touching anything that resembled squid for a long time. There was no need to add to his PTSD pile.

Looking up and seeing the outreached hands moving for him, he idly wondered if he weren't heavier than both women combined. But the lack of stability for him, in his current state made him hope that wouldn't be an issue. Once he did, that perhaps he could try and help the weight issue by how he threw it around. This couldn't be too much worse than rock climbing? Or that cliff he found himself jumping or falling off of through a number of time loops, during the Endeavor's last mission. Roman recalled the falls all too well, from the wind in his face, to the sickening crunch upon not going head first. Taking a deep breath, he was not looking down. If he thought for a minute that he might take either or both women down with him, he would rather accept that fate again.

Between the two outreached hands, it seemed like Dr. Honda's was closer, so he went for it. Fingers were within a breath of hers, but even as he pushed himself further, trying desperately to close that distance, some of the stones shifted, falling his way. Slipping back down, Roman tried not to get smashed by rubble. For all the good that did him. A spray of pebbles flew over him, as if some meteor shower display of it's own, using him as target practice. Followed by a larger one, slamming into his back, calling a quick, garbled slur of air rushing out of him. "Aña rako peguare!" was all too emphatically spoken through gritted teeth.

Taking a few deep breaths, he looked back up again, focusing on Zoie's hand. Jaw clenched, slow breaths taken in and out through his nose. At least until he was holding that same breath, ever close to her hand before finally gaining it. He was sore and moving, but focused on the task at hand. Feet reaching another, seemingly more stable support beam he tried to help the process and not task them with such a hard pull on dead weight. But all of this seemed to take a little too long and while he caught sight of some more stones about to fall, there wasn't enough time to call out and let them know. There wasn't even enough time to let go of Zoie's hand.

The stones falling from beneath her feet, as she fell, his hand in hers instinctively gripped tighter. Unsure if Dr. Honda had went with her, as his eyes clamped shut in pain of the jerk that causes his muscles to sing against gravity. Looking up again, there were less stones in the way, and he was a lot closer than he once was. But this was an extra bind. Licking his lips, he could taste the dirt. Unable to move given where his hands were, one in hers and one gripping a beam. "Everybody okay?" he tried for first, his own voice more raspy than usual. "I'm going to need you to climb me." In any other situation, he might have laughed or used that as a bad joke, but this wasn't about to be that time. But at least he wasn't about to be a falling stone.
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[info]hypothesis
2020-10-26 10:39 pm UTC (link) Track This
Dr. Honda found herself falling backward on her rump as the stones fell away, and Zoie fell forward towards Roman. The situation was going from bad to worse, and very quickly. The steps, ancient as they seemed, were no longer stable and crumbling rapidly. The chasm had widened on the opposite end, steps leading back to the laboratory even further apart now. The gap was growing, time was running out, and the wisdom within Dr. Honda told her the odds. Informed her of their chances and probability of survival, and a smart woman would cut her losses and walk away now. One survivor was better than three dead. And even though she heard their voices, she deliberated on this, teetering between self-preservation and foolish heroics. A whirl of calculations and outcomes, playing multiple scenarios within her mind.

Until another variable entered the scene, Vadu's monster began clawing it's way up the stone. Of course, it could climb, Dr. Honda thought. Was there nothing this remarkable specimen wasn't capable of? Zoie was dangling like low hanging fruit, ready for the swiping. It let out a terrifying yowl, followed by some eager clicking sounds, informing them all that it wasn't done yet.

Honda may not have come equipped with a blaster, but that didn't mean she was unarmed. With the power of science and gadgetry, the doctor reached inside her lab coat to retrieve her wand of wonder, or so she technically denominated it. Pressing the button on the handle, it began to charge. "Below you!" She shouted, if there was any time to climb a man, Dr. Wikolia needed to seize the opportunity now. The wand started to whirr with an electrical charge, the motors within the device spinning; sparks cracking off of it. The monster took a swipe at the dangling pair and huffed in frustration. Its claws dug into the stone wall again, prying its way up a few more feet. "Brace yourselves." This gadget still hadn't been tested, not entirely foolproof, but these were desperate times. She took aim at the monster and discharged the wand.

A powerful stroke of electrical energy slammed into the creature's chest, bolts ripping over its body, seizing the monster tight. The darkness below lit up in a blinding flash of crackling blues. Some of the wiring on the side of the monster's helmet caught fire, melting the metal casing on the back of its skull. The creature bellows in agony, so loud that the stones begin to crumble around them. Massive rocks plummet from above, taking chunks out of the remaining stairwell. The ground beneath Dr. Honda shifts and gives out from under her. She falls to the level below.
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[info]starcloud
2020-10-27 01:34 pm UTC (link) Track This
It happened so quickly, Zoie didn't have time to think. Stones fell away, hurling her forward towards Roman. She had that floating in space feeling, before gravity took hold. Somehow, Roman kept a grip on her hand, though she didn't know how he accomplished it. It left him gripping a beam with one arm, while she dangled below him, with only his hand keeping her from falling below. She felt a wave of panic threatening to overwhelm her, and it took everything within for her to calm herself. Everybody okay? "Oh, I'm swell, how about you?" Zoie answered Roman somewhat sarcastically. He told her to climb him, and had this been any other moment, she would have indeed found something amusing there.

But then she heard that yowl, sending a chill down her spine. Those eager clicking sounds, making panic threaten to return when she realized they hadn't really taken Vadu's creature out. More than that, it was climbing its way up the fucking stone. It was Honda's words that pointed that fact out to her, lighting a metaphorical fire under her ass. Zoie let out a string of expletives as she started trying to climb her way up the length of Roman's body. She noticed Honda taking that wand out of her pocket, and knew that there was very little time. Brace yourselves. "For what, exactly?" Zoie managed, breathing heavily with exertion, more than halfway up the length of Roman when she saw Honda taking aim at the creature. And then it discharged, with that magnificent spark of electric energy.

And once again everything seemed to happen so fast. The darkness below lit up with crackling blue energy, the creature bellowing in agony at the shot it had taken. So loud that more stones continued to crumble around them. It didn't taken much for Zoie to realize they were in deeper trouble, what with the avalanche of rocks around them. She'd released her grip on Roman's hand, making sure that he had a two handed grip on the beam - just with her added weight, clinging to his torso like a little monkey. "Dr. Honda!" Zoie gasped, watching the ground shift from underneath her, giving out and sending her freefalling to the level below. Somehow, in the midst of everything, she and Roman had managed to hang on to the beam.

She was frantically trying to calculate what kind of damage a fall of that height could do. She felt a duty to get down there and render medical aid, but also wasn't certain there was any other way of doing it short of the two of them dropping themselves to the level below. "Roman? Do we let go?" She peered down at the darkness below. "Honda? Can you hear me? Are you alright? Can you move?"
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[info]devise
2020-10-27 03:30 pm UTC (link) Track This
Where the sarcasm was noted, it seemed ignored. Mostly due to the position he was now in. Standing and not entirely hanging off the side of the chasm of doom here. And for the sake of how he knew she would get a bulk of whatever feelings he had. There was no good to come in adding to any of her possible aggravation, fear, or panic. The only thing Roman Cortez cared about was where to place his focus and determination next. And it was all too specifically set on all three of them getting out of here alive. "Oh, you know, just hanging around." Once the reply was out of his mouth, he began humming some of the words to the song Stuck In the Middle With You.

Looking up, the humming didn't stop, while Dr. Honda had pointed out what was below them, Roman didn't really want to look down. Not out of fear, but more a sense of worry due to his actual position and likely bumps on the head from being pelted by rocks and dirt. Looking down held the possibility of gaining vertigo in the moment and that was not okay. With Zoie now at least mostly up, he gripped her as hard as he could pulling them into the side of the broken stone. Everything moved in slow motion, helpless to do much in the moment but at least was able to spot the platform below, to the next level.

Quickly helping Zoie gain footing where he had found his own, that allowed him a free hand and even possiblyone of her own, leaving him to shrug off what was left of his bag. "Not jumping from here. If we make it, we could still fall through again and take her with us. Got any rope? Cable? A zip tie?" Not necessarily in that order or even needing all of them. He only hoped she got what he was getting at as he dug into the bag for some. Fingers wrapped around it before the beg fell from his one handed digging, leaving it ignored as it fell to find the depths below with that creature. Tying it to the beam above them, he used clamps he had connected to his own belt to secure it, using anything Zoie might have had in order to help with length and security. Each motion quick and memorized, not leading into taking more time with this.

Tying in his waist, he knew this was going to hurt regardless of whatever happened. His other arm pulling Zoie into a tight hug. "Just brace for impact. And be ready to run." Because who knew how much would still end up falling at their feet with their combined and hard dropped weight? Especially if he was unable to collect the speed and angle he was hoping for here.

Dropping down step by step until there was no more slack to give, they sat nearly dangling but at least in view of Honda. Taking a deep breath, he swung them both, watching for timing and angle, before pressing a release on a clamp, propelling them to what was left of that floor below. Cradling Zoie, as he attempted to take brunt of the damage as they hit that flat, but crumbling surface. Pushing her to run before they even stopped rolling, while hoping their was an exit to make from this crumbling area close by.
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[info]starcloud
2020-10-29 01:00 am UTC (link) Track This
This. This was not ideal. This was so much more than not ideal, this was a fucking nightmare come to life, and Zoie didn't know what to do with herself. Every reaction went on autopilot. Finding her footing where Roman directed it. Digging through her bag to pull out a coil of rope. She always did like to overpack her medical bag for a reason. You never knew when things came in handy. She handed it to Roman to deal with, feeling a tremor to her limbs that she was sure would do disservice to the ropework. Besides, she only knew a couple basic knots. And it seemed Roman had a vision in mind, Zoie quickly catching on that he wanted to rappel them down.

"Wait, isn't this going to--?" Hurt. She was so sure she liked where this was going, but his reacting before she did was necessary. It was the only option, this way, and keeping Zoie from thinking too much about it was what would keep them alive. She could feel panic threatening her as he pulled her in for a tight hug, telling her to brace for impact. "Wait, wait wait wait--" She couldn't help the shriek that fell from her lips as he started to rappel them down the stone.

Somehow, he got the two of them down until they were dangling in view of Honda, and she wasn't so panicked anymore. The damage didn't seem catastrophic, her neck didn't look broken. But she needed a closer look. "Honda? Say something if you can hear me," Zoie prompted, before Roman started swinging them. And then that clamp released, and Zoie shrieked again as they crashed to the floor. Even though he tried to cushion the fall, cradling her to him as they tumbled, it was still a hard fall, and Zoie groaned with the exertion. "Ohhhh, that's gonna leave a bruise," she managed, feeling the wind knocked out of her a bit, even though there was no time to recoup. Seeing as the castle was starting to crumble and collapse around them, for reasons Zoie couldn't fully wrap her mind around. And Roman was already urging her to run, before they even stopped rolling from the impact.

Run, she did, though it wasn't necessarily to the light of day. It was to Honda's crumpled form on the ground, where Zoie cautiously cradled her neck, already using her empathic ability to diagnose the damage that had been done. "We need to carry her," Zoie told Roman. Away from these crumbling walls, to safety. "I can heal her, but there's not enough time here." Not when crumbling slivers of rocks were hitting her in the head.
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[info]hypothesis
2020-10-29 04:44 am UTC (link) Track This
There was no response from Dr. Honda down in the darkness below. Zoie and Roman wouldn't see until they clattered to the basement level where she lay unconscious. Her glasses lay broken, one shoe missing, and her gadget was thrown far beyond sight. Her cheek rest against the wet cobblestone of the underground aqueduct, arched tunnels stretched on in every direction. They had tumbled to one of the deepest levels of the castle, the drainage system beneath the laboratory where the water ran neon green. The colour danced along the stone wall, refracting from the murky water in the channel between the walkways. But where there was water, there was drainage to the outside. There had to be a way out if they followed the current.

A few more rocks peppered down around them, some slivers bouncing off Dr. Honda. "Mmm," A groan escaped her, gripping Dr. Wikolia's arm even before she opened her eyes. Then she inhaled sharply, and her eyes flung open wide. Dr. Honda hissed, then gasped, and could not articulate what was wrong with words - but the pain she felt in her lower left leg was excruciating. She inhaled another breath and let out a pained cry that came from some guttural place within her. She had never broken a bone before, but this was what it had to feel like. She froze, unable to move and clenched her hands around Zoie's arm tightly. "The fibula," was all she could flub before releasing another sharp cry. She had to pull herself together, inhaling deeply through her nose, testing the limits of her other leg and trying to stand. "Ah!"

Dr. Honda was a mess, and the entire castle seemed to quake with a deep rumble that shed more rocks from above. A landslide of stone sloughed off the remaining stairwell and clattered to their level, sealing off one of the tunnels on the far end. A quickly deteriorating hole opened wider above them. "We don't have much time. It's too unstable." Pointing out the obvious, but her head was in a spin. She wasn't sure if it was just the area above them or the entire castle itself, but the rumbling continued steadily. It was only a matter of time until something crushed them. And that wasn't the only problem. As Dr. Honda stirred, so did the monster. Its arm twitched, and fingers flexed, and it began to wake up, too. "My wand!" Dr. Honda spotted it, blurry but recognizable. It was tucked under Vadu's beast, and not something she was keen on leaving behind.
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[info]devise
2020-10-29 06:06 pm UTC (link) Track This
Moving to stand, he took in what was all around them, only bothering to eye that creature behind them for about two seconds before being quick about reaching where Zoie and Honda were. He did not need to be told twice, helping Dr. Honda up, he then scooped her up into his arms. This time, bridal style. "I'm sorry, doctor. This place is coming down and we need to get you out of here." His voice kept low. As far as he was concerned, to hell with that wand, she could make another. The stairs weren't an option, and there was a lot of green water to follow, as long as that didn't kill them. If that creature decided to wake up again, they needed to be out of dodge.

Any rocking of the ground and the surrounding walls, he couldn't help but question if it was more than just them. How badly everyone else must have it and if they were making it out okay. The structural damage that was caused by their own explosions couldn't have moved so deep into the integrity of this place to create continued rattling damage. Something bigger must be up. Which only left them with even less time, no matter what was behind them.

With little time to waste, only a drainage system to run through, he hoped that no one was about stopping for shiny things. Besides Honda and her wand, anyway. Taking the woman and making it to the edge of the platform they were on, he jumped down, splattering the green water beneath his boots. If he became some weird mutant for this, oh well. It obviously wasn't acidic or something that would destroy them if it was able to handle the walls and ground the way it was. Making a run for it, he moved to follow the only direction it held.

Another hard shake, and he nearly dropped the woman he was holding. Righting himself before seeing how even the walls here were beginning to crack. But he could see it, another staircase wedged off in a corner on the far end. A blinking red light stemming from the area. Picking up his steps again, he looked over in the direction of Zoie. "Stairs?" He needed to know that this wasn't a mirage by now.
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[info]starcloud
2020-10-30 04:18 am UTC (link) Track This
Zoie's mind was racing a mile a minute it seemed, barely keeping up with the way her body reacted with movement. Watching Roman scoop Honda into his arms, and following them as he led the way. Right into the damn drainage system, and Zoie couldn't help but frown at the sight of green water splashing on her shoes. Honda was going on about her wand, but Zoie knew that Roman was right - they needed to get out of there, and quickly. There was no time for stopping, not even seconds. "Wands can be remade, Dr. Honda, I promise you," Zoie insisted, hurrying alongside them.

There was another sudden, violent shake, and Zoie nearly tripped over herself in the process. "What the fuck is going on?" She couldn't help but wonder; nothing seemed right about the way their environment seemed to be imploding around them. She was starting to feel disoriented, split between vigilance in their dangerous surroundings and employment of her empathy, an attempt to abate at least some of the pain Honda was experiencing. The fibula. The damn fibula. She needed to reset it. They needed safety. She needed for there to not be rocks falling on her head and green water on her shoes.

Roman suddenly stopped and looked at her, nodding towards the sight of stairs ahead of them. It was an unexpected and welcome sight, that blinking red light shining like a beacon. When he spoke, she understood the question - she, too, briefly wondered if it might be a mirage. And yet this... looked real. "Stairs," Zoie echoed, picking up her pace. Hurrying ahead of Roman and Honda towards that red light. "This better lead to the docks or so help me..."

Out of breath, panting, Zoie reached the staircase, feeling overjoyed at the sensation of steps beneath her feet. And also because at the top of the stairs she could see a door. "Door!" Zoie breathed heavily, trying to scramble up the stairs with her neurologic function seemingly disrupted; each climbing motion seemed arduous. "Door, door, door..." She was the first to reach it, her hand clawing at the doorknob. "...locked? Fucking locked?" She jiggled the handle violently before pulling her multitool out of her bag and trying rapidly to break the lock open.
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[info]hypothesis
2020-10-30 04:56 pm UTC (link) Track This
"My prototype," she lamented, practically welling with tears. "No, it cannot simply be remade!" And here she was, weeping, and finding herself bobbling in Roman's hold again like some damsel. Her arms clung tightly around his neck as she looked down. She had a few theories of what that green water was, and honestly? None of it was good. They were going to need a decontamination bath immediately upon returning to the Dauntless. Assuming they ever made it back to the ship and out of here alive. Her eyes caught movement over Roman's shoulder; Dr. Honda squinted and watched the blurry figure rise. The monster pushed itself up onto its feet, its entire body crackling with electrical energy. "Great galaxy..." She whispered quietly but forgot to alert the others in her awe.

Stairs! Dr. Honda turned her head, but she couldn't see shit without her glasses. If there were stairs, she'd have to take their word for it - it was too dark to tell from this distance. She sighed, feeling completely useless and shut her eyes tightly as the pain of her leg radiated through her with each jerky step. And of course, it was locked. Dr. Honda's voice was laced with derision. "My wand would come in handy right about now. It's also an omnitool." Stating very matter-of-factly, not that she was very helpful in this moment. "We could try another tunnel..." The monster screeched, and suddenly the sounds of it stomping through the water grew louder. "There's no time, Dr. Wikolia. Roman, put me down this instant." From the hinges, she could tell it opened away from them. "Blast the side of where the lock is mounted and force it open." It was the weakest part of the door and could be compromised with a lot of force.
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[info]devise
2020-10-30 06:39 pm UTC (link) Track This
Between Dr. Honda wanting her wand back and Zoie finding this door locked? He had a full mind to drop the one in arms down onto her ass. If she hadn't already fallen through a hole after trying to at least help them, he would have. Worse yet, the words he heard coming out of Dr. Honda seemed to never mean good things, and he was currently ankle deep in that realization. Not looking back, only continuing on that much faster for the sake of it.

Putting her down without a second thought, more than happy to be rid of the extra aggravation that had been building. She was like a weight off of his shoulders, given whatever actual internal injuries he had going here. Pulling out his blaster, he didn't even pause. "Let me make this very clear," jaw clenched, even as he spoke, Roman began shooting at the spot that was noted. "You're not my responsibility, anymore than I am yours." The door falling open, his gaze turned directly to Dr. Honda. "So run." The words a strict command, only turning towards a threat as he pointed the blaster towards her legs. "Now." Not looking over at Zoie as he continued to speak. "Get her out of here, she needs the care. I'll catch up and buy you some extra time." If they came back for him, that was on them, but he was adamant on them getting ahead, enough to still point that blaster all too seriously.

Waiting for them to run, he turned away from the door. It was hard to say if he had finally snapped, or if that happened much sooner, back through time loops. Some might have said that he did so well before he made it to Terminus. But regardless of what it was, he wasn't going to hear more about a wand from this woman who kept wanting to go back for this giant creature of death and destruction. As of this moment, Roman fully had a bone to pick with another source of aggravations. This place was going to come down, and he didn't need his four years in college understanding structural engineering to figure that out. Stepping back into the green water, he eyed up the creature, as if this were some sort of old fashioned standoff. For whatever reason, the creature seemed to question this. "Alright ugly, time to dance?" With one great yowl in response, the ground rocked beneath their feet.

Roman dropped to his own knees from the shake, but his eyes stayed on the prize. The wand that was peeking out from behind the beast before him, even as the creature sizzled with the energy. He only hoped that wasn't leading up to him being who is electrocuted. Blaster out and pointed at the tongues, Roman waited for the anger to build and burst, leaving the creature running for him. A game of chicken as kept firing at the tongues. Waiting until the moment the creature tried to go at him with those claws again, Roman ducked down and slid through the water beneath the beast's legs. Reaching up and grabbing the wand, sparks sizzled against his fingers causing him to toss it away. Turning, only in enough time to finally try and shoot for the brain stem behind it.

Two good shots in, the great yowl came about again, as the electrodes connected smelled of rotting, burned remains. A large thump of it's body hitting the ground, along with the backlash of green fluid splashing Roman like a small tidal wave. His face contorting into disgust, trying to shake himself off and spit whatever may have made it to his mouth out. Reaching for a part of the wand he thought may be safe, only to find he was wrong through his own body going into convulsions over it. On the plus side, he hadn't lost consciousness, on the negative side, that was a surge of PTSD.

Deep breaths, he moved to push himself up, he started kicking the wand to the door, treating it as if it were some sort of soccer ball. His own hope being about the rubber on his boots would help. Once through the door, kicking it as hard as he could, letting it slide down the narrow path. "Honda's Sex Toys 'R Us has a delivery!" His body feeling heavy, he fell into the wall next to him, using it to keep himself upright a moment. If this didn't speed them up into finding a way out of here, he hoped someone just took him out now.
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	Squishy Buzz Lightyear ([info]devise) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-10-09 21:24:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	cael miller, roman cortez

A FELLOW OF INFINITE JEST
CAEL MILLER & ROMAN CORTEZ
SCRAP YARD // OCTOBER 12, 2657

Fingers grazed down the side slowly, almost longingly. A sleek, smooth body but obviously neglected. It held it's uses though, or it could in time. A dull reflection catching his eye, as he turned to move towards it, gliding over a sea of impurities. A name sketched across it, likely a previous brand. A brand that meant nothing now, but could be applied to a future. Some new life that would be held in the near passing future.
The amount of free time ever present on Roman's hands, it was forever unnerving. A need for a direction, a purpose, a focus was unrelenting. Where he had found some hope in the direction of some new and ever present faces, along with some familiar ones, here he was digging about for his next project. After a slew of birthdays and projects that at least kept him somewhat busier, he missed the time spent here.

With a bit of time, hard work, effort, and luck, he had at least gained a new companion out of all of this. Nacho sitting next to him, wagging his tail, eyeing the pieces Roman held up for his own inspection. Head tilted to the side, almost as if he were wishing it were for his next new toy. Only to find it wasn't something to throw. The dog exhaled quickly, showing his distaste causing Roman to look his way.

"What? Not your piece? Don't think it has some good uses still left in it?" he asked with a smirk, only causing the dog to bark once in response. Not that anyone had a real answer for this, but it certainly held it's own purpose, even if it was to tell the man to hurry up.

The vinyl head of something tossed to the side, was gripped by in Roman's palm, as if he were eyeing it for it's own use. Holding it with the face directed towards his own. "What about you, poor Yorick? My fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. Think it's worth the taking?" he spoke, mostly for the sake of amusing himself.


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[info]botnik
2020-10-11 04:48 pm UTC (link) Track This
Ronan’s birthday had already come and gone, but Cael hadn’t had enough lead time to get him a present. Not that there was any expectation one and even if he had known a few days beforehand, anything he might have obtained would definitely have been stolen and therefore frowned upon. Still, he’d tossed the idea around of accessorizing lob bot before—a thing that Ro might be dubiously pleased about at best—, so he was rolling with that for now, though he was undecided on exactly what. Not that that had ever stopped him, since improvisation was essentially a way of life more than half the time.

He was no stranger to the scrap yard, even less so lately that the urge to build things had revived, which was a combination of free time and something almost like nostalgia that he was decidedly not dwelling on if he could help it (a passable success rate, generally). Wandering through, he had picked up a tin box that had a partially worn away advertisement for either coffee or other beans that he had put a few other stray items into.

There were a few other people about, but words spoken without answer beyond a brief canine one were hard to miss. Plus, he was a habitual eavesdropper and the part about Yorick rang a bell, though he wouldn’t be able to place it if asked. Probably just someone he ran into at a bar. Still, curiosity piqued, he wandered toward the voice, gaze first falling on the dog then the man, who addressed the hand.

Close enough, Cael decided to answer on the head’s behalf, saying, “Why yes, dear fellow, I believe so.” Offering an amused grin when the other man’s attention was on him, he glanced at the items in question. “At least, that’s what I assume the answer would be, since there can be a use for most anything, depending on what your goal is.”
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[info]devise
2020-10-23 02:29 pm UTC (link) Track This
Peering over at the unfamiliar voice, Roman smiled, before turning back to the head in hand. He couldn't say he found too many friendly faces among the junk pile, but it wasn't as if he had been here that long. Let alone torturing the junk itself. With the number that seemed to keep to themselves, it was a nice change of pace. Especially given how much Roman liked to turn into quite the chatterbox. Being surrounded by people his entire life, there was a comfort to it. It didn't matter if he knew them personally. But if they were for holding a conversation? That was a sheer bonus.

"Can't say I always have the goal set, but with the right piece? Sometimes it's like the stars align." Of which, he was starting to believe they were. Dropping his hand, he tossed the head into a bag that was next to the dog. Nacho, leaning down to sniff at it before watching Roman who was wiping his hands. Against one another and his own pants. Lot of good that was going to do him. Reaching out to Cael, he held his hand out to shake it.

"Hi, I'm Roman. My extra hairy friend," he nodded at the dog, "Is Nacho, who is still getting a little more acquainted with some of my favorite places." he joked. Well, mostly anyway. "Have you got a goal in mind?" Mostly for the sake, he was now willing to help because he was simply that easy.
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[info]botnik
2020-10-28 07:51 pm UTC (link) Track This
There were times Cael would err toward keeping to himself, but these days found him in a disgustingly good mood more often than not which, by extension, tended to make him more easily sociable. Plus, of all places, digging around the scrap yard was one of those things that could be improved with company, even if only for the real-time response when finding anything particularly good or awful, he found. "Cael," he said, extending his hand in return to shake, offering over a friendly smile, first at the man, then at his furry companion, for good measure. "Nice to meet you, Roman. You too, Nacho."

Considering the question in return, Cael nodded. "Small projectiles that are roughly no larger than a deck of cards or pack of cigarettes." That was a specific category and considering they were for lobbing at someone's head, he tacked on, "Preferably with no sharp edges that could take out an eye. This is what I have so far."

With the tin box in hand, he tilted it in Roman's direction to show off its current contents: a couple large, mismatched, marbles, the circular casing of an old pocket watch that had a constellation etched into the metal under a lot of other added after scratches, a (probably?) cat figurine that was missing the ears and an appendage. "I made a smallbot for my boyfriend that can throw things, so I'm trying out more options to test what's most aerodynamic," he said as way of explanation. "How discerning are you finding Nacho's tastes to be so far?" he asked, ambling onward to poke through a new pile of things.
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[info]devise
2020-11-13 04:26 pm UTC (link) Track This
Nacho went about wagging his tail in response, looking between the two men as if something for himself might somehow be produced. That or at least something more interesting for him, but once that wasn't happening, he found himself looking around a bit more. Roman, on the other hand, was more grateful for a voice that didn't just bark back. "Same here, it's nice to find a friendly face amongst the junk pile." A hand waving over the area as if to welcome Cael to some special view there. Only gaining odd looks from a couple of people passing by them in that moment. Leaving Roman to smile and wave at them too. "The company leaving us like a cheap boxed wine. Quickly fleeing the scene hoping you don't notice it." He called to the retreating figures before turning back to Cael with nothing less than a smile.

Brows shooting up, he scratched the hair under his chin in thought, looking over what he was being shown. "I bet glitter would really make headway there." He only joked, given recent adventures with that one. "Try any plastic or light metal ships? The aerodynamics on something that light might get some flight." Digging into his own pockets, he pulled out a strange handful of his own. A couple of small, rubber balls around an inch in diameter, a few old and useless but slim watch batteries, a curl of steel lynx metals that once held some color, half of a small slinky, and a busted toy truck. "I don't know if any of these will help you, but I'm happy to help if any of it's useful at all for you."

Looking back at Nacho, who they now had the attention of again, he grinned. "He probably has better taste than I do. I won't even lie about it. But if I find something I like, he's also helpful at finding anything that looks or smells similar. He won't carry anything unless it looks like a stick or a big enough ball though." Roman mused before walking over and patting him.
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	Dr. Caspian ([info]medcheck) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-09-12 17:24:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	kamaria caspian, roman cortez
Scene: [info]devise & [info]medcheck

09-11-2657 lunch
Mixings & Fixings
Life on Terminus had been anything but boring. There was something, always something to keep it eventful. From her first meeting of pizza dinners, their mission and the plant life taking over. It was hard to feel a sense of anything other than what to expect next. Even her job resulted in her tending to some colorful individuals, under some interesting circumstances.

Having something normal to look forward to was really all she could ask for anymore. Something that wasn’t work or part of her normal weekly routine. It wasn’t the first time getting together to exchange ideas, but this time she was needing the pick me up more than normal.

Gathering the ingredients and the gift for Roman, she filled up her bag before heading out of her all too small apartment in gasworks and heading in the direction of the other’s apartment. It wasn’t far so she walked the distance. Once there she knew the buzzer to hit, pressing it and standing back, waiting.


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[info]devise
2020-09-13 03:49 am UTC (link) Track This
Since this wasn't their first rodeo in swapping recipes, Roman was only busy making sure that everything was within reach. Cleaning wasn't much of an issue since he was someone who was prone to doing so as he went. But this was all pre-mandated chicken wings and cauliflower cheese bites. Only this time, that entire ability to swap who was making which. Practice made perfect, especially in good company.

With her pressing the buzzer, he was quick to let her in. Moving for his actual door in his own tiny apartment. He doubted it would take her long, but if he had realized she was carrying so much, he likely would have went down to help her. So, instead, it wasn't until she was in sight that he did. "Is this how you work out? Pumping food bags instead of iron?" he joked, while playing with the weight of the bags himself.
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[info]medcheck
2020-09-13 01:53 pm UTC (link) Track This
It was all a process, and the full experience of moving around the place to seamlessly exchange jobs be it the marinating, turning on taps for the other, cleaning off a spot, taking over while the other works on something else. It was all about communication and strategy; something they had been able to pull off well.

The walk from the buzzer to his actual hallway wasn't long but she was slightly slower as she balanced the bags. Letting out a laugh she raised one of the bags, bouncing it on her hip for better control before he came out to help her. "Listen, I like unconventional. Besides, I have to keep my girlish figure somehow. I call it the old earth 50's house wife power lifting."
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[info]devise
2020-09-13 06:16 pm UTC (link) Track This
His face skewed into a mix of awkward amusement at the thought. There were bits and pieces he could recall of the period, if he were indeed recalling the right one. It had been forever since his last bit of reading or even research in there that didn't move into music. "Isn't that when they used shaking belts or something around their waist instead of working out?" As if to show what he meant, he began shaking lightly while holding the bags, looking a bit more like someone who was being electrocuted in the hall.

But laughing it off as he headed for his own door, he held the door open, waving her on inside. Placing the bags on the counter after her, and peeking on inside them before crossing his arms. "Now, first things first. Did you sign the new bodily harm waiver?" he asked, feigning seriousness. "Or were you chicken?" A small 'bawk' sound came bubbling out of him for his own bad amusement.
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[info]medcheck
2020-09-13 06:40 pm UTC (link) Track This
The sight of him looking like he got electrocuted in the hall resulted in her unabashedly laughing, resulting in the sound echoing down the narrow hall. "If thats all it takes I'll quit working out and rig myself a machine while going over files."

She wasn't far behind him, heading over to the counters to relieve herself of the bags she had held onto after his help. An eyebrow raised as she looked back at him. Her jaw became slack and her mouth opened, hand to her chest in feigned shock. "Excuse me sir, did you just imply I was chicken?" Relaxing her arm and mouth closing she nodded, scoffing. "I signed it in blood."
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[info]devise
2020-09-13 08:05 pm UTC (link) Track This
The entire thought only had him pausing and feigning to read some imagined file in front of him. Wiggling all the while, only to shake his head. "I don't even want to know how you can read like that. I'd end up reading the same thing ten times over." he laughed back.

His only response was another bawk, only louder and more purposeful. Slamming a hand over his mouth as if he had burped in said something wrong in mixed company. Clearing his throat, he shook his head and waved her off, only to do it again. Smiling this time. "I guess blood will work this time. Was it your own or did you pull the old synthetic trick again?" His fingers pointing at his own eyes and them back at her.
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[info]medcheck
2020-09-13 08:29 pm UTC (link) Track This
"What, you didn't get put through that in training?" Reading while moving wasn't an easy feat. The whole act of it was hit or miss with her. Sometimes it resulted in her getting motion sickness for a moment, other times she could read as if nothing was moving and she was in her own living room. It wasn't official training, but she wanted to make sure she could on a moving ship.

Lifting her hand, she folded her pinky and thumb while holding the other three together. "Medic's honor." She dropper her hand and mimicked his pointing from eyes to him. "Listen, I never half ass anything, and I won't half ass our blood oaths."
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[info]devise
2020-09-13 09:37 pm UTC (link) Track This
Holding a hand to his chest, he pointed at himself. A questioning look, unabashed, as if to ask, me? But he dropped it all and scoffed. "I wasn't trained to read." The laughter that barreled out, he knew how that sounded. But it was all in good fun, much like the afternoon here.

Crossing his arms, he feigned some bit of judgement, scrutinizing her as if to assess if she were lying. But instead, he simply nodded in reply. "Better go wash up that blood off your hands," he said pointing towards the bathroom. "You never know what you're up against." Of course, if she did choose to go in there, he had left a few little terrible surprises for the sake of his own amusement. And their previous conversations.
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[info]medcheck
2020-09-13 09:53 pm UTC (link) Track This
"Oh no? Here I was hoping to take you home and introduce you to my files." Shaking her head as if she were disappointed. But the laugh that followed let him know she was going along and keeping it in good fun.

Looking down at her open palms she turned her hands over to look at the back of her hands. As if shocked in horror she gasped at her hands. But dropped her hands to her side and nodded. "We need to wash the evidence away." Walking across his small apartment she knew which door to go in so she didn't need to ask. Opening the door, she stepped inside and close4d the door behind her.
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[info]devise
2020-09-14 01:53 am UTC (link) Track This
His bathroom having a special treat for her, nothing but the things of nightmares. At least given what they incurred not too long ago. Except these were all black, rubber rats. Varying sizes, settled in the sink, on the counter top, settled on the toilet and hiding around it. More inside the cabinets, with a large inflatable one left in his shower. It's beady red colored eyes peeking through the glass, staring at her as she turned the light came on.

Roman standing outside the door, leaning against the wall, grinning to himself.
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[info]medcheck
2020-09-14 01:59 am UTC (link) Track This
Why oh why didn't she turn on the light before opening the door. She had gotten far too comfortable, thinking she was safe. But as soon as the light turned on her body turned to face the washroom. Her nightmares were becoming reality all over again.

It didn't matter that they were fake, in that moment it didn't process. It was mere seconds from flicking the light on that her response happened however it felt like time stood still. She let out a scream and fell backwards, landing on her ass on his bathroom floor, head hitting the door. She turned her body and grabbed hold of the door and opened it.

Crawling across the floor she started laughing before letting her hands and knees give out. Her hands covered her face that was in the ground, as she began laughing harder at herself. She rolled over and looked up at him. "You asshole, I can't enjoy the food if you give me a heart attack and concussion!"
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[info]devise
2020-09-14 08:10 pm UTC (link) Track This
Where he was a little worried at the sound of a thumb. Looking inside, he nearly went to open the door himself. But the second he caught sight of her, Roman was laughing almost hysterically himself. Leaning against the wall, but trying to calm himself enough to hold out a hand to help her up.

"Your heart is healthy!" Or it should be, as far as he knew. Maybe that was a bad assumption, that they wouldn't have added her to the crew if that were an issue. He might have to remember that and look into that later. "Did they come for you? Was that the noise?" He barely got out, laughing again.
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[info]medcheck
2020-09-15 01:37 pm UTC (link) Track This
It was quite a scene, she only wished she could have been the one to witness it rather than being the one crawling on the floor, holding her sides because they hurt from laughter. Although she hit her head, it really didn't hurt that much.

Shaking her head, she couldn't stop laughing even as she reached for his hand to help her up off the floor. Once standing she turned to look at him and shook her head. "Listen, that bathroom is nightmare fuel!"
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	say hello to heaven ([info]translative) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-09-12 10:59:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	adella lee, roman cortez


BRUNCH HOPPING.
ROMAN & ADELLA ✦ GASWORKS ✦ SEPTEMBER 12 2657



LIFE ON TERMINUS HAD IT'S UPS AND DOWNS FOR ADELLA, AS SHE PATIENTLY AWAITED THE DAY THAT SHE WOULD STEP ON BOARD THE ENDEAVOR WITH THE REST OF THE CREW AND FIND HERSELF IN SPACE. TIL THEN SHE MADE HERSELF AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE IN THE SPACE SHE HAD LOCATED. HER DAYS WERE MOSTLY SPEND INDOORS, IT WAS TRUE. SHE COULDN'T REALLY SEE MUCH OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD, UNLESS SHE WAS ON THE NETWORK THAT CONNECTED HER TO THE OTHERS. GOING OUTSIDE WAS CROWDED AND BUSY, AND PEOPLE WERE LOUD. NOT THAT SHE COULD HEAR THEM, BUT THE THING ABOUT WEARING THE DEVICE THAT ALLOWED HER TO TRANSLATE VOICE WAS THAT WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE WERE TALKING IT ALL SOUNDED LIKE WHITE NOISE AND IT WAS HARD TO DISTINGUISH ONE FROM THE OTHER. IT OFTEN GOT OVERWHELMING. THERE WERE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE.

TODAY THOUGH WAS AN EXCEPTION. HER PLAN HAD BEEN TO GET OUT AND DO SOME ERRANDS. SHE OFTEN DIDN'T BUY AS MUCH AS SHE COULD, FOR FEAR OF HAVING TO LEAVE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE. THUS IT MEANT MORE TRIPS TO THE STORE. SHE HAD THOUGHT THAT WHILE SHE WAS OUT, SHE WOULD HAVE A NICE LUNCH AND WALK AROUND. TRY NOT TO GET LOST IN THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF PEOPLE LIVING THEIR LIVES. SHE WOULD JUST SEE WHAT THE DAY HAD TO OFFER, AND THEN COME HOME TO HER APARTMENT AND RELAX. WHILE SHE DIDN'T HAVE SPECIFICS PLANNED, SHE HAD A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO. IT HELPED WITH THE ANXIETY IF SHE HAD A GOAL IN MIND.

HOWEVER A QUICK CONVERSATION WITH HER SOON-TO-BE EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ROMAN CORTEZ, HER PLANS HAD QUICKLY CHANGED. DESPITE ALL OF HIS ATTEMPTS TO APOLOGIZE FOR BUGGING HER ALL THE TIME, SHE FOUND IT SLIGHTLY ENDEARING THAT HE CHECKED UP ON HER. EVEN THOUGH THEY BARELY KNEW EACH OTHER, AND HADN'T BEEN ON THE SHIP TOGETHER, HE WANTED HER TO FEEL COMFORTABLE. AT LEAST THAT'S HOW SHE WAS INTERPRETING IT. SHE APPRECIATED THAT. IT DID SET SOME OF HER ANXIETY AT EASE, AND IT TURNED OUT THAT SHE LIKED TALKING TO HIM. HE KNEW HOW TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. PLUS SHE WAS EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PREVIOUS MISSIONS THAT THE ENDEAVOR HAD BEEN ON. SHE'D INVITED HIM ALONG, AND INSTEAD OF DOING SOME SHOPPING, THEY WERE GOING TO GO EAT.

MAKING SURE THAT SHE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM IN HER STOMACH, ADELLA LEFT HER APARTMENT AND HEADED TO THE FIRST PLACE THAT THEY WOULD MEET. THE BIG DIPPER DINETTE. SHE'D NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE, AND SINCE IT CLOSED BEFORE EVERYWHERE ELSE, SHE FIGURED THAT THEY COULD MEET THERE. YOU COULD NEVER GO WRONG WITH BRUNCH, SHE FIGURED. MANAGING TO FIND HER WAY THROUGH THE CROWDS TO THE LITTLE DINER, SHE WAITED OUTSIDE NOT TOO LONG BEFORE SHE SPOTTED HER DINING COMPANION. SHE GAVE A WAVE AS HE APPROACHED.

"HELLO, HOW ARE YOU?"

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[info]devise
2020-09-12 04:49 pm UTC (link) Track This
Where they didn't have the most similar of personality types, Roman found he could empathize with Adella in a growing number of areas. Being here was supposed to be a great opportunity, to do things others hadn't been able to. Exploring corners of this great sea of stars, where ever that might lead. And it isn't that he found this to be anything less than true. Hardships would have to be endured, worse troubles to be faced. But some of the hardships to be found were to be from within. In learning how to live on Terminus, within oneself, and within what the crew has already endured. Each area holding it's own way of stacking up and working against and for the other.

Growing up in a larger, integrated family, it was much the way he viewed the world. No matter how people got along, and knowing where everyone comfortably stood, he was at peace. Each person held their part in a functioning body, on their isolated patch of land. Without any changes to this, only expansion through joining the navy. A family of brothers and sisters taking care of one another through patrols and war in the coldness of space. Morale wasn't easy to keep up alone, leading his own personality to be one of coping in a number of ways. Mixing the way he cares with a level of boredom, pushing himself to do things that were sometimes viewed as unexpected. While he hoped he didn't annoy anyone too much, he did try to read into how much was willing, wanted, acceptable, if at all. It just didn't always work out and he felt at least he could apologize and hope for the best.

Appreciation for what he believed could have easily been a mild annoyance, he was surprised by. Leading him to quickly take up the opportunity to spend some time with the new Communications Officer. And hopefully help make her feel a little less like she was only here still getting her feet wet, so to speak. While Roman had only been on one mission here, thus far, it was enough of one. Along with the bits of stories he had gained from others about previous missions, and enough mission log reading. Much like he had told her previously, he hoped to prepare her, rather than run her off. At least given the turn over rate of things, he preferred to keep people.

Preparing for this little food hopping spree, he had taken the evening to standing in front of a mirror and practicing something repeatedly. Watching holovideos as if he were studying for some big test the next day. For as much as he might move his hands while talking at times, he was definitely out of his league. But that didn't stop him, not at all as he stood in front of Adella dressed casually enough in a t-shirt and jeans, pausing in thought. He had memorized this backwards, from him saying how are you first but needed that moment to think how to reverse this. Holding out his open hand, he lifted it to the side of his head and pulled it away, in hopes of saying hello. Touching his hand against his chin and pulling it away, towards her, to sign that he was good. And finally, pulling his two fists together as his right pointer finger comes out and turn towards her, in hopes of asking how she is too.

Finally taking the time to speak, feeling as if he had held his breath for as long as he wasn't being verbal here. "Alright, scale of 1 to 10, how bad was that?" he laughed. "Too much?"
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[info]translative
2020-09-12 07:48 pm UTC (link) Track This
The part about their being a high turnaround rate for people on the ships had worried her slightly. Did crew members realize they couldn't handle it on their way back? Was one mission all it took to realize that they were completely out of their depth? Perhaps. She supposed it had to be like that in a lot of different professions. Not that she knew anything about others but she did know that there were high drop-out rates of lots of different things. School. The military (well she didn't even know if you could do that). Lawyers. Doctors. She definitely remembered some old television show that used to come on late at night saying how only 3% of people wouldn't make it past the first two weeks? For some reason it had always stuck out to her.

Truth be told, she wasn't sure what to really expect, being on a ship. They had trained her until the cows came home but she figured it wouldn't do just being there the same justice it deserved. So sure, she was a little worried about this first mission, but she tried to tell herself that things would be fine. She would be fine. And if she realized that this wasn't where she wanted to be, then so be it. Adella would just move on. Of course she was getting ahead of herself. First things first. Food. And trying to hold a conversation with her commanding officer.

As he approached, she noticed him starting to gesture and it only took her a second to realize that he was signing to her. She looked quite impressed, if more than a little surprised that he was actually doing it. She couldn't help but laugh slightly, and then raised her hand up to her head and pulled it away to say hello back. Then she spread her fingers out, and tapped her thumb to her chest twice to indicate that she was fine, before shaking her hands back and forth in an attempt to applaud him on his good work. She was smiling the whole time though, and it was clear that his attempt to talk to her was very pleasing.

"It was an eight. Good job. Not too much." She shook her head and then took her two fingers and brushed them against her chin, indicating that it was very cute.
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[info]devise
2020-09-12 11:32 pm UTC (link) Track This
There was a bubbling of excitement due to the fact that he actually read that she was fine. It was one of the possible responses he had found. But Roman's brows shot up towards his hairline at the number eight. Suddenly nothing could have been better for him, honestly and truly. He didn't expect to knock one out of the park, so to speak. It may not have been a perfect ten, but this meant he was surely on the right path and at least picked up the right videos because boy had he been a little worried. That or some bad slip up that turned out minor. Spoken language did that enough, all with a mispronunciation, one world flew into another. Offending people was not meant to be on the docket today. If it had been a funny mix up that was too obvious, that was different.

All of this surmounted to a moment for him. One where he was lifting his arm for an arm pump, "Yes!" Taking two steps closer to her, he paused again. A moment registering the fact that he may have done something unknowingly now. He had no idea at all and probably should have tried to check that out. Looking down at his hands, flipping them back and forth. "These could be registered as lethal words, not just weapons now." He was joking around but he still pointed in her direction as he asked, "Nothing I did just now meant anything did it? Because my quick study on how-to videos only went as far as introductions."

Shoving his hands behind his back and then into his own pockets. "I should put these away." The smile on his face showed he wasn't being serious, and his tone also added to the fact. Rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, he finally moved for the door. Holding it open for her, waving her on ahead.

"Your Big Dipper plate here awaits, if you so choose to accept it, Madame."
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[info]translative
2020-09-13 02:24 pm UTC (link) Track This
Simple was best, Adella knew that. She didn't want to overwhelm him with a complicated answer, she'd just been so amazed that he had taken the time to sign to her. It was a nice feeling that someone was willing to give it a try. Especially when there were so many gadgets and technology that made communicating easier than it had ever been before. She still liked signing best, but knew not a lot of people could understand her that way. She even had brought a pad of paper and a pen in case it was easier to write down. She could hear his voice but it didn't mean it was perfect.

Adella laughed again, watching him clearly pleased with himself. She waited until he was done to respond with a soft roll of her eyes playfully. "No, don't worry. You didn't accidentally make a jerking off motion or anything like that. And you didn't flip me the bird, so I think we're okay. Even for your lethal words and lethal weapons. Congratulations on looking at videos." She paused for a moment as they got up towards the door of the restaurant.

"But really, thank you. That was nice."

Going into the restaurant, she got them a table for two and headed inside. "I hope you haven't eaten anything today."
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[info]devise
2020-09-13 06:36 pm UTC (link) Track This
Roman turned his head some, looking down the street, letting out a breath he knew he was holding. "I'll consider myself lucky there, but now that begs one thing to come to mind. Outside of introductions, asking where a bathroom is, knowing a few choice bad words is one of those necessities. What are your favorite ones, and don't you go using this opportunity to give me the bird." His own voice light as he was mostly just teasing and joking around. He wouldn't fault her for not wanting to show him any such thing. For all he knew, she might want to use some choice bad words against him one day on a mission. Which, the thought alone made him want to laugh. Mostly because he would only cheer her on all the same for it. His own aggravations led him to slipping into other languages on his own.

"If anyone should be thanking anyone, I should be thanking you. It's not everyday you get to go digging into new things to try and communicate with someone. It's only a bonus I got to use my hands." While he hadn't said much on the matter, he also had a tendency to like to write things down. There was a fluidity to the movement that held better than typing or even speaking them out loud and helped him recall most things or even studying. "But you are most welcome."

Following her inside, and taking a seat opposite of her at the table, Roman leaned back and patted his own stomach. "This is as empty as it gets. Not even coffee." Righting himself, he smiled and held up a hand before placing it flatly on the table. "And believe me, I know that should be an unforgivable sin." Leaning forward and pointing in her direction he asked, "What about you? Are you sure you're ready for this??" Before she could answer though, there he was lifting his right hand as if making an oath. "I solemnly swear not to do anything that causes the Heimlich maneuver. At least not purposely."
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[info]translative
2020-09-14 12:06 am UTC (link) Track This
"That one is very easy," she told him. She put her pointer finger up and shook her hand with it. "That means where." Then she changed her fingers to the letter T and shook it in the same way. "Bathroom. So you just put them together and shake your fist, or twist it? It's up to you which you feel more comfortable with." Adella showed him the sign in one fluid motion. She smirked and shook her head. "But that's one of my favorite ones, and it's the most universal," she pointed out. She gestured vaguely, and then put her hand out flat and held it up to her head, tapping it twice before holding her arms out and acting like she was kneading something and then touching her hands together and giving the universal sign of what he could only figure as groping with both hands.

"Is your dad a baker, because you've got nice buns. That's my favorite," she said with a laugh. Okay maybe that wasn't appropriate, but he had definitely asked first. She was going to save any fun signs for something like calling him an asshole behind his back. Hopefully she never would, but she figured she should save something for later. She wouldn't have minded if he had started speaking in another language, truth be told she probably knew it and could speak it just as fluently.

"You're welcome. You did a good job, I promise. Sign language can be hard, no matter what kind you're using. And yes there are lots of different sign languages." Then they would hopefully use the paper and pen very wisely. She sat down at the table. "Just make sure you're making eye contact with me so I can read your face. That's all I ask." Otherwise it got hard to figure out what he was saying, even if she could hear him. "Wow, not even coffee. That's special. I'm definitely ready. I haven't eaten anything all day. I promise to do the same then." She picked up the menu and started to read.
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[info]devise
2020-09-14 08:06 pm UTC (link) Track This
Watching carefully, he started trying to mimic her movements even before he understood what she was actually showing him. A bit of laughter came from him, over the shake and twist motion. Not due to the actual motion, specifically, or that it was bathroom. But somehow, the man began imagining someone in a stall, sitting on a toilet, shaking his fist to the world. And comments exchanged back when he was a child, of anyone banging on the bathroom door calling for someone the other person to get out. Sharing any bathroom space was never an easy thing with more than a couple of people, and even then sometimes. Still repeating it over and over, permitting it to memory, "Might need this one in case this all goes sour too."

Roman's brow shot up, only to be followed by laughter. Regardless of being appropriate, he appreciated the sense of humor that came about. The ability to roll into that spoke volumes for him. "You're a carb person, aren't you?" The question was only a halfhearted question, meant more in jest.

Nodding, he may have only chipped the tip of the metaphorical iceberg of it, but he could understand how that was. "I found two, and I was prepared to throw them both at you because I saw the difference in just how are you. I actually memorized," he touched his shoulders with his palms inward, pulling out and away from from himself, leaning somewhat forward and towards her. "For over an hour before I recognized it wasn't the only way. Then I worried that wasn't used and went on a full dive." A smile turned into a quick bit of laughter again. "Honestly, eye contact is about the one thing I'm good for." Mostly for how it kept him focused when someone else was around him. "Long gone are my days of standing in a line staring ahead yelling back. So I can promise that much."

Picking up his own menu, he simply smiled to himself. "We're on an even boat then. Judge me by my food choices all you want. I can take it." Roman stated before actually looking it over.
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[info]translative
2020-09-15 02:36 am UTC (link) Track This
It was probably a little easier to just bang on the door when you needed to use the bathroom instead of shaking your fist at it. Especially when sharing the bathroom with hearing individuals. It wasn't like she was going to stick her fist under the stall to indicate that she had to go or anything. Hopefully she wasn't going to have any kind of problem on the ship. It was one of those things that she hadn't really thought of before. Maybe she should ask about it. Just something to consider for later on. "If you need to use the bathroom, you can just get up and go, no need to announce your intentions," she said with a laugh.

Oh good, it was funny. That was the thing about new people, trying to learn their sense of humor. Plus with him being her boss and everything, she didn't want to make it too awkward. She had thought it was funny after all. "Oh yes, I love carbs. Buns and all," she said with a bemused little smirk on her face.

Watching him make the other sign, she nodded her head. "It's a mess once you realize that not only does every planet have one, but then every dialect has one. Then there's universal. But it's all sort of connected." It was easy to pick up languages, but that was just her. "I'm impressed that you spent an hour trying to memorize it though. Deep down the rabbit hole then? You should be quite the expert by now." It was hard to keep her hands to herself and not sign as she spoke, but she didn't want to be distracting. "I appreciate that very much." Intention and tone was always the hardest thing to figure out when people were speaking to her, unless they were showing genuine emotion like smiling or laughing.

Adella hm'd as she looked through the options. "Now are we going with a lot of small things at several different places or just like one big thing at each or a bit of both?"
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[info]devise
2020-09-17 12:29 am UTC (link) Track This
His face visibly fell. Not in seriousness, but more for the sake of the words exchanged and the amusement bubbling in between. "But where's the fun in that? One must always announce their intentions." Roman started, nodding his head with each syllable. It was any wonder that he wasn't dizzy by the end of it. "Just enter a room and call out for one and all the will to use the facilities. Isn't that what everyone does?" He might have actually done that a time or two for the sake of a dare or his own amusement. But no one needed to know about how real that could be. This was supposed to be made of hypotheticals for laughs.

Nodding, he took in what she was saying. It all made enough sense given what he knew about his own language set. His brows shot up curiously. "There was no bottom to that pit but," he shrugged. "I was out to learn, and by golly gee, I was gonna." A small laugh at his own use of lame old words. "You are stuck being the expert in all things there. I'm just trying to stay in the loop." he explained. Roman was no jack of all trades, but he did love to learn new things. It always made him feel as though he were finding new ways to better understand people and gaining new perspectives. It aided in finding means of conversation and ties to those he might not otherwise have had.

Scratching the hair on his chin, he did think about her question. "That's a good point here." Mulling it over, his gaze dropped back to the menu before coming up with his own answer. "I think we go with both because why the hell not?" he said with a laugh.
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[info]translative
2020-09-17 01:49 am UTC (link) Track This
"Okay, you can do that. I'm just going to go to the bathroom, before I pee myself or something like that," she said shaking her head. "I don't know, is that what people are like on the planet that you're from?" She was half sarcastic, only just not rolling her eyes at him. "I mean, do you have to announce to people specifically what they're doing?" Oh sorry, just going number one. "Do you get points if you just say 'I'm going poop!' and then y'know just actually going? I mean maybe you'd be less embarrassed about going number two in a public place." Why they had gotten onto this subject, she had no idea.

"It's a very vast pit," she agreed. "I'm going to try and be the expert. That's what they hired me for anyway." She was just glad that she had a job, in a lot of ways. She didn't know if she was an actual expert, but she was happy to learn more languages and felt that it was soothing. She actually went down rabbit holes like that, until she knew that she could get by with some basics and talk to the locals until she knew more about the language. She really liked those types of deep dives, but she was a weird one. She got that from her father. They both liked to learn things for similar reasons though.

"All right. Both it is." That would make narrowing down what she wanted even harder. They were at a diner though, so she kind of wanted breakfast. Breakfast usually was a big meal though. "I kind of want a waffle, or maybe some french toast."
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	Squishy Buzz Lightyear ([info]devise) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-09-03 08:30:00

	
	
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Edit Tags  Track This  Next Entry

	
Entry tags:	a.t.l.a.s., roman cortez

RUNNING WILD, GOING LOCO
A.T.L.A.S. & ROMAN CORTEZ
LOWTOWN // SEPTEMBER 2, 2657

Unusual circumstances. Before arriving on Terminus, those were two words that held an entirely different definition to Roman. Two words that had always held an impression, but never in this way. Between the personal and professional distinctions, there were days here he already felt as though he were doing more than fighting the tide. A navy man docked on a station until needed, killing time, with few familiar faces, feeling more and more like a fish out of water. Trying to assimilate into a new life without his own rank to fall back onto. And having actually slipped quietly back to the very docked Endeavor for the sake of even cleaning bulkheads for some sense of normalcy. A sense that led towards cleaning up other messes in the passing weeks.
Everything had been set aside the second he gained a communication from Atlas. His own curiosity and worry sprung to the forefront in regards to him finally understanding the level of some of her changes since facing that EMP. Everything only grew over the communication. It might be nothing, it might be something he doesn't understand or know any better over. In truth, he couldn't say he really knew her on any personal level or even what type of personality she held any programming for. Only what was allowed to see in their interactions. And that was enough for him to deem her a friend, of someone he couldn't simply walk away from. Regardless of what he could or couldn't understand, he was going to be there for her as much as she allowed.

If the quickness of his own feet reaching the third level, or even to her building, were an overreaction, Roman could care less. Better to be sure than flippant. Except he wasn't about to come off looking as though he were some weird jogger in boots and jeans, nor as though he were running towards or away from anyone in a way that might get him awkwardly stopped. At least he wasn't breathing heavily or sweating like he had been earlier pulling weeds and moving around construction materials. He could accept that benefit.

Once at the door, he sent her a message on his communicator. "Knock, knock." Of course Roman had to turn this into a bad joke, as he didn't wait for her to respond but kept going. "Orange." A quick smile at his own absurdity. "Orange who? You might ask. Orange you glad to see me?"


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[info]steeltoe
2020-09-08 01:29 am UTC (link) Track This
Atlas had given up at some point, and she didn’t know if it had anything to do with her programming or a combination of what had been happening to her and everybody else. Her first disappointment was recovering from her previous uselessness after being hit by an EMP, but her first real disappointment was realizing Ash wasn’t there to meet here. He’d promised, and Atlas, now able to feel on a deeper level (but why?), came to understand the disappointment of a broken promise hurt in ways that weren’t physical. She was irritated at first, but the realization that she couldn’t do anything about that irritation turned those feelings into something else she refused to put a name to.

Sentient plants only seemed to add to those feelings, and so Atlas had waved the proverbial white flag and programmed herself to shut down for a few days. She could ‘sleep’ deeply as humans did; only she wouldn’t be dreaming or thinking or feeling.

On September 2nd, at an indeterminate time, A.T.L.A.S. Abromova was awake, yet she did not move from her charging pod until she heard Roman on the other side. The transparent covering of her pod opened with a slow hiss, and Atlas climbed out of it, bare feet treading across the cool floor. “Roman,” Atlas said after opening the door. She offered a small smile before stepping aside. “Come in, please.”
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[info]devise
2020-09-08 10:59 pm UTC (link) Track This
The smile offered was one he was all too happy to receive, regardless of size. It didn't relieve any particular worries, but he couldn't ever overlook even a small measure given what she was allowing him to walk into. That he was grateful for. Along with the minor pushing of friendship and usefulness out of such odd times.

He had known what she had meant to Ash, and only later a semblance of what he seemed to for her. There was no attempt at replacing, only understanding over the information he knew and at least received. He hadn't expected to be well received, nor any news Roman had given along the way. Only hope to try and help of find some along the way. And quickly finding his own understanding in the bond that was created between someone they both knew for about the same amount of time.

Stepping inside, his gaze wandered around as much as he could see of what was her home. Looking for any semblance of an idea on if anything notable may have occurred during her time asleep. He didn't expect some bombardment of rats or plants from previous days, but that didn't mean it couldn't be some additional source of issues, if he was right on something being added to the something is wrong pile.

Turning to look her over curiously, he crossed his arms in a feigned attempt at appearing stern. "So anything else noted in going wrong here? Or am I way off? Any new diagnostics? How are you? Where's the excitement from lack of nuisances? ...I don't count." That last past had him pointing at her with a grin.
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[info]steeltoe
2020-09-14 12:46 pm UTC (link) Track This
Atlas’s small apartment was decorated with bright pastels, with food-shaped lights decorating nearly every surface. There were the fruit-themed pillows and plants lining the windowsill as well. Atlas stared up at Roman, noting his posture and the feigned seriousness, and her smile widened. He was nice in the same way Ash was, but also different in small ways. “I’m.” She paused, tilted her head sideways as she thought. “Fine.” Apart from her usual issues and the new annoyance of having moods, Atlas assumed she was 100% in every other aspect.

Maybe.

“I think.” Atlas offered a shrug, which was also new. She didn’t shrug, usually, but that was fine.

“Anyway, I would like to hug you. So I will.” Arms held wide, she approached and encircled them around her new friend. “I wanted to try it. So I am.” Atlas knew the mechanics of a hug and that real people did them often, especially when they were happy to see new and old friends alike.
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[info]devise
2020-09-15 03:51 am UTC (link) Track This
There was still worry instilled in him. He didn't know what to make of her reactions. Something deemed significant by him might not actually be, and he didn't hold the key of experience in knowing the level of difference in how she was before the EMP issue. So the best he could do was watch her curiously as she spoke. The smile easing some of his own inner turmoil on that issue, but still holding the questions there, floating along his mind.

The second she spoke of a hug, he was surprised. Which only doubled as he watched her open her arms. Without missing a beat, he was smiling, fully. He didn't know what brought that on either, but he wasn't about to even try and deny it. Open his own arms up and wave her in, even taking a step towards her. "You are always welcome to one." He told her in earnest. He wasn't always a hugger, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. There was a time and place for these things, and this felt fitting for it. Embracing her fully, his chin resting on her head. A hand rubbing her back, no matter if this took seconds or minutes.

While there were a few things on his person, at the moment, one specific one came to mind. "Almost forgot, I brought you something too." At least given her grievances with nuisances, he dug into a pocket pulled the little palm-zied squishy potato out to hand it to her. Squeezing it in his own hand as he did to show her. "I don't know if it'll work for you, but if not, I figured you could add it to your collection. When you squeeze it repetitively, it's supposed to help relieve stress." He tried to explain, unsure if she had ever even given something like that a sideways glance. "If I'm mansplaining, feel free to tell me to shut up." Roman added with a laugh.
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[info]steeltoe
2020-09-16 03:45 am UTC (link) Track This
“Hugs are nice,” Atlas decided out loud, analyzing her response to being enveloped in the warmth of another person. “Warm. Comforting.” She tightened her grip around Roman before letting him go. She was aware that things become uncomfortable if one held on for too long. Atlas made a note to ask for another.

“A gift for me?” She inquired with a tilt of her head, stepping back to put a little bit of space between them. She wouldn’t refuse a gift, as she did enjoy decorating her living area with the kind of things that would remind her of the people in her life. Atlas held out her hand, happy to accept the squishy potato that still carried some of Roman’s warmth on it. Her eyes widened, and she smiled again. “Oh,” she curled her fingers around it and squeezed. “I like this very much. Thank you.” She squeezed it again, this time in the other pale hand.

“Mansplaining?” Atlas offered a shrug. “I don’t think you are. I know what stress it, but I am unsure if it would apply to me, though,” she paused. “Perhaps being annoyed counts as a stressor. I will have to think about it.”
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[info]devise
2020-09-18 12:51 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman wasn't about to disagree with her assessment. in a way, he took it as a compliment. Hugs weren't something he cared to shy away from unless it managed to somehow get weird. And this wasn't that for him, and likely wouldn't have no matter how long she held on. There was no telling how she felt and if she needed something more warm and comforting given all that was going on with her. Whether it was due to her own programming or something else entirely, it didn't matter to him as much as the person that was very much standing before him. While those two things might blur, he still saw her that way. As a person.

He smiled, nearly laughing, watching her. Mostly just content to see her appearing happy in the moment. At the same time though, he was watching her movements, trying to assess for any changes since the last time he had seen her.

"Annoyances do count. Anything that bothers you can be deemed a stressor. Sometimes, even things that make you happy sometimes. Because they can lead to questions or worries. Stress is everywhere." While he had been mostly serious, he couldn't help but at the over dramatic portion, hands moving up as if there were some big banner speaking his final words on the subject. A smile still etched in his features all the same. "Stress is anything you deem it. Even if you're fine."
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	Squishy Buzz Lightyear ([info]devise) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-09-03 08:30:00

	
	
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Edit Tags  Track This  Next Entry

	
Entry tags:	a.t.l.a.s., roman cortez

RUNNING WILD, GOING LOCO
A.T.L.A.S. & ROMAN CORTEZ
LOWTOWN // SEPTEMBER 2, 2657

Unusual circumstances. Before arriving on Terminus, those were two words that held an entirely different definition to Roman. Two words that had always held an impression, but never in this way. Between the personal and professional distinctions, there were days here he already felt as though he were doing more than fighting the tide. A navy man docked on a station until needed, killing time, with few familiar faces, feeling more and more like a fish out of water. Trying to assimilate into a new life without his own rank to fall back onto. And having actually slipped quietly back to the very docked Endeavor for the sake of even cleaning bulkheads for some sense of normalcy. A sense that led towards cleaning up other messes in the passing weeks.
Everything had been set aside the second he gained a communication from Atlas. His own curiosity and worry sprung to the forefront in regards to him finally understanding the level of some of her changes since facing that EMP. Everything only grew over the communication. It might be nothing, it might be something he doesn't understand or know any better over. In truth, he couldn't say he really knew her on any personal level or even what type of personality she held any programming for. Only what was allowed to see in their interactions. And that was enough for him to deem her a friend, of someone he couldn't simply walk away from. Regardless of what he could or couldn't understand, he was going to be there for her as much as she allowed.

If the quickness of his own feet reaching the third level, or even to her building, were an overreaction, Roman could care less. Better to be sure than flippant. Except he wasn't about to come off looking as though he were some weird jogger in boots and jeans, nor as though he were running towards or away from anyone in a way that might get him awkwardly stopped. At least he wasn't breathing heavily or sweating like he had been earlier pulling weeds and moving around construction materials. He could accept that benefit.

Once at the door, he sent her a message on his communicator. "Knock, knock." Of course Roman had to turn this into a bad joke, as he didn't wait for her to respond but kept going. "Orange." A quick smile at his own absurdity. "Orange who? You might ask. Orange you glad to see me?"


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[info]steeltoe
2020-09-08 01:29 am UTC (link) Track This
Atlas had given up at some point, and she didn’t know if it had anything to do with her programming or a combination of what had been happening to her and everybody else. Her first disappointment was recovering from her previous uselessness after being hit by an EMP, but her first real disappointment was realizing Ash wasn’t there to meet here. He’d promised, and Atlas, now able to feel on a deeper level (but why?), came to understand the disappointment of a broken promise hurt in ways that weren’t physical. She was irritated at first, but the realization that she couldn’t do anything about that irritation turned those feelings into something else she refused to put a name to.

Sentient plants only seemed to add to those feelings, and so Atlas had waved the proverbial white flag and programmed herself to shut down for a few days. She could ‘sleep’ deeply as humans did; only she wouldn’t be dreaming or thinking or feeling.

On September 2nd, at an indeterminate time, A.T.L.A.S. Abromova was awake, yet she did not move from her charging pod until she heard Roman on the other side. The transparent covering of her pod opened with a slow hiss, and Atlas climbed out of it, bare feet treading across the cool floor. “Roman,” Atlas said after opening the door. She offered a small smile before stepping aside. “Come in, please.”
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[info]devise
2020-09-08 10:59 pm UTC (link) Track This
The smile offered was one he was all too happy to receive, regardless of size. It didn't relieve any particular worries, but he couldn't ever overlook even a small measure given what she was allowing him to walk into. That he was grateful for. Along with the minor pushing of friendship and usefulness out of such odd times.

He had known what she had meant to Ash, and only later a semblance of what he seemed to for her. There was no attempt at replacing, only understanding over the information he knew and at least received. He hadn't expected to be well received, nor any news Roman had given along the way. Only hope to try and help of find some along the way. And quickly finding his own understanding in the bond that was created between someone they both knew for about the same amount of time.

Stepping inside, his gaze wandered around as much as he could see of what was her home. Looking for any semblance of an idea on if anything notable may have occurred during her time asleep. He didn't expect some bombardment of rats or plants from previous days, but that didn't mean it couldn't be some additional source of issues, if he was right on something being added to the something is wrong pile.

Turning to look her over curiously, he crossed his arms in a feigned attempt at appearing stern. "So anything else noted in going wrong here? Or am I way off? Any new diagnostics? How are you? Where's the excitement from lack of nuisances? ...I don't count." That last past had him pointing at her with a grin.
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[info]steeltoe
2020-09-14 12:46 pm UTC (link) Track This
Atlas’s small apartment was decorated with bright pastels, with food-shaped lights decorating nearly every surface. There were the fruit-themed pillows and plants lining the windowsill as well. Atlas stared up at Roman, noting his posture and the feigned seriousness, and her smile widened. He was nice in the same way Ash was, but also different in small ways. “I’m.” She paused, tilted her head sideways as she thought. “Fine.” Apart from her usual issues and the new annoyance of having moods, Atlas assumed she was 100% in every other aspect.

Maybe.

“I think.” Atlas offered a shrug, which was also new. She didn’t shrug, usually, but that was fine.

“Anyway, I would like to hug you. So I will.” Arms held wide, she approached and encircled them around her new friend. “I wanted to try it. So I am.” Atlas knew the mechanics of a hug and that real people did them often, especially when they were happy to see new and old friends alike.
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[info]devise
2020-09-15 03:51 am UTC (link) Track This
There was still worry instilled in him. He didn't know what to make of her reactions. Something deemed significant by him might not actually be, and he didn't hold the key of experience in knowing the level of difference in how she was before the EMP issue. So the best he could do was watch her curiously as she spoke. The smile easing some of his own inner turmoil on that issue, but still holding the questions there, floating along his mind.

The second she spoke of a hug, he was surprised. Which only doubled as he watched her open her arms. Without missing a beat, he was smiling, fully. He didn't know what brought that on either, but he wasn't about to even try and deny it. Open his own arms up and wave her in, even taking a step towards her. "You are always welcome to one." He told her in earnest. He wasn't always a hugger, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. There was a time and place for these things, and this felt fitting for it. Embracing her fully, his chin resting on her head. A hand rubbing her back, no matter if this took seconds or minutes.

While there were a few things on his person, at the moment, one specific one came to mind. "Almost forgot, I brought you something too." At least given her grievances with nuisances, he dug into a pocket pulled the little palm-zied squishy potato out to hand it to her. Squeezing it in his own hand as he did to show her. "I don't know if it'll work for you, but if not, I figured you could add it to your collection. When you squeeze it repetitively, it's supposed to help relieve stress." He tried to explain, unsure if she had ever even given something like that a sideways glance. "If I'm mansplaining, feel free to tell me to shut up." Roman added with a laugh.
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[info]steeltoe
2020-09-16 03:45 am UTC (link) Track This
“Hugs are nice,” Atlas decided out loud, analyzing her response to being enveloped in the warmth of another person. “Warm. Comforting.” She tightened her grip around Roman before letting him go. She was aware that things become uncomfortable if one held on for too long. Atlas made a note to ask for another.

“A gift for me?” She inquired with a tilt of her head, stepping back to put a little bit of space between them. She wouldn’t refuse a gift, as she did enjoy decorating her living area with the kind of things that would remind her of the people in her life. Atlas held out her hand, happy to accept the squishy potato that still carried some of Roman’s warmth on it. Her eyes widened, and she smiled again. “Oh,” she curled her fingers around it and squeezed. “I like this very much. Thank you.” She squeezed it again, this time in the other pale hand.

“Mansplaining?” Atlas offered a shrug. “I don’t think you are. I know what stress it, but I am unsure if it would apply to me, though,” she paused. “Perhaps being annoyed counts as a stressor. I will have to think about it.”
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[info]devise
2020-09-18 12:51 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman wasn't about to disagree with her assessment. in a way, he took it as a compliment. Hugs weren't something he cared to shy away from unless it managed to somehow get weird. And this wasn't that for him, and likely wouldn't have no matter how long she held on. There was no telling how she felt and if she needed something more warm and comforting given all that was going on with her. Whether it was due to her own programming or something else entirely, it didn't matter to him as much as the person that was very much standing before him. While those two things might blur, he still saw her that way. As a person.

He smiled, nearly laughing, watching her. Mostly just content to see her appearing happy in the moment. At the same time though, he was watching her movements, trying to assess for any changes since the last time he had seen her.

"Annoyances do count. Anything that bothers you can be deemed a stressor. Sometimes, even things that make you happy sometimes. Because they can lead to questions or worries. Stress is everywhere." While he had been mostly serious, he couldn't help but at the over dramatic portion, hands moving up as if there were some big banner speaking his final words on the subject. A smile still etched in his features all the same. "Stress is anything you deem it. Even if you're fine."
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	it's showtime: sig, tandsen, & roman
[info]devise
2020-08-24 12:04 am UTC (link) Track This
It felt as though each new day on the station had taken a turn. Leading everyone here running on a track filled with a magnitude of disastrous results. There was no telling what the next corner might lead to, no matter where one was heading. There was a risk of harm simply for walking outside of one's own home, if they weren't already run out by the large rodents in need of a place to call their own, or more vines creeping up with deadly intentions. Self-preservation led many to stay indoors. While in some others, it sent them out. Whether for food, an unwillingness to be held captive by this current menace, or a number of other reasons gripping them.

Roman had been on the side that held disbelief in each of the reports, given how he heard of the biting ways of plants early on. Worried about the number of ways this could all play out, and initially worried that he and his own crew held a part to play in this, he had tried to look at options and answers. All in all leading him to a number of other conclusions, but also wounded and smelly for over half the week long. Finding solace in helping others and accepting the assistance of those that offered.

Curious about the next steps in this life and how things might escalate, his expectations were superseded by something far more drastic. Walking into Winlock Park, he had planned to find purchase in being free from his short-sighted walls. A freeing of sorts, even if that meant he needed to fight anything off with a hoe. It felt odd to leave his own apartment without properly arming himself. Especially for all he's walked into and seen during the past week alone.

The thick, obnoxious scent that had been in the air for far too long, Roman had deemed the mating call of these plants. It was one thing to walk around smelling like sex, but even he had to admit that it was getting to him. The difficulty in trying to get used to this station seemed to wage war with him. Whatever sense of normalcy he had been picking up with this station was fleeting in this madness. On this little adventure, partially for the sake of meeting someone for coffee. It would all be put on hold, as something bigger was about to block his path.

Roman could have sworn he heard a booming voice singing, with a decent tempo. But where it was coming from, he couldn't really say. Maybe there was a new karaoke place over here? The voice only became louder though, as if it were getting closer, to the point he could hear the words. "You don't know what you're messin' with. Ah, you got no idea!"

Bursting out of a wall, only a few buildings ahead, was the very large and in charge worst case scenario of flower power Roman had ever cast his eyes upon. Some newfound fear of what a mutated singing venus flytrap should appear to be. All as it continued on through it's special Terminus debut.

"You don't know what you're lookin', when you lookin' here. You don't know what you're up against. No, no way, no how." Standing there, he pulled the new handheld cultivator hoe he purchased and looked at it for a moment realizing this little hoe isn't going to be enough. Especially as the long tentacle-like vines moved to swirl around another random passerby's legs, as this show went on.

"You don't know what you're messin' with, but I'm gonna tell you now!"
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[info]interference
2020-08-24 01:01 am UTC (link) Track This
Having lived in Terminus now for a few years, things were starting to normalize for him. He had been dealt with parasites, aggressive belters, snapping geese, and now massive damage from vines. Truth be told, he rather a bunch of loose animals than what was going on now. That wasn't to say he was comfortable with the current pest problem. Deep down he didn't mind animals, but this was ridiculous. And now he had heard a feed about trapped clowns? This was life now. It was also a little oddly comforting. It reminded him of his home planet.

Lowtown was a disaster. Not a single day had gone by where he hadn't met up with a neighbor or friend and needed to outrun or hack at damaging foliage creeping up along buildings. He just wanted an escape.

It had dawned on him that Winlock Park might be a dangerous place considering everything going on, but he needed a little bit of a break. He was concentrated on his feed as he sipped his drink. He hadn't been watching where he was going. "You don't know what you're dealing with! No, you never did!" Sig bopped along as the sing song voice continued on. Was someone drumming on a desk?

You don't know what you're lookin' at," came the voice when suddenly Sig gave a yelp as he was lifted by his legs upside down. Again. It had been the second time in a little over a month.

His drink fell as his arms dangled. He half expected to see his droid friend resurrected again. Instead he was staring at the face of...something with a huge mouth. "Well, that's tough titty, kid!" "YOU SING???" he practically screamed at it. Was anyone else seeing this? Was anyone recording???
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	fluffy bunny ([info]boyet) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-08-15 21:22:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	#e23 rc, persephone boyet, roman cortez


JUST A NORMAL PICNIC.. RIGHT?

PERSEPHONE AND ROMAN

WINLOCK PARK

08152657



The whole picnic in the park idea was growing on Persephone while she took most of the day running around Gasworks getting things together for dinner with Roman. It seemed like there might be a cold going around, or maybe allergies, with everyone sneezing from some outside force. Maybe it was just her seeing patterns in things that weren't actually there? But, wait.. was someone running around naked? Just like any normal person she paused and watched for a moment, an older lady pausing beside Pom to take in the sight. "Drugs are a hell of a thing," she commented and Pom just nodded. Drugs made sense. Perhaps someone was just starting in on their fun early?

After a trip back to her place to change and order their dinner to go she headed out for the evening, excited to see what type of an adventure they'd have together. The first time they hung out she had enjoyed Roman's time and she hoped this would be just as good. Her mind was focused on the task at hand while she headed towards Winlock with two bags in her hands: one with their dinner and the other with the place settings that they'd need. Hopefully, he'd like what she brought for them.

Rounding a corner she smiled at the sight of the park and the chance to take her shoes off and let her feet sink into the grass. She didn't pay attention to the vines reaching out for her as she moved towards Roman. "I hope you like pasta. I brought lasagna." Because who didn't like pasta? Lasagna, a side salad, and some bread sticks would be their dinner, and then she promised him ice cream for dessert. Sounded like a wonderful meal to her. "You look nice." He always looked nice it seemed.

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[info]devise
2020-08-16 02:41 am UTC (link) Track This
Paranoia had been striking Roman about a number of subjects lately. The scent that had been floating in the air, and the information he had gained about the progress of research since the Endeavor had finally made it home. More recent happenings, well, that took a turn, as far as plant attacks, doubling his own paranoia. But what was there to do, outside of trying to live that everyday life. Mostly since he hadn't seen the new direction things had taken beyond what was spoken to him.

Pom's previous announcement to him, in regards to being back from her own hell had him a little worried. Quickly asking if she needed to talk, leading to this pre-planned direction for the evening. Stepping out into Terminus really did leave him wishing the timing had been better. The blanket and wine he was asked to have both in hand. The oddities about, there was an odd sense of PTSD for past terrors...except. Oh, hello nude runner. His gaze lingered a little too long, even turning back to check that out.

Clearing his throat, he turned and noticed Pom. A little extra wide eyed about how things appeared in the park itself. He forced a smile, "È ottimo. So, sauce and cheese are both on the not picky list, right?" he tried to laugh, looking around at the ground. Mentally checking the status of where he had knives on his person. Putting the bottle down by the bags, he moved to lay out the blue and white plaid blanket. "So, what's going on?"
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 02:59 am UTC (link) Track This
While Persephone might not always consider herself the brightest bulb in the box she could tell that Roman's smile was forced. It didn't take knowing someone extra well to tell when a smile was tight around the edges. Something had him off his game. To be fair something about the whole station felt off so maybe it was just something in the air. It was possible. She had come to learn anything was possible on Terminus.

With the blanket spread out on the grass Pom sat and began pulling containers from her bag. "I don't trust anyone who doesn't like sauce and cheese." She wasn't exactly avoiding the topic at hand as much as she didn't want to jump into her problems before they had time to relax a bit and maybe have something to drink. Unlike Roman, Pom wasn't paying attention to her surroundings as much. She tried to stay in the moment but wasn't sure how long that would last.

"We had gone on a mission that should have been an easy rescue job but then we got stuck on an island. The whole being stranded thing had been messing with my sleep." She hated the idea of being stuck somewhere with no way of getting out of it. "It wasn't as bad as being shot at or anything but it was enough to throw me off for a while."
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[info]devise
2020-08-16 03:28 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman had only been on the station for a few months now, and the only thing he found about the place was that anyone or anything might literally run into him. Maybe that was the small consolation for him tonight. That the naked runner hadn't.

"Except some ways I'm into sauce and cheese?" he mused, over how she hadn't cared for the previous description of a meal. Life was beginning to feel more like it were based on a clock, and not in the typical way. He only hoped that he wasn't about to start reliving days and weeks here. Small miracles to be thankful for later, if that much stayed normal. Taking a seat at the opposite, but further corner of the blanket, his back was left open to what he believed was nothing but open grass. Eyeing their surroundings but trying not to do so too openly, even though he could have sworn his trigger finger itched.

Nodding, while he didn't understand what she did for work, he could understand that much. "Gone a long time," he said pulling the bottle towards them and moving to try and open it with the Leatherman from his back pocket. He was going to need more than this with this eerie feeling that was unsettling. As though he were the one caught up in a weird holofilm with random bad luck happening all around. "Do okay on food and water? How'd you get back?"
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 02:48 pm UTC (link) Track This
"I did say I'd be willing to try it at least. I'm a picky eater but I'm still willing to try things. I was mostly lost with the addition of ham." She laughed softly, placing silverware to the side before opening up the containers of food. It all smelled delicious and her stomach growled lowly.

At his mention of being gone a long time, she nodded solemnly. "I was honestly afraid of how long we'd end up being stuck there. We had no comms, no way to communicate with anyone and that scared me the most." Two cups were produced for their wine -because its fancy to drink wine out of a normal cup.. right?- and she leaned back a bit, taking a moment to remove her strappy sandals so she could sink her toes into the grass.

"We ended up fixing a tower that was jamming our system and we got out of there. Luckily we had enough supplies and the actual damage to the ship wasn't terrible." Pom reached out to grab one of the knives to cut the lasagna but found they were one short with only one resting there instead of two. Maybe she had just miscounted.
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[info]devise
2020-08-16 03:24 pm UTC (link) Track This
His brows shot up at the mention of ham being the issue. Although, he had to admit, it was nice to hear someone laughing. "But it adds flavor. Kind of like cooking with bacon fat." He practically pleaded, but really it was more for the sake of joking.

Nodding, he could understand that predicament, maybe slightly more than some due to his own experiences in the navy. But Roman hadn't realized it was her ship that was the one with some unknown issue, at least until she had popped back up on him upon her return. He had simply known someone that had been lost in worry about one of her crewmates, when it all began to make sense. He took one of those cups from her, and filled it just short of the brim, before passing it back. Then moved to fill his own just the same. But nearly spilling his own as some movement was caught in the corner of his eye. And for a slight second, he wondered if he was going to suddenly hate the color green. Internally shaking his head, he knew better. You couldn't blame the color.

Another movement occurred just under the blanket. Fingers moved for the Leatherman that was still at his side. Quickly changes positions, but stabbed through the blanket into what was under it. Blocking the view of it, he sat back down, looking at Pom a little bewildered and cautious. "Something wrong?"
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 03:41 pm UTC (link) Track This
Pom shrugged slightly at the idea of cooking with bacon fat. "Honestly I'm not sure I've ever had anything cooked in bacon fat. It sounds interesting." Because who didn't like bacon after all? Hell, she had even begun to enjoy the faux bacon that was often sold there on station.


She hadn't noticed Roman's distractions as she took a drink from her glass and then picked up a breadstick to munch. Was her confusion written that clearly on her face? "I thought I brought two knives but I guess I didn't. Maybe I'm still a little off my game after being stuck under the sun for a while?" She had done plenty of work out on the Revenge while baking in the sun. It had given her a fantastic tan but she knew how much that could fry your brain.

"I'm going to warn you right now that I might eat all the- ow! What the hell?" Persephone turned to look at one of her feet and the thorn in the side of it. "Where did this come from?" She took a moment to brush her fingers through the grass to see if there might be something there that might have hurt her. Nothing.

Turning back towards Roman she went to speak once more but she felt the pain once more but this time around her ankle as she was pulled off the blanket by a very angry seeming vine. "Roman, a little help?"
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[info]devise
2020-08-16 04:23 pm UTC (link) Track This
He wanted to be surprised, he really did, but given the way the universe was here, he couldn't be. There was a feeling of appreciation and luck that resulted from where he came from, where he grew up. It wasn't the life that he wanted, but all the same, it gave him things he knew he once took for granted. And sometimes, even now.

There was a slight movement there under the blanket, a knife still shoved through it, as he moved to take a few gulps of that wine. Nodding, before muttering, "Ejapiro tuna ari," what seemed like to himself, but was to what was beneath them. At least until things seemed to go a little more wayward.

Quick to jump to his feet and taking the tool with him, he moved for the vine. Cutting into it with as much distance as he could from her. There was no telling what the fluid inside the vine would do. "What? Not your type of adventure?" he tried to joke, helping pull her ankle free. Eyeing around for any other movements, but also taking notice of thorns. Pulling at the sleeves of his coat, he pulled away the thorn and squeezed at the skin to see if there was anything sent into the system. Everything seeming fine, or at least the best it could for the moment, he let it all be. "You okay?"

Upon further inspection of what they had left behind, the bottle of wine was gone. With a shaking of leaves, he was beginning to feel toyed with, by plants no less. "Jaguarembo!" Was called out before he sighed. "Does your internal monologue feel like ah, ah, ah, stayin' alive too?" Roman asked, holding a hand out to help her up.
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 04:39 pm UTC (link) Track This
They were supposed to have a good little picnic where they could learn more about each other but nope, why did she ever expect good things to happen? Why did she expect to have an evening away from crazy life? She hadn't expected to be pulled around by a damn vine after all. Luckily for her, she had Roman there with her to help her out. If he wasn't there to free her then she might have been plant food. "Being dragged away by a vine wasn't on my to-do list today."

With her ankle free she watched as he inspected thorn and the spots where the vine seemed to 'bitten' into her. "Yeah, I'm ok." Taking his hand she pulled herself up to stand once more before looking at their ruined picnic. Her shoes were gone too! "Ok, this isn't funny anymore." Why the hell were plants attacking them? She was going to make a comment about getting out of there just as a naked guy went idly skipping by them as if it was completely normal.

"Thoughts on getting out of this place?" Persephone thought it was probably best that they got away from whatever wanted to get at them. Like the vines that were creeping across the grass in their direction once more.
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[info]devise
2020-08-16 05:46 pm UTC (link) Track This
It looked like most things that were going to happen in the point of conversing were going to have to be put on hold. Scratching the hair against his cheek, he turned looking through the park at their options before turning back to Pom. "We're friends, right?"

Watching that guy skipping away, he nodded over in that direction. "We can pretend to be high and trippin' the same way he is and hope for the best, or," bending down and pulling a knife out from under his pant leg, he turned it so the handle was out to her, concealing it from the rest of the world against his forearm. "We take the path of least resistance and prepare for the worst. If you happen to find rats, it's probably the right direction."

Roman pointed to their far left and the building over there. He actually saw a rat, hunkered down on the pavement. Whatever it was up to, he didn't care. The grass was clear and some paved spots along the way didn't look busted. A hand moving to the small of her back to nudge her forward to lead the way, "Don't go too quick, or like a wild animal, it might take that as a turn to strike faster."
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 06:06 pm UTC (link) Track This
The question surprised her for a moment but she nodded, "Yeah, we're friends." So his big idea was to pretend they were stoned like the weirdo naked dude? "I'm not taking my clothes off.." It was one thing to try to escape the park without wearing shoes and a whole other to strip down. She doubted that was what he meant due to being given a knife. Suddenly she was aware of how horrible she was at hand to hand combat. Maybe it wouldn't matter if it was hand to vine?

So with a knife in her hand, hidden against her forearm, she took a deep breath and tried to move like she used to when she was really stoned. Her limbs became looser as she tried to at least look convincing. If the plants were going to leave the naked guy alone maybe they'd leave them alone? Pom's movements were like a sleep walking dancer as she took the lead. Vines reaching out towards her to investigate the small puncture wounds around her ankle from where she had been attacked.

"Next time we hang out we're staying inside," she spoke in a breathy, sleepy voice. Just a little bit closer and they'd be safe. Just had to make it away from those plants that tried to grab at Roman's pant legs.
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[info]devise
2020-08-16 06:52 pm UTC (link) Track This
Her distaste for stripping out here was one of those things he wished the man running by had. His one and only hope outside of this was that the man didn't decide to be a hugger, or an extra attacker, in the end. Due to whatever pheromones or spores all of this had set off.

In a moment, he was distracted by some discourse between a couple sitting on a bench. He could only imagine what that was about. Then someone walking their dog, who stopped to bark at what appeared to be nothing before running the other way. But more so people who were going about their merry way.

Peering down, he caught sight of how close things were getting. Instead of giving her a response, he turned in a circle, nearly being tripped by a vine. Leaning in closer to her, he made the point of telling her all too calmly, "Run." Jumping onto the vines behind her, he didn't get more than a few steps in sprint afterward. His ankle tugged at tightly, but the boot underneath it saving him from more than a nuisance as he tried to cut the culprit. Another vine seeming to sprout up trying to swat at him as he did. Leaving him moving around, likely looking like he was trying to put out some fire attached to his own clothes. Muttering to himself in Spanish now, about how he should never go outside. It was fine to live with the rats. "I could be the next rat king."
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 07:03 pm UTC (link) Track This
The single word that came out of his mouth so calmly made Pom panic. She knew he could take care of himself but she didn't want to leave him behind. Beginning to run off she paused, glancing behind her to watch his battle with the vines. "C'mon...," her voice was tinged with exhaustion as she turned to come back to help out.

"Take your jacket off," she sliced into one of the vines that seemed to have a taste for Roman now. "Use it as a distraction. Once they're focused on it toss it and run." It sounded like a good idea to her and it might be the only way they had out of this mess. "I'll buy you a new one." And she would if they made it out alive. "But I'm not leaving you." Maybe he'd be offended by her thought that he couldn't take care of himself but she didn't care. Friends took care of each other.
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[info]devise
2020-08-16 07:31 pm UTC (link) Track This
For about half a second, he gave her the dirtiest look he could muster. But the vines were obviously a distraction for his current state of affairs. "I'm not losing the jacket." He grumbled. "Don't mind us...we're old friends. This one just doesn't understand I'm not into it." He got out between his own struggles. While he normally preferred teamwork, the last thing he wanted to worry about was someone getting hurt over him. Mostly free of it, and with thanks, he rolled away from the last of it before grabbing her arm by the elbow and making a run for it. Not stopping even after they got free of the park.

Unaware of the reach here, he finally slowed down. He hated running for this. "We in the clear?" He asked looking around and looking her over.
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 07:48 pm UTC (link) Track This
She rolled her eyes as he disagreed about giving up his jacket. "I lost my shoes, you can lose a jacket." She commented back but it seemed like they didn't have to give up his jacket in the long run. As soon as he was free they were off. Bare feet padded in sync with Roman until he slowed. "Yeah.. yeah, I think we're clear."

Leaning against a building she inspected her leg a bit closer. It was an unhappy mess of marks but it wouldn't kill her. At least she didn't think it would. "Can we take a minute? I think I might need to sit." Her lean slowly moved to a sit as the excitement of it all had left her exhausted. "I think this might have been the worst second date I've ever had." She smirked up at Roman with a wink. "Are you tired too or is it just me?"
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[info]devise
2020-08-16 08:02 pm UTC (link) Track This
The loss of the jacket would have been more than something sentimental, but more the thought of exposure. While he would have given her shoes, if he could have, he didn't want to run more risks based upon previous happenings from the mission this reminded him of. It just wasn't something to air out right now, let alone to someone who hadn't been there. It would leave a lot of questions to have to answer to and that wasn't his place to. A little calmer over at least feeling in the clear, for the moment.

Watching her, he didn't know what to think and at the mention of the date, his jaw drew a little slack before stating, "Well, it's probably best not to have a third. You can keep the knife as a token of my gratitude and friendship." Pausing, he didn't feel anything in particular, but made sure to ask, "Are you okay? Just tired?" His first thought led to points about her last mission and being stranded on an island. For all he knew she needed someone medical or it was just exhaustion. He didn't know. "Should I get something or someone?"
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 08:26 pm UTC (link) Track This
Her response to keeping the knife was just a lazy thumbs up as her eyes kept lulling closed. "Just tired." Persephone's breathing deepened a bit and she honestly felt like she had been up for hours. All she could think about was going to sleep. It would be easy and wouldn't have been the first time she had called a sidewalk her bed. Maybe all she needed was a little nap and then she'd be good to go? She'd go to a clinic or maybe see if Kier was available to take a look at her legs for her.

Pom's shoulders slumped as her body kept urging her to sleep but Roman kept waking her up. "I think I just need a minute." In moments she was fast asleep, curled into her knees sitting up. It felt like being sick where your body was so exhausted that she simply just couldn't keep going anymore.
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[info]devise
2020-08-16 08:36 pm UTC (link) Track This
This was all much more than a minute, the way she was slowly crumbling in his view. This was enough that sent actual alarms off in his head, and while he didn't actually see this happen before, he was at a loss. Looking around, hoping to get a better grasp of his surroundings, and really to peek around for anything else that might wiggle out at him. He turned and questioned if this wasn't actual life at the circus.

Checking out his communicator, he went digging around before finding a place close by. Checking her pulse and her breathing before scooping her and heading for an actual clinic. She couldn't be the only one in this situation? No matter what the cause was. Muttering to himself about actual clowns.
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[info]boyet
2020-08-16 09:19 pm UTC (link) Track This
Persephone grumbled something in her sleep as she was picked up but there was no struggle from her; she was out cold like a toddler after a long day of play. The main difference was that Pom wasn't a toddler, she hadn't had an eventful day that should have caused her to fall asleep like that.. so what was going on? Why was she so keen on sleeping?

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	selina ([info]reinforcement) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-08-07 20:00:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	roman cortez, selina westfall

NEED FOR SPEED
SELINA & ROMAN // GASWORKS // AUGUST 8, 2657

NORMALLY BY THIS TIME, SELINA WOULD HAVE BEEN IN WINLOCK PARK FINISHING UP HER RUN. BUT SHE’D FORGONE HER RUN THAT MORNING AND INSTEAD HAD TRIED TO SLEEP IN A LITTLE. ALL SHE’D REALLY MANAGED TO DO WAS LAY IN BED AND STARE AT THE CEILING FOR AN HOUR BEFORE SHE GOT HERSELF OUT OF BED AND BREWED A CUP OF COFFEE. A QUICK SHOWER LATER, SHE WAS DRESSED IN A PAIR OF JEANS AND A T-SHIRT WITH SNEAKERS, CASUAL FOR THE DAY AHEAD. SHE WAS NURSING HER SECOND CUP OF COFFEE WHEN HER COMMLINK PINGED, ALERTING HER OF A MESSAGE. CORTEZ HAD ARRIVED.

SELINA DEBATED PLAYING COY FOR A MOMENT AS SHE SIPPED HER COFFEE BUT ULTIMATELY COULDN’T BRING HERSELF TO DO SO. TAPPING OUT A QUICK REPLY THAT SHE’D BE DOWN IN A MOMENT, SHE TOOK ANOTHER HEFTY SWIG OF HER COFFEE AND THEN PLACED THE HALF-FULL MUG IN THE SINK BEFORE GRABBING HER PURSE, SCRATCHING SVEN ON THE HEAD (WHO JUST GLOWERED AT HER), AND LOCKING UP HER APARTMENT. MAKING HER WAY DOWN OUT OF HER APARTMENT BUILDING, SELINA EMERGED AND SPOTTED THE ONLY VEHICLE IN SIGHT AND HAD TO DO A DOUBLE-TAKE. HOW THE HECK CORTEZ HAD GOTTEN HIS HANDS ON THAT CAR WAS BEYOND HER, NOT TO MENTION WHERE HE THOUGHT HE WAS TAKING THEM TO ACTUALLY DRIVE.

APPROACHING THE VEHICLE, SELINA ARCHED A BROW AS THE PASSENGER WINDOW LOWERED AND SHE LEANED IN. “I FEEL LIKE I’M UNDERDRESSED. LIKE I SHOULD GO BACK UPSTAIRS AND CHANGE INTO SOMETHING ELSE TO SHOW SOME LEG…” SHE STEPPED BACK AND MIMED HITCHHIKING, JUTTING A HIP OUT AND STICKING OUT HER THUMB. AFTER A BEAT, SHE GRINNED AND AT LAST PULLED OPEN THE DOOR AND SLID INTO THE SEAT. SHUTTING THE DOOR BEHIND HER, SHE THEN TOOK IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR, SOMETHING SHE HADN’T DONE VERY OFTEN CONSIDERING SHE TYPICALLY RODE IN THE BACK OF THE RIDESHARES SHE GOT OR, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, SHE SIMPLY TOOK THE TRAM. “HOW’D YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS, CORTEZ?” SHE ASKED AS SHE BUCKLED HER SEATBELT REFLEXIVELY.

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[info]devise
2020-08-08 05:11 pm UTC (link) Track This
While Selina had something closer to a usual morning, he was left with all of his week long challenge of procuring a vehicle and space for this to happen. Away from prying eyes and hopefully safer than typical standards. There was a limited amount of time he had to pull this off, but figuring it was the weekend, along with the current hour, and having already stalked the grounds he believed would work? He had high confidence in everything here.

Feigning impatience, he tapped his fingers in sequence against the door. Scoffing, he shook his head. "No one would believe that damsel in distress look in a million years. You're better off trying to play off the whole unbuttoning of the top and hair flipping act." He tried to joke, as he flipped imaginary hair in his seat.

Eyeing her over the question he knew would come, he clicked his tongue before handing her an insulated cup. "Listen here, Mocha, I warned you. No interrogations. You're off duty. Just know its not stolen. That's what counts here, right?" Rubbing his hands against the wheel, he just grinned. "It was just begging to be touched. That's all that matters." Brows wagged, but these were his final words before setting off for their little destination. A place he recalled with large rats and a few empty spaces.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-08-08 05:41 pm UTC (link) Track This
When Cortez mimed flipping his hair, Selina had to laugh. “Did you have long hair in a past life? You’ve got that down pat,” she teased as she got into the car. When he passed over the insulated cup that only contain one thing, she moaned, the sound only increasing in volume as she took a sip of the delicious concoction inside it. “You- are a godsend.” With the mocha in one hand, Selina started to lean over the console of the car but stopped herself, her face flushing just a little. “Thank you,” she conceded, meeting his gaze with a knowing look. They might have been off duty but there could still very well be prying eyes, well…everywhere. The station was small, Selina had come to discover that first hand not long after she’d been stationed there when she began to run into her fellow Peacekeepers on all three decks. “Lunch will be my treat,” she added after a beat, lifting the cup to her mouth, effectively hiding the way the corners of it curved upward in a small smile. 

As they set off for wherever it was Cortez had found that they would be able to just drive, Selina glanced over at him out of the corner of her eyes and couldn’t help the snort that escaped. “You are such a guy,” she drawled with a shake of her head. “I shouldn’t be surprised that hot cars do it for you.” And really, she wasn’t, not after getting to know him as she’d been for the past few weeks. “I still wanna know how you did it. You’ve barely been on station a couple of months, right?” She wasn’t sure when exactly he’d arrived on station but knew that it hadn’t been that long. They’d only been back from his first mission a couple of weeks and she didn’t think he’d been on the station that long before then. But then again, time had a way of moving faster than you thought it did, especially when you keep busy. Or when time is distorted like it had been on Tidlosa. Even though Selina couldn’t remember everything that happened, there was still a strange feeling as though she’d lost more than the two weeks they’d been gone. 
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[info]devise
2020-08-09 01:19 am UTC (link) Track This
Giving her a pointed look, "We are not getting into that phase. It was just a phase. It hurt a lot. Too much maintenance." As if to take a moment of silence for the hair, Roman's shoulders slumped and head dropped. Offering only a heavy sigh. It wasn't near as much one of those moments he cared about, but it had been at the time. It was easy enough to recall those short years. A short lived sniffled followed. "I'm fine, okay." Quick to right himself, his jaw fell open slightly. "Godsend? Next time, let me know before you say these things. Then I can record them for later proof." But with a laugh, he nodded at her thanks.

He couldn't help himself, or maybe he could, but not with this. It was deemed a compliment, regardless of his comeback to it. It was one of those things that made him want to puff up his chest with pride. "What else am I supposed to be?" he all but laughed. "I could love her for the rest of my life and always know she was doing me right. Listen to that purr." As if to prove some point that wasn't really there, a free hand was pointing at the dashboard, and at one point, rubbing it gently.

Bemused over her further inquiry on these things, he never once believed she would let it go. Not for a single second. But he wasn't going to give it up, at least not right now. "Yeah, but that's more than enough time to case any joint. I mean, anyone good would need far less." Laughing, he wasn't serious, at least about stealing. "I didn't steal anything. And I get around. A man has to have some secrets. Not the kind you can scope out pick-pocketing me either. Or you know, in your case, find through a quick background check. Besides, you would never believe me." Nothing was about to be as fun as driving around back home, but you work with what you have, as you have it.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-08-09 02:49 am UTC (link) Track This
“Okay, I’m going to need proof. Like, holopic proof, Cortez.” She gave him a look that all but shouted, I don’t believe you. From her best guess, it had to be during his childhood or teenage years since the military had strict regulations. That is unless he was pulling her leg, which she definitely wouldn’t put past him. She laughed again at his exaggeration and taking a moment but when he gaped at her, she just rolled her eyes. Selina did, however, cross over the console just enough to shove his shoulder lightly. “Keep up with the mochas and you might get more than that ‘godsend.’” Again, she hid her smirk behind the rim of the cup.

Pulling the cup from her mouth, Selina groaned and let her head fall back against the headrest. “Seriously! What is it with guys at motors or tech?” Not that she didn’t see the appeal, but not that much! She started to make a comment about purring but bit her cheek. “How long do we have her?” she asked instead, tilting her head and regarding him with a sidelong look. And why was she suddenly referring to an inanimate object as a her? Lifting a hand to her head, Selina scratched her forehead as she wondered not for the first time how Cortez led her down these paths.

He wasn’t wrong about her not letting it go, at least not for good anyway. She’d give him a little bit of leeway but she’d be back to poking and prodding again before the morning was over. “Anyone good,” she repeated with a smirk. A laugh fell from her lips and she gave a shake of her head, turning to look out the window as the neighborhood began to shift into the business district. “Oh, I know you get around,” she murmured almost more to herself. Scoffing, Selina’s head whipped back in his direction. “I’ll have you know I did not do a background check. You’re navy, there wouldn’t be anything there anyway.” Or if there was, she wouldn’t be able to dig it up without her Peacekeeper resources anyway. Besides, there wasn’t a need to look him up, even if she might have been curious. Cortez had been easy to get along with from the moment she’d met him and then again when her damn cat ran away to him. Maybe the ease in which she did get along with him should have been alarming though. It did give Selina pause as she considered it, looking far away for a moment.
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[info]devise
2020-08-09 03:33 pm UTC (link) Track This
"I told you, you're not meeting my mother." He threw back pointedly before muttering to himself, "Everyone and holopics of my bad choices. I need safety and to say less things. Be cool." Even though his next words only seemed to go against that thought. "You know, I've sported the head shave too. Nobody needs to see that again either." He mused. "And I don't mean boot camp. It was then too, but the last time was out of frustration and the loss of a bet." While he didn't know about her line of thinking, he could only imagine what she believed boot camp was like. "Might?! Might, she says. That's cold." he was left to shake his head again, slightly, but never pulling his gaze away from where it needed to be.

Scoffing entirely. "What's not to like? Look at the way she handles, the way she listens and fills needs. How do you not want to tune her radio? The subtle and not so subtle power she possesses. Forever dressed like she's ready to go out and calling you inside. Then you never want to pull yourself out..." Okay, that was going too far, but he had to laugh. "She doesn't even have a bunch of junk in her trunk. Just the necessities." Taking a quick look at the time, even though it wasn't for the purpose of actually counting down the minutes. "Two hours."

Each little comment only had a smirk growing that much more in his features. "Uh huh," he started. "Hey, I have to file taxes just like anyone else. Criminally, I come up clean, but there's likely some things in there that- wait. I'm not trying to talk you into that and you're not getting my special digits to look me up." At least a previous address wouldn't have been listed with his parents. No, he's not here looking to actually give her that path to finding holopics. The quiet moment only left him playfully jerking the wheel lightly from one side to the other, making the car 'wiggle' for a second, just to see her reaction. Smiling as if nothing happened.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-08-09 04:05 pm UTC (link) Track This
Selina choked on her sip of coffee. “I don’t want to meet your mother! She can send you the holopic, that works for me.” She shot him a cheeky grin that faded into a look of horror when he mentioned having a shaved head. There weren’t many people that could pull that off and she didn’t think Cortez was one of them. “Okay, I can do without a holopic of that,” she tacked on with a very unladylike snort that she seemed to catch halfway through the sound’s escape wherein she pulled her lower lip to worry between her teeth. While Selina knew that Cortez’s eyes needed to be on the road, she couldn’t help but wonder at the expression he might shoot her if he’d been able to look at her for more than a passing second. She shrugged innocently. “I might,” she repeated, not budging one bit. 

Her eyes rolled as he went on about the car. Truly, it wasn’t a surprise. What had been a surprise was him getting his hands on the car in the first place. A little nervous trepidation crept in then as she thought about what was to come and she fell silent while her mind played devil’s advocate and cycled through all the things that could go wrong, the least of which being one or both of them getting hurt. Not that she thought she’d be that terrible of a driver-surely it wasn’t that different from the go karts-but she couldn’t help worrying just a little. Her mind went to her fears and concerns when she’d first started aboard the Endeavor and indeed that first mission had been an awkward one for her, but look how far she’d come. Even if things started out rocky, they’d smooth over eventually. Selina just didn’t know if two hours would cut it. 

Her thoughts shifted from the car and driving to Cortez himself and Selina found she actually had quite a bit to think about. She liked to think she was approachable and open and she was...to a point. But she also wasn’t going to go telling about every little thought she had either. Some things were better kept secret or...not secret so much as just to herself. She wondered vaguely if Cortez had as many thoughts as she did. He certainly voiced plenty of them! When the car suddenly jerked, Selina’s eyes widened and her right hand closed over the handle on the door for a moment. Turning to regard Cortez with concern she saw the smile he wore and her eyes narrowed; if she’d had something to throw at him, she would have, never mind that he was behind the wheel. “You can use your words, you know,” she chided lightly. “You do every other time.” And he did; Cortez always seemed to have something to say. 
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[info]devise
2020-08-09 10:34 pm UTC (link) Track This
Her reaction almost made him want to go and try to make a call to the woman now. Almost. He wasn't actually kosher about having anyone jump up and say hello to the woman. There was no telling where that conversation would go, nor how long it would leave him haunted in future conversations. "Do you know what that's like? Asking her for anything? I get a real interrogation about my life and when I'm going to finally settle down and have kids and then I have to find a way to get around that before I have to hang up or she'll call me back and it's this whole..." Roman tried to explain, feeling more like the explanation was a rollercoaster ride of itself. Even though the conversation with his mother in the same fact, was one. Leaving him to lift a hand, making it move as if it were a mouth running on too. "That woman is not a force to be reckoned with."

For him, two hours felt like more than enough time. It gave her a taste of things, a feel of the car, to see if she wanted to keep on or even wanted this whole different aspect of life. For all he knew, she would end up figuring it all out and never want to end up a passenger again, or hating it and refusing to ever be put in a driver's seat outside of games. His smile softened, "Sometimes action speaks more than words. Nothing's going to happen. And if I'm wrong, we have each other's backs, right?" The words flowing far too easy to think about beyond the fact he was being about as honest as he could be. But it was only in regards to her reaction that he was speaking.

"Then again, maybe you should take one from that book. Words. What's going on in that mind of yours, hm?" Moving into a turning lane, he moved for some back alleyways before they arrived at their actual destination. "Points are on the line here. Make them count." Mostly joking. Mostly.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-08-09 11:32 pm UTC (link) Track This
The last thing Selina wanted in that moment was to have a heart to heart with Mama Cortez even if it just might have ended with her feasting her eyes on all the naked baby holopics (among others) of him. That was taking things a bit too far for her liking. Especially with where the conversation went next when he remarked on speaking with the woman himself. Selina couldn’t help the small smile that played on her lips as he spoke of his mother. It was the type of relationship she’d envied between mother and child for a great many years but had since come to accept that that simply wasn’t her lot in life. Selina wasn’t bitter about it any more than she was bitter about being an only child. Still, she sometimes wondered how different she might have been had her parents been more attentive and doting. Selina smirked and gave him a sidelong look. “Sounds like someone else I know.” Cortez was certainly a force to be reckoned with all his own.

Still holding onto the handle on the door, Selina pursed her lips when he mentioned that they had each other’s backs. “Kind of hard to have someone’s back when they’re behind the wheel!” In all honesty, Selina wasn’t afraid that she would crash the car or anything of the sort but more she kind of feared simply losing control of it. It had a lot of horsepower and could do some serious damage. Could, but like Cortez said, nothing was going to happen.

Giving a slight shake of her head, Selina plastered on a smile that wasn’t entirely fake. “Nothing,” she replied quickly. “Just...thinking.” And she was; the wheels in her mind were constantly going. She didn’t want to voice her thoughts aloud partially because they were foolish and partially because she didn’t want to admit them aloud, to Cortez or to herself. So she settled halfway. “I’m thinking you went through a hell of a lot of trouble just to get me behind the wheel. It would be one thing if you were going to do all the driving, but you’re going to relinquish this baby to me, a newbie?” She gave an incredulous shake of her head.
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[info]devise
2020-08-10 12:44 am UTC (link) Track This
"Hey. Hey! That someone doesn't chase you with a rolling pin." Roman started, only to grumble a moment before adding, "Only reason she didn't hit me with it is because she might have broken the damned thing. The spoon, on the other hand?" That left him with a slur of bad mutterings of another language, all under his breath. Even rubbing the back of his head as an after thought of the memories. "The only time I ever deserved it was for yelling 'fuck' in the house thinking nobody was in there and I was mad. I was chased for two days. Okay. Two." Not for the actual 48 hours, but more like anytime the woman saw his face and it sent her into a complete need to reteach him that lesson. "Ear pulling was the worst." Now laughing, he shook his head. "But I still love her, so what's that say?" Outside of knowing better than to go asking for holopics, anyway.

Scoffing at her, he gestured towards the back of the car, even though that wasn't the meaning behind it. "Backs are a metaphor anyway, most of the time. If it makes you feel better, I've got your side." Rubbing the dashboard again, "At least someone trusts me. You like me, don't you? Yes you do." This wasn't one of those times where he was purposely speaking to an inanimate object. It was all an over embellished moment where he treated it like a child or a puppy, for the sake of the moment and laugh.

"Just thinking?" he asked, unsure of what territory this was going to lead into at all. But as his brow knit together in confusion, he gave her a look in the corner of his eye. "I think that one is pretty obvious, don't you?" he asked cautiously. Pulling into a large empty warehouse, he took a good look around before putting the car in park. Getting out, he dipped down and looked at Selina a moment. "I get some fond memories and you got bragging rights if you end up liking this. How many first timers get to say this was their first? It's special." He explained before waving her on over.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-08-10 03:26 am UTC (link) Track This
As he talked, Selina lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. She wasn’t so much amused by what he was saying as by him just talking period. He was an entertainer, she’d give him that much. “I’m sure you deserved more than just that!” She couldn’t imagine his mother spanking him for anything less than he deserved. Just thinking about a young Roman running around, wrestling with pigs as he’d said he did, made her smile grow. If he was anything as a child like he was as an adult, he would have been more than a handful. “Your mom had her hands full,” she tacked on, giving him a knowing look.

Selina groaned and leaned her head back against the seat’s headrest, her eyes slipping shut for a moment. “You are impossible.” Not that she didn’t think he couldn’t save her from a dire move made whilst driving but then what did she know? He could always grab the wheel at least and save them from plowing into one thing even if pulling the wheel had them crashing into something else. She shouldn’t even be thinking thoughts like that. Taking a breath, Selina opened her eyes and looked back at him as she exhaled on a sigh.

“Mmhmm,” she replied noncommittally. She could have played coy and very nearly did but decided against it and to just keep her mouth shut. Well, mostly anyway. Looking around the interior of the warehouse Cortez had pulled into, blue eyes eventually found their way back to Cortez’s face, her eyes meeting his as she just stared at him without answering his question. She thought it might have been rhetorical. A handful of seconds passed and when the moment was broken, Selina looked down, eyes tracking over her movements as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She had just enough time to look up as Cortez began talking again, this time from outside the passenger side door. Without a word, she slipped out of the car and rounded to the driver’s side, her stomach beginning to churn anxiously. With only a couple of inches between their heights, she didn’t even have to adjust the seat and with a small smile, she gave the car a little gas, feeling as much as hearing the engine rev up. “I hope you have insurance,” she quipped as she pulled the door shut and once again buckled her seat belt.
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[info]devise
2020-08-10 04:36 am UTC (link) Track This
"Oh? Oh? Not even met her and you're already on her side? What is this? On an innocent, small...teenage boy. Who are you? Do I even know you? What is this?" He rambled on, full feigning victim there. "Where's the fairness? The justice? The investigation tactics?" Instead of going on, for once, he just gave a small huff. With a long, dramatic pause, he finally cleared his throat. "You're not going to start trying to beat me with a wooden spoon, are you?"

Moving around the car, swapping her seats, he scoffed at her comment about insurance. "Insurance is a scam. Why would I ever?" Purposely leaving her with that question hanging in the air, as he buckled his own seat belt. "Just make sure you can see out all the mirrors and you feel comfortable in the seat. Adjust it how you want to. Don't get right up on the pedals. Be that person that finds turning signals and wiper blades now, not later." Giving her a look all the same. "And don't get me killed, you do not have my side." Adjusting his own seat, he was tempted to make a joke about how she had been sitting but kept it to himself. "You're lucky you don't have to play with a clutch. This was about looking good and being easy on you. Just step on the brake as you change gears. Be very slow on everything. Ease on and off. We are not racing...this time."
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[info]reinforcement
2020-08-10 08:48 am UTC (link) Track This
“She sounds like a wise woman,” she threw back quickly, on the defense. “Small!” She laughed and gave a shake of her head. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t the tallest, so it was very possible he could have missed his main growth spurt until he was in his early twenties. In any case, his current size wasn’t all that threatening to her either. Smirking, Selina’s eyes gleamed as she looked over at him. “Don’t give me ideas, Cortez.”

Her eyes rolled at his return about insurance but she didn’t remark on it. Cortez wasn’t one who didn’t cover all his bases. Doing as he instructed, Selina checked the mirrors and fiddle with the levers on the side of the steering wheel, the windshield wipers scraping against the dry glass loudly making her jump slightly. Well, she’d certainly found that. After making sure the mirrors were where she wanted them, Selina’s right food found its way to the brake and she shifted into drive. Instead of just lifting off the brake, her foot moved to the next pedal where she gave it a jolt of gas that sent the car jerking forward only to have her brake again just as quickly, both of them straining against their seatbelts. She winced but didn’t comment and instead tried again, this time just lifting her foot off the brake and allowing the car to coast forward without any added gas. She was much more used to the go, go, go mentality of the go-karts and was having to change her way of thinking.

The interior of the warehouse was large but not so large that they could comfortably do laps to race as he’d teased her. Still, she began to get the hang giving the car a little gas and braking. Remaining silent for the first few minutes of navigating how to work the pedals, Selina finally spoke. “Do they even still make cars with clutches?” she asked, glancing over at him for all of a second before returning her gaze to the warehouse floor before her. Going in circles like that for too much longer was going to make her dizzy.
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[info]devise
2020-08-11 04:16 pm UTC (link) Track This
"I was thirteen, okay!" he quickly argued his defense. "Growth spurts take time!..Or something." There were times he could admit to himself that he missed fitting in small spaces. Mostly doe to the ability to hide himself in a locker and jump out and scare people as they were walking past. Even if that landed him in a moment of actually being put back into one. Eyes widening at the thought of her with a spoon. "Not. The. Mama."

Content that she was getting a feel for everything, between the car itself, the motions, and her own ease about it in one form or another. He sat there trying not to end up distracting. Keeping quiet and more casually watching as if some passerby, only inside the car. He didn't want to leave her feeling criticized, only safer and doing the right things. Of which, he made a point of adding short compliments about the turns as she went. Except in the case of clutches. "You wound me here."

Selina wasn't the only one that was going to end up dizzy. Pointing towards their previous place of entrance, he passed her a glance. "Do you think you can head out? Not necessarily on regular city streets, just around these warehouses? Use the corners like stop sign?" At least giving her more room to play with, or so he hoped.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-08-12 07:35 am UTC (link) Track This
“Practically a baby,” she cooed with a grin now, teasing him. She looked over at him with a pointed look and a crooked tilt to her mouth. “Looks like you still haven’t hit your growth spurt.” She might pay for that later but she was willing to take the gamble. Size wasn’t everything though and it wasn’t like she was actually complaining. Selina’s laugh that followed the look on Cortez’s face was very nearly a cackle. She’d have to remember that one. Threaten the grown man with a wooden spoon.

Despite Cortez’s silence, Selina was inherently aware of his presence. She always was when they were in the same vicinity even if they weren’t conversing. It was something she’d noticed not long after they met and she suspected it was partially because of his big personality. He just had a loud presence even when he was quiet. His silence also made her a little bit self-conscious as she knew he was, if not judging her driving, making mental notes on what he could give constructive criticism on. It was one of the things he did during their other lessons. “What! I don’t know these things,” she protested.

When he suggested going out of the warehouse, a momentary panic arose thinking he meant for her to get out on the station’s streets and in traffic and with pedestrians. She wasn’t that confident yet, but he quickly elaborated and so, with little more than a nod, Selina guided the hovercar out of the empty building and into the neighboring streets. It did give her a little more room to play and with the corners of her lips twitching, that’s precisely what Selina did. Giving the car a little more gas, she sped up until she reached the end of the exterior of the warehouse and braked quickly. She’d at least gotten used to the tension of the brake to know how much pressure to apply so that was a bonus. There was a part of her that regretted that the space -even the streets outside the warehouse- was still small and she wouldn’t be able to safely gain that much speed. Then again, she wasn’t there to learn how to race but to drive. “So, what do you think?” she asked, after her third pass on the outlying streets. “Do I pass?”
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[info]devise
2020-08-12 11:18 pm UTC (link) Track This
There was a cadence to the words that flew from his lips, all in another language. Moving from the word baby, down to the comment about his height. The need to bring up being 5'11" against the 5'2" he was at thirteen knowing she likely didn't know anything he was saying all the same. All too serious looks thrown in her direction, with a finger pointed at her a few times. "This is why I always leaned towards short women. If they don't take you down to their level, they have to get a chair to look you in the eye in an argument." A set of fingers pointing between the two, as he made a point of saying he saw her. "You keep that wooden spooning over there."

A long look given, but his amusement melted right through it. "They do because there's still use for them. But finding them for the sake of having them is a lot harder because there's less demand. And you better believe I was tempted to try and find one anyway. There's a lot of things you can't do with an automatic the way you might need to if you were doing anything but driving to and from picking up groceries and home. And who knows if you even do that." Roman shrugged.

"Well," he started, "You didn't make me grab the door or try to jump out, so I'd call that something." One hand pretended to hold some paper as the other pretended to have a pen and to go through checking things off. "You maintained speed. You were able to not get anyone killed. The buildings are as they were. Even the rats are ignoring you. I'll call that a pass. Unless you want to go about parallel parking but you can probably go without that. I don't think anyone actually tests that one anymore." Roman trailed off. "But how do you think you did? How do you feel about it?"
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[info]reinforcement
2020-08-13 03:16 pm UTC (link) Track This
The switch in language told Selina all she needed to know about what Cortez was going on about. She didn’t think he was cursing her though, at least not yet, and so a smile still tugged on the corners of her lips as she listened to him rant. She’d always thought she should pick up another language. Maybe now was the time. They could just tack it onto boxing or dancing and it wouldn’t even be that big of a deal. Selina laughed when he informed her of leaning toward petite women and she gave a shake of her head. She was tempted to ask what made him sway from that leaning when he was continuing and she laughed again. “And here I thought you liked spooning.”

“What’s the use for them?” she shot back with a raised brow, genuinely curious. Selina didn’t know much about cars in general let alone the methods in which they ran. Hovertaxis and rideshares were her life both on Terminus and abroad. Well, that or a personal driver as her father had, but that was few and far between and mostly during her childhood. Selina certainly didn’t know the difference between an automatic transmission and a manual one other than the latter was harder to drive. Not impossible, mind, but harder. Something Selina wasn’t particularly interested in learning although Cortez might have happily showed her based on his remarks.

Exhaling a put upon exasperated breath, Selina rolled her eyes and shook her head as he started in on his mental checklist. Truth be told, Selina was a little proud of herself and she said as much. “I think I did good,” she murmured with a nod of her head, glancing over at Cortez with her foot on the brake. “Didn’t go as fast as I thought I would but that’s not a bad thing. I’ll save the racing for the go-karts.” It was probably better that way, especially on station. There wasn’t exactly much room to race hovercars on the narrow station streets. “Any other driving tricks up your sleeve you care to share?” Selina leaned across the console and bumped her shoulder into his as she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
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Home | Site Map | Manage

	Bright Eyes ([info]rivet) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-07-27 22:14:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	ashton marchesa, roman cortez

a legendary reunion
ash & roman
gasworks, july 27, 2657
Grass on terminus was always such an unnaturally natural shade of emerald green and today it stretched out before Ash like a field of dreams. One small patch stood between him and his final destination, a place he hadn’t been in far longer than he cared to think about. Did he know how long? Of course he knew. Thirteen days, seven hours and fifty-four...no, fifty-five minutes. But who was counting? Not Ash, that’s for sure. He was far too busy and important for that sort of thing. He broke into a run, each foot falling deliberately in front of the other, a cool breeze ruffling his hair. All the while a perfect soundtrack rose and fell behind him in slow motion, at least in Ash’s mind.

He could see exactly what he was running for, focus locked on his target even from a distance. Nothing could stop him; he came up fast and completely without warning. A laugh caught in his throat at the expression of shock and horror that greeted him but didn’t slow him down. Roman was standing unsuspecting at the foot of the stairs to his own building, just getting home from the docks, and Ash rushed him with a hug that might have turned into a full-on tackle if it hadn’t been for a nearby railing preventing a crash to the ground.

“The fuck have you been?!” Ash practically scolded, the wide smile giving away his relief and excitement at seeing his friend again (and in one piece), “you just up and leave a guy hanging? No note? Not even a message?!”

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[info]devise
2020-07-29 11:56 pm UTC (link) Track This
There was a menagerie of thoughts and feelings left inside of Roman over being back on Terminus. Along with a spike in his blood alcohol levels upon arrival, but nothing that hadn't known him well in the past. The relief that held in his stance, the relaxed lean of his bones as a rail took his weight. Trying to recount things that might be needed, marking through a mental checklist. After surviving what felt like a thousand ways to die, but there was nothing that was going to give him enough warning to handle what was to come.

The larger man, rushing at him. All of life felt as if it moved in slow motion, leaving him recalling a similar instance not too long ago. Where a small trio had knocked his legs out from under him. Little time was left to do more than brace for impact. At least in this case, as he wasn't about to attempt to hurt him over it all. No one's life were in danger, this was no raging bull, all small favors he was utterly grateful for.

Features distorting, unsure of what exactly was going on. This wasn't the welcome home he was expecting. Mostly because he wasn't believing to get one outside of the hello he may finally have with his own bed soon enough. "Have you been stalking the docks?" Brow practically reaching the sky, ignoring the words that were directed at him. Not that he was unhappy to see Ash, or to have such a welcome, he simply wasn't expecting it.
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[info]rivet
2020-07-30 02:38 am UTC (link) Track This
Too preoccupied with his surprise attack, Ash didn't notice the look of confusion on Roman's face until he pulled back to look at his friend. It was the quirked brow that made him laugh, warm relief slowly spreading through him as he looked Roman over and deduced that he seemed to be mostly in tact. "So what if I did?" he quipped back easily, tossing up one shoulder in a shrug as if he hadn't a care in the world when clearly he had cared a whole damn lot.

One hand moved to the back of his neck and he rolled his eyes but still grinned from ear to ear. "I heard a rumor your ship might be coming in and I figured you deserved a damn welcome home. I mean...don't go selling it to the papers but I kind of missed your ass." Another shrug and then the narrowing of his eyes, not in judgement but contemplation. Roman may have been in tact but he certainly looked a bit worse for the wear. Exhausted in an almost inhuman way and smelling...well like the only shower he'd taken lately was laced with booze.

"I'm glad to see you but, Romeo, you look like you've been through hell."
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[info]devise
2020-07-30 04:15 pm UTC (link) Track This
If there were any a time to have a facepalm moment, this was it. Which was something Roman had mixed feelings about, as it did certainly mean he was back on Terminus after all. Instead, shaking his head, he had no response. It was still a relief to be back, but also a bit of a shock. After everything that the crew, and himself had been through in however many time loops. Knowing what it felt like leaving people behind, or even being left behind, it was nice to feel missed.

Alright, Snoop. How's my plants?" Roman asked without skipping a beat. "They all dead? Is that why they aren't here?" The very serious deadpanned expression he was giving Ash didn't match the amused tone in Roman's voice.

Patting him on the back, he wanted to laugh. But looking down at himself, he couldn't claim that was untrue. "Missed you too. How'd the new pants go?" Moving to get off the docks, he waved him on. "I'd like to say I am the hell but that's because I lived through it." Or something like that.
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[info]rivet
2020-08-01 08:25 pm UTC (link) Track This
Ash met Roman’s question with a snuff of amusement. “Your plants are living their best life,” he shot back, giving his friend a sideways glance, “you better hold up your end of the bargain or they might not make it home.” Ash had put a lot of effort into not only keeping the plants alive, but keeping them safe from the hurricane of a puppy he’d adopted - also while Roman was away. They had a lot to catch up on. Later though, because the other man was still looking a little dazed.

“The new pants were a hit,” he laughed again, cocking a brow with a second thought, “they stayed on though, so I’d say there’s probably some room for improvement.” As was the case almost all of the time, Ash was completely full of shit. But it felt good to be in the company of someone he could act that way with so freely. “We’ll get you a pair too, the station won’t know how to handle us.”

His smile faded slightly as he took in Roman’s words. Teasing as they were, Ash wondered if there weren’t some truth to it. He easily followed the other man off of the dock and fell in step beside him. “You were hell long before that,” he pointed out, “what do you need first, a shower or a drink?”
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[info]devise
2020-08-03 05:39 pm UTC (link) Track This
"Does that mean their last life or..." he started, shaking his head. Groaning at the mention of their agreement, he rolled his eyes. Something he did recall and it only added to that feeling in the pit of his stomach. The one that bubbled up into his chest. At least he really was back. The thought of it being more like a home than he expected, especially given his short time here. "I guess you did earn it."

It was hard not to crack a smile at the thought. Shaking his head, Roman simply added, "Lucky girl. I can only imagine how that would have played out otherwise. You might have sent her running for the hills." Looking down at himself, while he knew he had pants back in his apartment, he also couldn't argue. More for the sake of his state of dress currently. Pausing to give Ash an incredulous look. "You mean they knew how to handle us before this?"

Looking down again, he waved at himself. "Shower. Then more drinks." Roman lifted one of his own arms and sniffed before asking his friend, "So, how bad do I really smell? Scale of 1-100?"
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[info]rivet
2020-08-04 05:06 am UTC (link) Track This
Thinking back to his date with Anya, he wasn’t entirely sure that he hadn’t sent her running for the hills. He hadn’t heard a word from her since, not that he’d been trying from his end either. It seemed very much like a one time thing. “I don’t think they’ll ever know how to handle us, Pops.” He chased the familiar nickname with a chuckle and moved to clap Roman on the shoulder. “Doesn’t mean we’ll stop giving them a run for their money.”

He was still laughing when Roman moved to sniff his own armpit and then that amusement quickly turned into a grimace of distaste. “I mean, I wasn’t going to say anything but…” despite the expression, his eyes still danced with amusement as they rose to meet his friend’s, “I’d say you’re around the rotten milk/roadkill vicinity.” He shook his head and gave Roman another once-over, feeling his gut tighten a bit thinking how his friend had ended up in this state.

Now it was Ash’s turn to urge them on, nodding over his shoulder in the direction of Romans apartment. “Come on, let’s go get you cleaned up before I take you out and show you a good time.” His laugh was slightly less hearty this time but the eagerness was still there in it. The least he could do was provide a distraction, something Ash just so happened to be very good at.
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Home | Site Map | Manage


	Squishy Buzz Lightyear ([info]devise) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-07-24 06:30:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	ora holmes, roman cortez

IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES
ORA HOLMES & ROMAN CORTEZ
WINLOCK PARK // JULY 31, 2657

The sky dimmed, giving way to the luminescence of evening. The world slowing down and speeding up all in the same meaningful light of a Friday night. Taking a deep breath in, even if it was recycled air, Roman couldn't help but appreciate it. A scenery that didn't make him want to pinch himself but actually take it all in from every angle he could. Each step felt lighter and lighter until he found himself a nice open area off the sidewalk. Humming, he knew he had headed out a little early in hopes of finding the right spot without too much trouble.
Now to wait on this blind date, he took a quick seat on a small retaining wall as his humming turned to whistling. Hands tapping the wall, as he leaned forward. The tune an old one, as he watched for Ora to be heading his way. Upon spotting her, even in the distance, he began singing otherwise unmoved from where he sat. "Pretty woman, walking down the street. Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet. Pretty woman, I don't believe you, you're not the truth. No one could look as good as you." Once he felt she was close enough, he hopped off, to add the final, "Mercy!"

Holding out a hand to her, he made a point of introducing himself with a smile. "Hopefully, this isn't a case of mistaken identity. Hi, I'm Roman."


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[info]cognitive
2020-07-25 01:16 am UTC (link) Track This
She was going on a date. How had she gotten herself into this, she wondered. It was only a brief thought though, because Ora went into things headlong. Or at least she normally did. It was hard to find the right footing in the midst of feelings that overwhelmed, though there she stood, departing from a hover cab. Ora wondered if she'd dressed up too much, then disregarded that thought as well, taking a deep breath and moving through the crowd.

When she heard a bit of singing, her interest was piqued and she saw a man a short ways away, realizing it was the same man she was meant to meet. Smirking a little, she closed the distance between them as he finished his little bit of singing and reached to take his outstretched hand. "Not the case at all. You can call me Ora." After a moment she released his hand and gave him a once over. "I suppose I didn't overdress after all." Laughing a little, she tucked hair behind her ear. "So we should get the party started as they once said, eh?"
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[info]devise
2020-07-25 02:17 am UTC (link) Track This
"Not at all, you look perfect," he replied with ease. A sincere compliment paid, leaving him to move to her side and hold out an arm. An arbitrary enough decision based on older traditions but he wasn't someone to pass that up when given the chance. "They once said it, we get to say it now. Nothing good truly ever goes out of style, only overlooked." Roman mused.

The walk wasn't about to be far. All within a two block radius. That wouldn't stop Roman from filling any silence between them. Where was the fun in this if you weren't out to get to know someone new? "So, pretty woman. Talk to me. What should I know first about you? Other than leaving me glad you didn't walk on by?" His tone teasing and light, even though the question was a real one.
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[info]cognitive
2020-07-25 03:53 am UTC (link) Track This
It was hard to accept a compliment but Ora took it with a little nod at the same time as she linked her arm with his. When was the last time she walked arm in arm with someone? How curious. She and her late husband hadn't done it in a very long time. She honestly couldn't remember but it felt nice. Casual and not at all uncomfortable as they walked along.

"Mm what should you know, slick? Let's see--" She tapped her bottom lip with her free hand, flicking a glance to him. "I'm a doctor of psychiatry. It's hard to turn off, so I analyze everything and everyone." Smirking a little, she winked at him. "I wonder what I'll learn about you this evening. What makes you tick, hm?"
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[info]devise
2020-07-25 04:28 am UTC (link) Track This
Raising a brow at her over being called slick. It was for the sake of his own amusement and pride bubbling through. A mock challenge to the term, but he waited as she spoke. His free hand quickly going to cover his heart. Feigned agony pouring out of him. The dramatics slowly died out, but it left his head hanging low, moving from side to side, as he let out a heavy sigh. Gaze quickly returning to her, but not lifting his head completely. Something akin to that of a puppy dog look, he instead threw back his own question. "If I told you, would you believe me? Or will there be some notes that I need to try and find?" His tone still light and teasing, but continued on instead without issue.

Mimicking her previous expression, he tapped his own lips, before dropping his hand to scratching the bottom of his chin. "You could be what's making me tick right now." Side eyeing her, he laughed and shook his head. Dropping that act, he answered as honestly as he could. "People make me tick. Places, maybe a little adventure. But definitely people. Any other warning labels I should know about here?"
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[info]cognitive
2020-07-27 01:32 am UTC (link) Track This
He had a good sense of humor. It brought a smile to her face that she knew wasn't forced or for show. The laughter that spilled from her was genuine as she shook her head a little. Oh, he was good. That mock puppy dog face was enough to send her over the edge. "I wouldn't have any reason not to believe you. You're not coming off with a liar's vibe, I can at least say that."

At his response, she found herself snoring. Oh, if it were only that. That part would be easy. The talking, the getting to know one another, that was different. That meant more, at least to her. Musing over his actual answer, she gazed up and licked across her bottom lip. "People are interesting, most of them anyway. They all have their hidden depths, emotions, things that make up what they are." A little nod and she found herself looking at him again. "Warning labels, hmm? I dunno. Do you think I should come with one?"
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[info]devise
2020-07-28 02:16 am UTC (link) Track This
He wouldn't deny it, he couldn't. "Honesty is the best policy. Lying doesn't bear the fruit I look for so I don't hone it as a top notch skill." Roman felt the concept held merit, but there was no point in it. Truth could damage or create far better than any lie could. And he ran his own mouth far too much to need to be tripped up by anything else.

Giving her a once over, he mulled over the thought before clucking his tongue. "Absolutely, but this feels like a test I'd be graded on by saying so. Someone who only says yes or no, coming up with nothing might fail. The quick and easy 'yeah, with caution, hot' being that bottom barrel average C. But me being me, I'd have to say you need one that looks like a name badge and says 'caution, under pressure'." A hand going up before any possible agreement or protest, as if to wave a white flag. "Don't get me wrong here, you're left with a stranger on a blind date. In the wrong company, that could turn out badly, but," he started, pulling away, towards a door and holding it open. "Here's to hoping I'm not."

Smiling, he waved her on inside. Stepping into the starting point of their dessert sampling tour. It became with a little confectioner shop he's heard nothing but good things over fudge for. Quickly checking in, he came back with a paper that held some questions and a small bag of candy to take to a table while they waited for everything to start.

"Would you care to do the honors?" Roman asked.
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[info]cognitive
2020-07-31 01:54 am UTC (link) Track This
There was something decidedly easy about their conversation. The flow, the banter. It made Ora feel almost normal, like this wasn't something that'd given her a dreaded case of anxiety for days. Instead, there she was smiling, eager to know more about this all too charming man that casually spoke of things that most people didn't care to reveal during a getting to know you session. The honesty was refreshing and it reeled her in.

"I'm nearly certain you won't be."

Stepping inside, she nodded to him and then gazed around a little. This was definitely something she'd never done before and for the life of her, she couldn't understand why. It wasn't like Ora was some homebody with no sense of adventure or having the inability to step outside her own boundaries. But a dessert sampling tour was actually something she'd missed out on until now. Glancing at the paper he'd come back with, once they'd found a table and taken a seat, she pursed her lips together. Oh, what to choose, what to choose. Dipping her hand into the bag, she plucked out an orange colored candy and chuckled a little.

"I do very well at a slight bit of uncanny observation. A sense of when someone's lying. I make a very good chocolate cake but everything else I cook is a disaster." She shrugged a little and pushed the bag toward him. "Your turn, handsome."
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[info]devise
2020-08-03 05:27 pm UTC (link) Track This
A brow raised at her response, due to a slight amusement fluttering through his thoughts. "Should I ask about where this places me now? Should I be proving how bad I am at lying to test this out?" With his ornate powers of giving someone more information than they might have expected, there was a lot held back as his own thoughts processed what he was taking in. Honesty never meant one was open, leaving much of Roman were simply hiding in plain sight. Even knowing himself and his own long standing mindset and ways at this age, he didn't necessarily believe he was the best for this little experiment, if she took up the challenge. At best, he only viewed it as a possibility for cracking extra jokes and banter. As he also wondered how much of her psychiatrist hat may have been on for the evening.

Taking his choice from the bag, he scoffed, laughing at himself. Of course this was what he pulled from the start. Popping it in his mouth as he spoke all too seriously, "Toilet paper." Pretending as though he were waiting for her to go on for the next one, he finally laughed. "I mean, obviously not a razor." He went on pointing at his face. "But I can't handle going without a toothbrush. There's something about that feeling when you wake up or throughout the day. That build up. It's like having popcorn stuck between your teeth level of annoying. Floss, it's not as big of a deal as the toothbrush. Deodorant matters. If anyone says otherwise then they are lying. And if I get to add soap, a washcloth. Because using just soap, what are you cleaning off or leaving on the bar? Worse if you're sharing one." Roman made a face. "I won't touch it."

Clearing his throat, although not actually embarrassed by it, he waved a hand in her direction, nudging the bag towards her. "Of course, nothing you wanted to actually know as a first question. I expected those laughs to break the ice with that second or third question."
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[info]cognitive
2020-08-08 03:10 am UTC (link) Track This
Ora listened, whether he was taking it all as a joke or not, she listened. She observed his face, his mannerisms, the little things that oft were overlooked. It wasn't as a psychiatrist though, simply as an interested woman that liked the laughter. The free feeling of it all. Whatever had been tethering her seemed to loosen just a little. To let her go so that she could actually breathe. She wasn't suddenly cured of misery but open to the possibilities that there was so much more than that waiting for her.

"Never just soap." She shook her head, tsk-tsking as she reached into the bag again. When she pulled out a yellow candy, she found herself faltering. Her expression was pinched for a moment before she popped the candy into her mouth and took a sip of water. "I never had children." A careless shrug as she once more nudged the bag toward him. No need to get into that. It was certainly not the time nor the place and not any of his business when it came down to it. So she smiled briefly and glanced around, swallowing down that lump that had briefly filled her throat, her attention once more on him, awaiting his answer to the next question.
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[info]devise
2020-08-08 05:30 pm UTC (link) Track This
Catching the feeling that came about that one, he couldn't claim he fully expected. However, this night was full of things that weren't expected. Much like how he pulled out the same color candy as she had a moment ago. Clearing his own throat, "Well," he started with a brief pause. "I mean, I don't have any that's biologically mine." There was another purposely awkward pause. Eyes all over the room, as he began to lightly and very slowly knock on the table. "That I know of, anyway, but..." Popping the candy in his mouth, he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket.

Fingering the leather itself, he finally found what he was looking for. "I do, however have a baby. His name is Nacho. No one is eating him, I swear." Sliding a little attachment holding holopics to her, it flittered with a number of shots, each of various poses of the dog. "I don't have him here, and my sister basically takes care of him, unless I got leave. But the resemblance is uncanny, right?" Roman tried to maintain some form of seriousness, but the smile on his face as he spoke didn't actually help that. "He's got style, he's got pizzazz, but well, his mom was a bitch." Ending on that pun, Roman leaned forward, he nudging the bag towards Ora.
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[info]cognitive
2020-08-09 01:33 am UTC (link) Track This
When she caught sight of the yellow candy in his hand, Ora couldn't help but let out a little sigh before sipping a little more water to coat her throat. She snorted at his response, shaking her head a little as she gazed up at the ceiling. "That you know of," she repeated, one brow arched as she found her gaze on him again and watched him pull out his wallet.

As she saw the holopics of the dog, a soft smile came to her face. It'd been quite some time since she'd owned an animal and it made her heart go a little soft. "What a handsome boy. Nacho suits him." Sliding the attachment back to him, she had just opened her mouth to speak again when his next statement caused her to nearly guffaw unexpectedly. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she shook her head and took a moment to compose herself.

"I feel like I should've seen that coming, just a little." Plucking a blue candy out of the bag, Ora was actually stumped. Where would she like to go in the next six months? She didn't really know. She honestly hadn't thought about it. Maybe off planet. Possibly back home to visit old friends. Her brow furrowed as she flipped the candy in between her fingers for a moment. "I honestly don't know. I feel as if I need a vacation and I have no damned idea where to go. Any suggestions?"
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	selina ([info]reinforcement) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-07-06 21:47:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	roman cortez, selina westfall

GO THE DISTANCE
SELINA & ROMAN // LOWTOWN // JULY 8, 2657

DANCE ON MONDAYS, BOXING ON WEDNESDAYS, AND...SELINA HAD NO IDEA WHAT FRIDAYS WOULD HOLD. SHE SUPPOSED SHE’D FIND OUT ONCE FRIDAY ROLLED AROUND. SO FAR, THE FIRST LESSON SHE’D HAD ON MONDAY HADN’T BEEN TERRIBLE ALTHOUGH SHE COULDN’T SEEM TO SHAKE THE DOUBLE TAP HER LEFT FOOT DID WHENEVER SHE MOVED IT BEHIND HER RIGHT FOOT WHILE TRYING TO MIMIC THE FOOTWORK ROMAN HAD SHOWN HER. IT WAS FRUSTRATING TO SAY THE LEAST BUT SELINA WAS ANYTHING IF NOT DETERMINED. AFTER SHE WENT HOME ON MONDAY, SHE’D LOOKED UP A HOLOVID INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO FOR THE VERY SAME STEPS ROMAN HAD TAUGHT HER. SHE COULD HAVE VERY WELL LEARNED FROM THE VARIOUS HOLOVIDEOS THAT WERE OUT THERE BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR IN-PERSON LESSONS AND ROMAN HAD SO GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO GIVE THEM. SHE DID WONDER HOW THAT WOULD WORK OUT WHEN HE WAS ACTUALLY WORKING THOUGH.

SELINA WAS EARLY. SHE ARRIVED AT THE BUILDING IN LOWTOWN TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE THE AGREED-UPON NINE O’CLOCK LESSON TIME. SHE’D GOTTEN AN EARLY START THAT MORNING, EAGER TO GET ON WITH THE DAY AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE A LITTLE BIT EXCITED TO DIVE INTO HER NEXT LESSON WITH HER NEW XO. SHE’D ALREADY WORKED WITH RONAN ON SOME COMBAT TRAINING AND JACK HAD HELPED HER WITH HER BOXING, SO ALL IN ALL, SELINA WAS FEELING A LITTLE MORE OPTIMISTIC THAN SHE HAD BEEN ON MONDAY. DECIDING NOT TO WASTE HER TIME, SELINA BEGAN TO MOVE INTO STRETCHES AS SHE WAITED FOR ROMAN TO ARRIVE. SHE DIDN’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW AWKWARD SHE LOOKED STANDING ON ONE LEG WHILE BENDING THE OTHER BEHIND HER TO STRETCH HER QUADRICEPS.

SHE’D JUST BENT OVER TO STRETCH HER HAMSTRINGS WHEN SHE HEARD SOMEONE APPROACHING. INSTEAD OF RISING, SHE MERELY TURNED HER HEAD TO PEER UP AT AN UPSIDE-DOWN ROMAN. THERE WAS A BEAT IN WHICH SHE GAVE HIM A SLIGHTLY SHEEPISH GRIN AND THEN SHE WAS RISING UP. “HEY. SORRY, I WAS A LITTLE EARLY AND FIGURED I’D START WARMING UP.” KNEELING, SELINA PICKED UP HER BAG AND THEN WAITED FOR ROMAN TO OPEN THE BUILDING.

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[info]devise
2020-07-07 08:09 pm UTC (link) Track This
Mornings were a rush of turmoil in a long awaited motion of getting things done. No matter what shift he held on any previous ship, his body was far too accustomed to waking up sun. It didn't mean he went down with it too, only that he was far too awake to lie there and had to get up and do more than prepare for the day. That urgency in needing to be useful, with or without coffee.

Having made it through his own semi-routine, and complaining to himself as he went, he was quickly ready to head out and figure out what exactly Selina knew about boxing. Double checking his own bag, he threw it over his shoulder and headed down to Lowtown. What he wasn't expecting was to see someone in front of the building. For a second, he hadn't quite caught that it was a stretch, and was wondering if someone had lost something. But once her head popped up, a brow quirked.

"A little early?" He held back a small laugh, but smiled and moved to unlock the door, "Someone's excited. Are you sure you're not here to kick my ass? I swear, I owe no loan sharks money." Waving her on ahead of him, he set the lights on, at least where they were needed. "If anyone says different, they are a bad liar."
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-08 02:15 am UTC (link) Track This
She could tell he was holding back laughter and her smile turned rueful then. Standing upright, Selina shrugged innocently, neither confirming nor denying his accusation. If only she was able to secretly kick his ass… That would be one for the books. Although, Selina did have to wonder if she’d have it in her to take him down if she had the chance to do so. It just wasn’t in her nature to be quite so ruthless. “I’d think my dance skills would have clued you in to my skills period,” she quipped over her shoulder as she stepped past him and into the building. Since she’d been there with him on Monday, Selina didn’t need to be led to the room this time.

Falling silent again, Selina moved down the hall to the room they’d used a couple of days prior. Since she was leading the way, Selina turned up the lights as she entered the room. Moving to the far wall, she dropped her bag to the floor and then relocated to the center of the room. “I’m not sure this is such a good idea without mats and stuff,” she murmured, looking around the mostly bare room skeptically. Not that she was worried about him knocking her out and certainly there was no chance of her knocking him out. “I have a gym membership, you know,” she teased lightly. “If this doesn’t work out, of course.” She wondered if he had boxing gloves or how they were going to do this. “Should I continue stretching?” she asked with a raise of a brow.
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[info]devise
2020-07-08 09:10 pm UTC (link) Track This
This time, he did laugh, as it bubbled right up. Not actually at her, as much as her point. He couldn't say she was wrong there, outside of getting to see if there were any truth behind it. "But doesn't include your ability to make sandwiches, right?" Roman managed to get out, shaking his head as he trailed behind her.

Putting his bag down, he gave a light-hearted shrug to the thought. "You'll get there, but it's better to find out your actual level before moving into it that fast. Like learning the dance steps before you get into the dance." Pulling out a pair of focus mitts, he gave Selina a quick glance. "If you want to, but you're gonna want to wrap those hands." At first, he fully assumed she did, but paused. "You know how, right? If not, I can help with that. But either way, you won't need gloves yet, Killer."

Sliding the mitts under his arm, he played with his communicator for a moment before a song came blaring over speakers. Grinning to himself, he reached the middle of the room and put the mitts on his own hands. Holding them up towards her, "Time to take your best shots, Hotstepper. Show me what you got."
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-09 05:45 pm UTC (link) Track This
Roman’s laughter was contagious and Selina gave a shake of her head, more so in disbelief than in response to his question. “No, my sandwich-making skills are on par, fortunately.” Indeed, Selina could make a sandwich. Maybe not a very fancy one but that was more lack of experience than from trying and failing.

While Roman followed her into the room, Selina went ahead and began stretching again almost absently. She pulled one arm over her chest and then switched to pulling the other arm. What he said made sense and so she nodded slowly, letting his words sink in. There were certain things one could do to prepare for a task - to prepare for learning a task too - and Selina was pretty sure she’d already gotten the very basics on boxing from Jack and, well, previous other attempts. Selina’s lips twitched at the nickname and she rolled her eyes. “I can wrap my hands,” she confirmed. That had been one of the first things she’d learned a couple of years back with a former partner she’d had when she’d been a Peacekeeper.

Finishing stretching her arms, Selina moved to her bag to get the wrap she’d brought. While Roman played on his communicator, Selina wrapped her hands slowly, almost self-consciously and when the song came blasting through the communicator’s little speaker, she was ready. Selina let out a light laugh at the song choice and gave another shake of her head, ponytail bouncing. Moving in, she was conscientious of her posture, the one thing that Jack had truly helped her with. Rolling her shoulders, Selina hesitated a moment before she struck with a quick one-two, right hand and then left hand, and then she did it again. Her eyes lifted from the mitts to Roman’s for a brief moment before dropping back down to the mitts where she continued striking, waiting for him to stop her and/or offer constructive criticism.
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[info]devise
2020-07-10 04:33 pm UTC (link) Track This
Roman let her go on longer than she was expecting, fully taking in her form. Watching for common mistakes that most fighters make, with lining up their feet too parallel, how lateral her stance was set, and even if she moved in a way that momentarily gave her a more boxed form. With each hit, he slightly moved where his hand was placed as her target. Even moving his own position and stepping towards and away from her. Focusing more and more for her left jab.

"Break," he called out, once the song ended. Not putting his own mitts down until she did, he nodded back towards her bag. "Now, you need mitts." Roman mused. As he waited for her, the next song came rolling through, and he began to act like he was Rocky Balboa.

Once she was ready though, he was back to a slightly more serious mode. "You've got the focus down, no one is surprised by this. And so is your form, although I think it could use a little fine tuning. Which could be my style, but..." instead of finishing his sentence, he leaned in with his own feet to tap hers until she moved them exactly where he wanted them. Hands on her shoulders to follow suit, not really doing much but only a very slight modification. No more than a centimeter. "Staying small is great, you don't want to be a square, that leads to big targets. I get that. But being too small will hurt you. So keep stance, and follow me, tell me how that feels, okay?" Taking off his mitts, he tossed them to the floor, and waved her on, as he kept his feet in line with hers. Moving backward, 3 inches, 6 inches, 3 inches, then forward. Once back in the original position, left then right.
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	Bright Eyes ([info]rivet) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-07-06 12:54:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	ashton marchesa, roman cortez

hide and seek
ash & roman
terminus, july 6, 2657
Simulated sunlight was still rising in the sky over terminus, starting a new day in unfamiliar terrain. Ash skirted from corner to corner, venturing beyond the bounds of his own neighborhood. An animal on the prowl. A playful turn of phrase had turned unexpectedly into a hunt, a challenge that he had accepted implicitly and that now ran a steady cadence through his veins. Nobody charged Ash Marchesa with a dare that he didn’t follow through on. If this was a lesson waiting to be learned then he was more than willing to step up to the line and take it head on. Even as it brought him further from his comfort zone.

His communicator was clutched tight in one hand, both as the navigational security blanket that he had not yet learned to live without and as a thin line to his subject. He knew the latter would be wholly unwilling to give himself away but after darting down one alley and another toward the more urban center of the second deck, Ash gave in to a moment of desperation. His fingers slipped easily over the touchpad until the SOS he intended to send glared at him from the handheld screen.

Small grasshopper, big pond.
Gimme something to start with at least.

He waited impatiently to see if Roman would answer or if overcoming his own frustrations was expected to be another aspect of the test itself.

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[info]devise
2020-07-07 06:39 pm UTC (link) Track This
Roman had grown quite used to the use of nicknames in his direction, including those which Ash had taken to using. Alternating between Pops, for age, and Romeo, playing on Roman's name. Knowledge of Romeo and Juliet had done him no justice here, only to have found himself in another game he hadn't seen coming. A lesson of sorts, pulling into the simple plot point of finding him to hang out.

Rolling his eyes at the need of a hint, he found one. Not bothering to give details by word, he offered a picture for this particular riddle. Whether it was deemed real, or viewed for deeper meaning, Roman would not give that information. He followed Ash's line of communication.

Master Legend, sea of thieves.
First clue.

There was no doubt going to be a need for more. So he moved to go find those, as best he could.

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[info]rivet
2020-07-07 10:50 pm UTC (link) Track This
By most people’s standards, the friendship between these two men could probably still be considered fairly new. However, Ash felt like he was getting to know Roman better and better with each round of antics they got into together. He laughed to himself at the response before even opening the image that had been sent in accompaniment, practically envisioning the roll of the older man’s eyes at his own apparent incompetence. Nothing comes easy. It was the consistent grain of sand that worked its way into every one of these lessons that Roman staged and Ash was becoming much quicker on the uptake.

It didn’t surprise him in the least that at first glance, the image Roman sent was absolutely useless.

Ash grumbled to himself but stopped to lean against a nearby fencepost to give his communicator a deeper look. Anyone walking by was likely to hear the sound of those rusty mind-gears turning as he struggled to piece together what he had been given.

But then, all at once, his focus shifted and he straightened up onto his feet. His face was buried in his communicator as he took off at a jog without looking up to see where he was going.

Alright, pops. What else you got?
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[info]devise
2020-07-08 08:17 pm UTC (link) Track This
Left to another question, he inwardly groaned. He wasn't going to just give him answers here, he wasn't even going to try to work with that hint. There was a true to life eye roll, as he now had to figure out another shot to send. Another hint to wait to make or break the moment.

Taking a deep breath, he questioned using that, but that could likely make things too easy too. Looking around, only moments ticked by before Roman finally gave in and gave the next image. Similar in thought to the last one.

Your A-game needs some real work here, kid.
Second clue.
No, it's not Colonel Mustard in the dining room.
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[info]rivet
2020-07-09 02:05 am UTC (link) Track This
Anyone standing by might have thought Ash insane from the way his face lit up as he opened Roman’s second clue. He hadn’t been too far off in his line of thinking and this new image confirmed it. The thread was thin but it was enough to keep Ash moving even if he wasn’t sure yet exactly where Roman wanted him to end up. He was in such a rush that he didn’t notice someone coming around the corner he was blindly trying to take.

The collision was hard and unexpected, sending Ash to the ground with a throbbing tailbone beneath him. He moved to push himself back to his feet and offer a proper apology for not looking where he was going but something distracted him. Instead of a genuine amends, Ash mumbled a few words to the person who had knocked him down. His attention was elsewhere.

He left the stranger behind and rushed to snap a pic of something that had caught his eye.

I’m onto you, old man.
Hot or cold?
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[info]devise
2020-07-10 03:36 pm UTC (link) Track This
Opening the image, Roman cringed. So much so, that he had to turn away from the image, as if it were something offensive. Shaking his head, it was too much to take. Much like a train wreck in action, he had to turn back to it and watch this unfold. Taking in more details than he had momentarily seen, hoping to find even a metaphor in this, he couldn't do it. Not in the right direction. Was that a footprint in concrete or a step on a moon?

"Someone has small feet either way. Hope that was a kid's." he muttered half to himself.

So cold it hurts here. Let's try this again.
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[info]rivet
2020-07-12 01:00 am UTC (link) Track This
All it took was one message from Roman to burst Ash's bubble, leaving him visibly deflating as he stopped in his tracks from running in what was now likely the wrong direction. "Damnit" he cursed out loud, garnering a sidelong glance from an older woman sitting on a nearby bench. Ash was certainly not making the best impression on the population of Terminus this morning but he was too distracted to care much about that.

In his disappointment, he hadn't even opened the image right away. When he finally did, his eyebrows shot toward the sky and he laughed out loud to himself. "You would," he added with a knowing sigh, looking up to see the woman still looking at him. He waggled his already raised eyebrows in her direction and offered a slight wave just to prove that he was friendly, if a little bit out of his mind.

You're gonna get me in trouble with that kind of shit, Romeo. Should I be looking for you on a streetcorner?
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[info]devise
2020-07-16 04:09 am UTC (link) Track This
Scoffing at the message, he was left to shake his head again.

Listen here, pervert. You wish you could purchase my services.

Laughing, he inwardly groaned. He was starting to feel like he needed to give up, but that would teach Ash nothing. Nothing but the fact that you could wear down people into giving you what you wanted. That was never the best end to any good story.

If you're looking for a JOYride, you should be checking out a very different corner.

Was there any hope that the message would translate into the pun intended? He hoped it, wished it, entertained the idea that Ash would somehow read this message and understand that was not the dirty picture he pointed at. But a whole different one entirely.
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[info]rivet
2020-07-16 05:00 am UTC (link) Track This
I don’t get the student discount?

Ash shot the message back before Roman’s next one came through but when it did, the smirk on his face was wiped clean. For a second he was completely stumped and stunted by his own confusion. He stared at the screen, puzzling over the words until he realized that it would help to put all of the clues together. What should have been the simplest concept came as a last resort and, as it turned out, a saving grace.

Or so he hoped.

I hope you brought enough credits to show me your A-game.

Confident that he had finally figured it out, Ash turned in an entirely different direction and once again broke into a jog. He could hear the dinging and clanging of mechanics from the end of the street and it brought a smile to his face. Leave it to Roman to pick a place like this. The bright lit marquee for the arcade came into view as Ash turned a corner and he scanned the area immediately for some sign that he had finally found his friend.
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	Squishy Buzz Lightyear ([info]devise) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-06-30 15:47:00

	
	
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Edit Tags  Track This  Next Entry

	
Entry tags:	ashton marchesa, roman cortez

LEGENDARY LESSON #22
ASH MARCHESA & ROMAN CORTEZ
\\ KARAOKE-DOKIE KARAOKE BAR //
LATE JUNE 30, 2657

There was never a time where Roman knew how he found himself in these situations, even when he created enough of them for himself. That didn't mean he was embarrassed, not in the slightest. If anything, this was a mission for the ages. A legendary lesson all on it's own.
Standing there in the darkness, there was a moment of peace. There wasn't much to be heard outside of the slow breaths taken. Focused fully on the weapon in his hand. The pressure it held, reminding him of so many moments in his past. The way they fell into play, the way they wound up to this one late night moment.

A vibrant light flared beyond the helpless silhouettes. A hushed sound reverberated through the crowd. Four keys stood between him and his melodic core. A defeated look upon him, shoulders slumped, Roman's gaze turned towards his partner in this war zone, the words fell so easily from his lips.

"Turn around."


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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 01:51 am UTC (link) Track This
This moment was the pinnacle of everything Ash had signed up for, following his fearless leader into battle without the slightest idea where it might lead him. Trusting someone older and wiser to take the first step only to fall right behind him in line with a single breath. He was so used to working alone, relying on his instincts, that the hush sound left his palms sweating and his heart rising in his throat. His grip tightened, finger finding the trigger that would bring him headlong into the center of the fray.

Roman’s voice over the hum of the room was enough to spur him into action. Just enough pressure applied brought the piece of machinery he was holding crackling to life. He knew what to do, followed the instructions given, turned slowly to have his face bathed in the brightness tempered only by his heavily lidded gaze which was quickly fixed on his commander.

”Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you’re never coming ‘round.”
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[info]devise
2020-07-01 02:05 am UTC (link) Track This
He couldn't back down here. He wouldn't. The melody did not slow, did not skip, did not leave him any space to do more than take a small step forward. A step that was certain of its own footing. Quiet, even against the small group of onlookers.

No words were needed. Everything was set in stone in his head. The plea stayed the same, as his free hand squeezed into a fist. A dark, hooded gaze calling with slightly more force.

"Turn around."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 02:13 am UTC (link) Track This
Ash wasn’t expecting the advance, the sincerity of the clenched fist being thrust in his direction. This time he ignored Roman’s plea, refusing to turn away. There was only one way through this and that was in forging forward. He leaned in, lowering the microphone and dropping his head to follow. Ashamed to admit his own weakness in the line of fire.

He drew in a breath and launched his counter attack, his voice dripping with soul to make up for the fact that the notes hit ever so slightly off key. Even in such uncertainty, he was nothing if not committed to the cause.

“Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears”
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[info]devise
2020-07-01 02:19 am UTC (link) Track This
The audacity of Ash not listening to what he was telling him. Stepping forward again, he took a stronger step. Further towards his cause, closer towards the taller man. A stern look fostering the press for what he was telling him here. Thrusting his hand out now, no longer a full fist, but a finger. Pointing fully in Ash's direction.

Interrupting him, in the middle of his moment, more adamant than before. Even though his voice continued to hold a mild softness to it.

"Turn around."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 02:28 am UTC (link) Track This
The more demanding Roman became, the more defiance rose in Ash’s chest as he inhaled deeply again in an effort to refuel his lungs from being emptied into the passion of his words. The pointed finger dared him to comply and at the same time challenged him to retaliate. He started out strong but recognized his own moment of temporary defeat.

The power of his voice lessened by degrees as he slowly showed his back to the older man, eyes easing toward the ceiling in his own reflection. He was no longer at battle with Roman alone, but also with himself.

“Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by.”
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[info]devise
2020-07-01 02:36 am UTC (link) Track This
Watching the other man seemingly deflate some, and the distance between them, Roman's jaw clenched and relaxed. Torn between pushing further, but also now having that back facing him. As though gaining what he wanted was ever so bitter sweet. His cause felt more painfully trite. He's known these feelings himself. Rarely aired, he tries again, this time, staying in place. Hoping this stand off doesn't last.

A small interruption towards the end. It was called for, the change in the argument. The meaning behind it all, the call for hope.

"Turn around." Again with slightly more urgency.
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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 02:45 am UTC (link) Track This
Hearing the repeated plea, imagining the other man’s expression without turning to see it for himself, Ash was torn and clutched his free hand to his chest in a tight fist. It took everything in him to fight the urge to turn back with another argument. It felt like he was giving up the gun too easily but he didn’t know what the next round would bring.

“Every now and then I get a little bit terrified”

His resolve wavered. He couldn’t stop himself. Ash’s head swiveled around sharply and he fixed a glare on Roman. His body was still facing away from the fight but this wasn’t over yet.

“But then I see the look in your eyes.”
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[info]devise
2020-07-01 03:10 am UTC (link) Track This
Eyes closed, shoulders slumped. Taking a deep breath, his head dropped. Jaw clenched again, as his head shook. A shaky breath, he stepped forward. The desperation holding in each and every step. Again and again, until fully closing the distance and never out of step with the tune of those four keys in the background.

An unbreakable gaze holding between the two men, as Roman reached out and grabbed his arm. Pushing for him to turn around again. The mouthful of words continuing to hold the same determination that was showing now.

"Turn around, bright eyes."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 03:28 am UTC (link) Track This
Ash tracked Roman’s every move, his own body frozen in uncertainty. The distance between them grew shorter and shorter until Ash was holding his breath. It wasn’t until he felt the grip on his arm that Ash’s muscles tensed and he reacted with a swift jerk free from Roman’s hold on him. That same hand that had been momentarily held captive moved up to run through his too-long hair in frustration.

He shook his head, the words spilling out as if they were his own thoughts expelled onto the stage. His voice was constricted, trembling at the end as he tried to calm his own nerves.

“Every now and then I fall apart”
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[info]devise
2020-07-01 03:37 am UTC (link) Track This
Fervent, he wasn't about to back down. Even though what he wanted still seemed to run back and forth. Ash could do nothing right. Turning his back on him like this, forcing him away. No one was going to turn their back on him tonight.

That aggravation when someone didn't hear you, when they ignored what you were saying for the sake of their own indignation. He wasn't listening, and he was going to make him. Moving to grab that same arm he was prudently jerked away from. He pulled at him again.

"Turn around, bright eyes."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 03:41 am UTC (link) Track This
No. He would not be won over. He would not give in to this constant whiplash of being yanked back and forth and left not knowing what he was supposed to do with himself.

Once again, Ash escaped Roman’s grip. This time by throwing his arm downward in frustration and shaking the other man off. Before there was any opportunity to make another go at it, Ash spun in one fluid motion and dropped to his knees. Instead of pulling away from Roman, he slid toward him with the microphone raised and his head tilted backwards as he belted his frustrations into it.

“Every now and then I fall apart”
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[info]devise
2020-07-01 03:54 am UTC (link) Track This
After being denied again, this time there was a small hiss. Turning his back on the man as Ash fell to his knees. His free hand brushing down over the dark hair of his face. Visibly angry and refusing to turn back towards the front line, to where he was refused in this war of melodic words. Instead, Roman circled back to where this all began. Finding his previous corner, leaving only a silhouette to be seen.

His hand moved to his hip as he now stared at a space between wall and floor. Interjecting his words again, in the middle of Ash's dramatics.

"Turn around."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 04:12 am UTC (link) Track This
Ash watched in despair as Roman's anger showed on full display. He knew then that he had gone too far and only hoped that he could right the wrong. He reached out into the air as the other man moved away from him, this time leaving Ash to face having a back turned on him.

Still on his knees, he crawled forward to close the distance between them. He reached for Roman's hand and held it between both of his own as he implored.

“Every now and then I get a little bit restless and I dream of something wild”
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[info]devise
2020-07-01 04:38 am UTC (link) Track This
A pounding reverberated against his ear drums, his foot only adding to it with a full stomp in time with it. Feeling the feel of someone taking his hand, he pulled it away before he even turned to look and see who.

"Turn around."

The words not nearly as flagrant as the way Roman waved him off, stepping closer to the wall. Unwilling to be bothered, practically scoffing at the other man who was behind him. The tides had turned and he no longer wanted part of these claims.
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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 09:48 pm UTC (link) Track This
The wave of Roman's hand elicited a swell of desperation from somewhere deep in Ash's gut, hurt and regret swirling together as he reached again for Roman's hand. Still on his knees, he looked up expectantly hoping to see the other man show his face.

The spotlight drew a few beads of sweat from Ash's brow and he had to adjust his grip on the microphone as he pleaded into it.

"Every now and then I get a little bit helpless and I'm lying like a child in your arms."
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[info]devise
2020-07-01 10:28 pm UTC (link) Track This
The world may as well have shook with Roman's foot came crashing down again in the smaller space. Cornered, his back was all he left to the world, and Ash. In his peripheral vision, he was able to see Ash moving for his hand, pulling it back again, barely biting back a growl at the younger man. Rolling his shoulders, Roman had a single thought. 'Who ever said things like this?' but he didn't air it. No, instead he simply held strong on his stand. Here and now. Another interruption to the words slung in his direction.

"Turn around."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-01 11:52 pm UTC (link) Track This
Realizing that Roman was not going to give in, Ash let his hand fall to his side and set his jaw. A low growl rose in his own throat but he swallowed it and shook his head in disgust at what this all had devolved into. Despite the inherent compliance of the gesture, Ash turned on his heel with an air of defiance and pointedly fixed his angry stare out over the crowd. He was practically spitting the words as he took a step away from the other man, furious in his own defeat.

“Every now and then I get a little bit angry and I know I’ve got to get out and cry.”
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[info]devise
2020-07-02 12:41 am UTC (link) Track This
One good act of anger and disgust was only going to be followed by one. As Ash turned away, Roman turned towards him with another hard stomp. The mic held close to his face, with a finger pointed at the man's back. All in a single, fluid motion, as he called out to him.

"Turn around."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-02 12:56 am UTC (link) Track This
Ash could feel the imapact of Roman's foot connecting with the stage beneath them, a sure sign of the simmering frustration that still existed between the two. He heard the plea but stubborn pride stopped him from giving in. At least right away. Tension laced his voice as he protested.

"Every now and then I get a little bit terrified..."

Again, something in him couldn't resist. He turned slowly, each movement deliberate and aligning with the rhythm of the song.

"But then I see the look in your eyes."
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[info]devise
2020-07-02 01:28 am UTC (link) Track This
Hand dropping to his side, fingers drumming along Roman's own thigh. Knowing full well what this was building up to, and where it would lead. Regardless of what either was ready or prepared for. The counter point to this battle, moving into the depth of the actual war.

As Ash turned, the anger came full tilt. Stomping forward one step, then two, there he was pointing at him again. But no, not actually pointing, as his hand opened, palm up, reaching out.

"Turn around, bright eyes."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-02 01:34 am UTC (link) Track This
Ash stood frozen as Roman approached, pointing and demanding. He could feel the anger radiating off of the other man but didn't make a move to pull away. His eyes followed each step, each fluid motion until he was braced for the finger that opened up into an open palm that Ash chose to see as an invitation.

Turning his body, he reached out his own hand and pressed his open palm against Roman's. He sang his heart out, face to face but still arm's length away.

"Every now and then I fall apart"
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[info]devise
2020-07-02 01:48 am UTC (link) Track This
The hand in his left for a surprised look. Brow knitting as eyes widened. The world was changing too quickly, and he was going to have to follow along with it. A deep breath was taken, but no embrace was had. No movement to keep this moment as it was. Roman instead, threw Ash's hand back at him, attempting to turn him away. Back towards the light, as Roman turned back towards the darkness behind them. The words finding purchase in the trial of note. Voice cracking as he called out for it.

"Turn around, bright eyes."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-02 02:16 am UTC (link) Track This
Despite Roman’s push against his palm, Ash kept his hand outstretched and suspended in the air to reach toward his retreating partner and opponent in this fight. It seemed they had reached a critical moment and from this point on it would be do or die. After a pause for effect, he sucked in a deep breath that filled him from the belly and then bellowed his battle cry with as much force as he could muster.

“Every now and then I fall apart.”

He moved to follow Roman across the stage, folding his fingers slowly into a fist and drawing it into his chest as he continued with every plea he could find in the depths of himself. Every muscle strained with the effort of finding the right notes and some hit closer than others but Ash poured his heart through the over-tuned microphone and left both himself and those attentive members of the crowd nearly breathless.

“And I need you now, tonight. And I need you more than ever. And if you only hold me tight, we’ll be holding on forever. And we’ll only be making it right, ‘cause we’ll never be wrong.”

Ash turned to face the crowd, still carrying on but looking for support. Looking for someone to be on his side. Roman was still hiding in the shadows feeling so close but still just beyond his reach. The cadence of the song picked up and Ash felt like he was on a runaway train as the music carried him away.

“Together we can make it to the end of the line, your love is like a shadow on me all of the time. I don’t know what to do. I’m always in the dark. We’re living in a powderkeg and giving off sparks.”

With that, he dropped the mic and rushed toward Roman, insistence outweighing all reason as he clutched the other man’s shoulders and tugged hard to get him to turn and meet face to face. He gave his all to the song, lungs screaming for air as he climbed closer to the next octave and struggled to remember to breathe.

”I really need you tonight. Forever’s gonna start tonight. Forever’s gonna start tonight.”

Unsuccessful in his attempt to garner Roman’s full attention, Ash’s body drooped in defeat. His voice lowered and his expression marked the mournful drone of the song, eyes lowered to the floor as he slowly made his backwards retreat towards the opposite end of the stage.

“Once upon a time I was falling in love but now I’m only falling apart. There’s nothing I can do. A total eclipse of the heart”

For a moment it seemed that Ash was done, completely spent from the effort of a battle that could not be won but the music swelled beneath him again and with a hand outstretched to the crowd he pled his case for misery.

“Once upon a time there was light in my life, now there’s only love in the dark. Nothing I can say, total eclipse of the heart.”
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[info]devise
2020-07-02 02:48 am UTC (link) Track This
In the confines of the darkness, he hadn't thought of Ash coming back for him. Even though this had been such a cat and mouse game of back and forth. There was no telling who was playing Tom and who was Jerry in this full scenario.

Cracking open a bottle of water back there, his face mutated into unadulterated disbelief. Taking a few sips of water, he stared at Ash, much the same way he only imagined other people liked to look his way. As if he had grown an extra head or two on his shoulders.

A finger pressed into his ear, as he swore he heard a crack in there with the way Ash's voice was filling the room. Capping the water, he crossed his arms, leaning back on the wall. At least until the younger man came rushing for him. The microphone lifted up to his lips as he played back up. Humming along, until he pushed Ash away from him. A high pitched, "All of the time." almost mocking him, before humming again.

Moving away from him again, he mocked him a second time. "Forever's gonna start tonight." Rolling his eyes at the display, he kept himself turned away. Singing in tune with the solemn man. "But now I'm only falling apart. There's nothing I can do, a total eclipse of the heart."

Heading for the other water bottle, Roman made his way there, following the path of the wall. "But now there's only love in the dark. Nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart." Stepping next to Ash, he almost apologetically slid the bottle into his hand, patting him on the back and leading him back towards the darkness where Roman had been.

The melody of it all, soothing, even against the calamity that stood here. Swaying from side to side here, he didn't know how to stand or where to put his hands. Peeking back over at Ash, he felt himself giving in again.

"Turn around, bright eyes. Turn around, bright eyes. Turn around." he called for him, waving him back with a small smile.
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[info]rivet
2020-07-02 03:06 am UTC (link) Track This
Ash allowed himself to be ushered toward the darkened corner of the stage in defeat, fingers circling the water bottle Roman had slipped into his hand so loosely that it bumped against the side of his leg as he walked. He could see no redemption, only rejection and loss in a battle that was stacked against him from the start.

Even as Roman lingered behind, Ash didn't bother to look up. It wasn't until he heard the now-familar plea that he raised his head without making a move to do as he was being asked. It was enough to acknowledge it at first. Eventually though, he spun back to add another two cents into the mix.

"Every now and then I know you'll never be the boy you always wanted to be."
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[info]devise
2020-07-02 03:21 am UTC (link) Track This
The words sparked agitation. Of course that would be what he had to add. And now, of all times. there may have been a visible groan, as his head and arms dropped. the air removing itself from his lungs, as if in annoyances, as he looked up at the roof. Wishing upon stars he could be done with this already.

"Turn around."
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[info]rivet
2020-07-02 09:05 pm UTC (link) Track This
Ash could tell he'd struck a nerve with the way Roman deflated. He may have been projecting annoyance but there had to be more underneath the surface. He couldn't just throw in the towel now, he was in this for all he was worth. It wouldn't be over until it was over and they weren't there yet.

"But every now and then I know you'll always be the only boy who wanted me the way that I am."
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[info]devise
2020-07-03 01:44 pm UTC (link) Track This
Roman moved to pace across the space, away from Ash, and ended up near a table. Pointing at Ash, mouthing a single question at onlookers. 'Can you believe this guy?'. Shaking his head and rolling his eyes. At least until he slammed his hand on the surface before him and called out again.

"Turn around."
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	Bright Eyes ([info]rivet) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-06-23 13:41:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	ashton marchesa, roman cortez

bottoms up
ash & roman
gasworks, june 21, 2657
The mission was over. In some ways Ash felt like he had been gone a lifetime and in others, returning to Terminus brought the feeling that he’d barely left. Everything seemed exactly as he had left it, which was weird to him because his own life felt so different. He resigned himself to the fact that normalcy was probably just the thing he needed to help him find his feet again and meeting up with Roman seemed the best way to find that. The two hadn’t been friends long but the older man carried a sense of stability that Ash had yet to achieve, and yet didn’t take himself too seriously. It was likely the mutual teasing that had brought them together to start but it was the slivers of wisdom in between that Ash kept coming back for.

After one final check in the dirty mirror over his bathroom sink and with the bottle of rum he’d been gifted on completion of the mission tucked under his arm, Ash headed out of his apartment to the bar where he and Roman had agreed to meet. He garnered a few sidelong glances upon entering the place, likely due to the state of his face in the aftermath of all the fighting, but made his way to a table in the back where he hoped he wouldn’t draw too much attention. Keeping his eyes on the door, he waited until he saw Roman walk through it and then raised one arm in a sort of half-wave to alert the other man of his presence.

“The legend approaches,” Ash teased, a smile cutting across his face at the sight of his friend drawing nearer. He got up and offered a hand in a friendly shake, firm and slightly exaggerated out of an abundance of enthusiasm. There weren’t a lot of people that Ash truly considered friends so when one appeared to be nearing that status, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of anticipation. Sliding back into his chair, Ash brandished the bottle he’d brought along with him. “I’ve come bearing gifts.”

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[info]devise
2020-06-26 09:41 pm UTC (link) Track This
Never asking about what ship Ash was on, nor what he was doing, Roman played the steady ear. Never minding to offer advice, whether Ash may have wanted it or not. But it always centered around keeping the younger man out of trouble. In some ways, he reminded him of a younger version of himself. Newer to a life he had only ventured into, caution taken, but much of it thrown to the wind. Knowledge of what one did, it wasn't what mattered. Only those things that surrounded a person's state of mind. And in whatever way they wished to present them. It didn't take him long to arrive at the spot, honestly just happy to be out and have someone to talk to.

Hearing the words directed at him, he was lost between wanting to roll his eyes, laughing, and claiming it were the truth. However, he didn't bother with any of that, sliding into his own seat. Further inspecting the bottle, eyeing with his name on it. "At least you make good on it. I half expected it to be 'Pops'. We'll calm down on the wax on, wax off for this." Roman mused.

"Your shiner's healing nicely." he nodded in his direction. "Use a lot of the ice from your drinks for that?"
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[info]rivet
2020-06-27 11:01 am UTC (link) Track This
Ash watched his new friend examine the bottle and chuckled when Roman acknowledged that he had forgone the nickname that had become somewhat natural between them. Then again, that was Ash’s style - a nickname for everyone. It showed endearment, really. “Who says I didn’t come here for more lessons,” Ash countered, his voice raising in pitch with a teasing edge, “maybe that was just a way of buttering you up for more waxing.” He nodded at the bottle and flashed an impish grin, unable to keep a straight face as he spoke the words.

A quick shake of his head dismissed the idea that he had come looking for advice. “Or maybe I really do need a break from that,” he conceded, leaning back slightly in his chair as if the very act of sitting up straight was suddenly exhausting. The mention of his shiner elicited another grin, not quite as broad this time. He lifted the glass containing the whiskey rocks he had ordered while he was waiting and pressed the edge of his to his bruised cheekbone. “Who needs ice, I just go for the whole glass. Saves time.”

With a light chuckle, he paused to take a sip of his drink before setting it back on the table. A brief grimace of distaste colored his features and he shook his head again. “It waters this shit down, though.” The heat from his face had hastened the ice melting and the result was less than pleasant. With the clink of the glass against the table top, his attention was focused on Roman once again. “I’m healing up alright either way but what about you? What kind of trouble have you been up to?”
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[info]devise
2020-07-02 07:00 pm UTC (link) Track This
Shoulders slumping, head dropping as he closed his eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he took a moment before looking back over at Ash. "What's this going to run me then? How many lessons? At this rate, I guess I should be dragging my lesson planner everywhere I go." Face dropping to an expression that was more unreadable, he dead eyed the man sitting across from him over the teasing. "You're just not ready for it. I've told you this. You didn't even finish your last waxing. And I hope someone overhears this conversation and tries to sell you some special waxing."

Brows going up, sitting a little straighter, but leaning back into the seat. He didn't know whether to let his curiosity loose here or to ignore it. One was going to win out over the other all too quickly though. "Taking a pause after all that strain? You didn't lose your sword, did you?" Roman didn't honestly know if he had one for sure or not, but couldn't help his own amusement from tipping out.

Fully feigning complete and utter shock at the idea of getting into any trouble, his jaw dropped. Looking around, as though he hoped no one heard Ash speak such words. "The audacity, how could you ever think I would be up to trouble? I'm a straight shooter." Quickly dropping the act, he shrugged. "I don't even know what that means really. Only trouble I've had was keeping my glass filled. And keeping busy. I may be picking up cabin fever. Hard to say."

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	selina ([info]reinforcement) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-06-07 04:03:00

	
	
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Entry tags:	roman cortez, selina westfall

HERE KITTY, KITTY
SELINA & OPEN // GASWORKS // JUNE 7, 2657

SELINA WAS NOT A CAT PERSON; HELL, SHE WASN’T A PET PERSON, PERIOD. ANYONE THAT KNEW HER WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND THAT SHE WAS THE (NEWISH) OWNER OF A FELINE. DAMN HER MOTHER. WHY DIANN WESTFALL HAD STATED IN HER FINAL WILL AND TESTAMENT THAT SHE WISHED FOR HER DAUGHTER TO HAVE HER CAT WAS BEYOND SELINA. HER FATHER PROBABLY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. IF THERE WAS ANYONE LESS INCLINED TO OWN A PET, IT WAS HER FATHER. HE’D MERELY PUT UP WITH DIANN’S CATS OVER THE YEARS. AND NOW SELINA HAD TO PUT UP WITH THE FELINE. SO WHY THE HELL WASN’T SHE GLAD WHEN THE FURRY FELINE DARTED OUT HER DOOR? WHY WASN’T SHE LEAVING THE GODDAMNED CAT TO FEND FOR HIMSELF? SHE HAD NO IDEA AND IN THE PAST HALF HOUR SHE’D SPENT HUNTING FOR THE DAMN CAT, SHE’D YET TO FIND HERSELF ENLIGHTENED.

ON THE VERGE OF GIVING UP, SELINA’S SHOULDERS SLUMPED AS SHE TRUDGED DOWN THE STREET, A BAG OF CATNIP IN ONE HAND AND CONTAINER OF SUSHI IN THE OTHER. SHE PROBABLY GOT SOME ODD LOOKS BUT SHE DIDN’T NOTICE THEM IF SHE DID. SELINA KNEW NOTHING ABOUT CATS AND COULD ONLY ASSUME THAT SHE’D BE ABLE TO COAX THE FELINE FROM WHEREVER HE’D RUN OFF TO WITH EITHER OF THE TREATS SHE’D PURCHASED. APPARENTLY THAT WASN’T SO. SHE SWORE THE CAT WAS JUST SPITING HER. AFTER HALF AN HOUR OF A FRUITLESS SEARCH, SELINA DECIDED TO HEAD BACK HOME. THE CAT COULD FIND HIS OWN WAY BACK IF HE WANTED OR SO SHE TOLD HERSELF. MORE LIKE TRIED TO CONVINCE HERSELF EVEN AS A WAVE OF GUILT CRESTED. IT WAS STUPID AND YET SHE FELT LIKE SHE OWED IT TO…SOMEONE TO LOOK AFTER THE STUPID CAT.

REACHING HER APARTMENT BUILDING, SELINA WAS ABOUT TO GO INSIDE IT WHEN A TUFT OF CREAM COLOURED FUR CAUGHT HER EYE. TURNING TO INVESTIGATE, SHE GAPED AT HER MOTHER’S CAT AS HE COZIED UP TO A STRANGER, WEAVING IN AND OUT OF THE PERSON’S LEGS. THERE WAS NO DOUBT HE WAS PURRING TOO. SVEN NEVER EVEN DEIGNED TO COME NEAR SELINA LEST SHE WAS FILLING HIS FOOD BOWL AND EVEN THEN HE USUALLY STUCK HIS NOSE UP AT THE FOOD SHE GAVE HIM BEFORE IT MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING. “YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME,” SHE MUTTERED AS SHE STRODE OVER. KNEELING, SHE PICKED THE LARGE CAT UP WITH A GRUNT AND MUMBLED AN APOLOGY TO THE POOR PERSON. OF COURSE, NO SOONER HAD SHE STOOD WITH SVEN THAN HE WAS LEAPING FROM HER ARMS AGAIN AND RUBBING UP AGAINST THE STRANGER’S LEGS ONCE MORE. “I AM SO SORRY. APPARENTLY MY CAT LIKES YOU BETTER THAN ME.” SHE GAVE AN APOLOGETIC SMILE AND HOPED THAT THE PERSON DIDN’T HATE CATS OR WORSE, WAS ALLERGIC TO THEM.

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[info]devise
2020-06-08 02:15 pm UTC (link) Track This
While Roman would like to deem it haggling, he was in all actuality just mildly arguing about price. Whether said price was realistic or not, he tended to be out of the loop. New to Terminus, it was going to take a while before he found himself out of that mode of thinking. If he did at all. He only paused to look down and take notice of the cat in the middle of it. Nothing that was of concern or needed attention. At this stage, he was beginning to assume that was the norm around here. If he stuck around after he was done, he would likely go and try to figure out where his home was. If not, then just assume he ran back to where he was supposed to be. Either way, there was no worry of a tripping hazard here or him barreling his way past his legs. Not unless someone wanted to hit a wall, anyway.

Back kept to the scene behind him, he was fully blind to it. Grumbling and muttering along as he finally passed the credits, "Yeah, you'll need that when you end up fined for all the price gouging, one day, even if its only when hell freezes over." Catching sight of the cat, he moved to get out of the way and check on the little guy at his feet. Only then did he take notice of Selina and the words being spoken in his direction. Brows shot up, and he smiled, holding a hand out for the cat. Waiting for him to see if he could pet it, and once he brushed against him again, he did. "I doubt all of that. Does he have a name? Usually end up out and about"
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[info]reinforcement
2020-06-08 11:03 pm UTC (link) Track This
It took Selina a moment but when she recognized the man, her frustration with the cat shifted to surprise. The X.O. was the last person she expected to see that afternoon let alone being the person her cat was cozying up to. For a moment, Selina forgot what she was doing and just stared at him. When he spoke and then knelt to pet the cat (who soaked up every bit of the attention, the bastard), she mentally shook herself. "Uh, his name is Sven. Not my choice," she added quickly and with a wry grin. "He was my mother's cat. He's an indoor cat and never really has any interest in being outdoors but he took off out the door this afternoon and that was the last I saw of him. Until now." She fixed a glare on the purring feline, eyes narrowed to slits. "He definitely likes you better than me. In the market for a pet?" she joked lightly, looking back up at Cortez. 

Juggling the bag of catnip she carried, Selina added the container of sushi to the bag and slid the loops over her wrist so that when she knelt to pick up the cat again, she had a better hold on him. With a grunt, Selina stood back upright, hugging the perturbed cat to her chest, his tail swishing in agitation. "All I'm good for is food," she explained with a breathless laugh. Her eyes tracked over Cortez's form noting the item in his hand. A brow raised and she lifted her chin in gesture as she inquired about it. "You didn't buy that from that peddler over there, did you?" Clearly she hadn't been paying attention to him before and only had eyes for the cat. The peddler on the other hand had moved on in search of his next victim. Her apartment building was close enough to the docks that the guy wouldn't have trouble targeting some other poor tourist. Giving him a soft smile, Selina tried to soften the blow while giving him a piece of advice. "Be careful with the booths and peddlers near the docks. They'll take all your credits if you let them."
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[info]devise
2020-06-09 08:23 pm UTC (link) Track This
Brows shot up, as he looked at her curiously over the name, but more over the quickly added part at the end. But he ended up nodding in understanding. Looking at the cat, surprise was lacking for Roman. He wished he could say he had, but it all felt in line with the care of animals. "How long have you had him? He might see it all as indoors here, but I can imagine some of the weird smells and noises." Mostly because he had a few questions he kept inward about a number of them when he first arrived. "I don't know about all that. If I took every furry thing that liked me, I can only imagine how I'd end up." he laughed.

Smiling all the same, as she took Sven into her arms. "I'm sure you're good for more than that." Looking down at his hand, he pocketed the item at her notice. Not for the sake of having secrets. But perhaps slight embarrassment if it didn't turn out to work. "I noticed," he nodded. "Just trying to keep some old things in working order. It's probably my own fault, just don't tell that one back there. Might try to get at me a little harder next time."

Taking a look at the cat again, he asked unsure but still running along with some jokes. "Do you have him okay? Need help getting him back? Need to establish threats of airlocks? Spare treats? It smells fishy."
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[info]reinforcement
2020-06-10 02:27 am UTC (link) Track This
Selina pursed her lips thoughtfully before conceding with a nod. “That is a good point. He’s from Eden, but I don’t think my mother let him out of the house for him to know any different. I’ve had him a little over a month and I had to board him during our last mission that was...a little extended.” She gave a wry smile that only grew at his laugh. She was tempted to make a joke about him attracting furry critters and had to marvel at that. It was unheard of for Selina to make such jokes, to be quite so...conversational even. Mentally shaking herself, Selina refocused on her X.O. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

Making a face, Selina looked down at the smushed-faced cat and gave a shake of her head. “No, I really do think it’s all he thinks I’m good for.” Selina’s experience with cats was limited to another of her mother’s cats that had been in the house growing up and that one was every bit as prissy as Sven was. “Maybe cats just don’t like me in general,” she mused aloud, not really having any strong emotion about that prospect. She didn’t think she was a pet person period, so it wouldn’t surprise her to find that cats (and dogs) were adverse to her as well. “Just stick to shops further in on deck, away from the docks. They don’t bother you as much there. The business district and Winlock Park are ideal.”

As Roman joked, Selina smiled. He was going to be pleasant to work with, she thought. There was a beat before she replied. “If you don’t mind walking with me, I can show you some of the better shops on deck two after I drop him off at home. My place is just down the way,” she lifted a finger, her hand still clutching the cat, to point down the street. “Safety net and all,” she added with a rueful grin.
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[info]devise
2020-06-10 11:11 pm UTC (link) Track This
He nodded again, finding the line of sense it all came to. Along with how she brought up the mission. He would hold on asking about that, for the moment only. Brows shot up, again, holding a hand out away from them. "You mean out here in search of your furry charge?" He barely held back a laugh at the thought, as if this were some regular venture out into the world. What drew her out. "And what if, by that day, you find yourself unable to live without him?" There was a fair amount of teasing in his voice, still not bothering to hide his own amusement.

"But do you like cats?" he mused, although the question was more a serious one. Curiosity biting enough to ask it. "What do you find him useful for? Outside of some mild anxiety and chase?" Roman was far from the cat whisperer here, let alone for anything. Some experience and added thoughts were about all he tended to bring to a table. Smiling though, he nodded. "I appreciate that." And he did, something he would permit to memory and never forget now. He wasn't someone that took along too much with him, but what he did, he needed to take care of it. Sentimentality had its hardships.

Surprised by the offer, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth and deny it. Pointing where she had, he looked. "That way?" Waving a single hand towards it, he stepped out of the way, "Please, do lead the way. I'll ward off any other felines looking to save Sven from these special clutches." Quick to get in step with her, he now laid it out. "So, about that mission." A small pause. "I was briefed, but I'd love to know what your thoughts were on it."
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[info]reinforcement
2020-06-13 03:55 pm UTC (link) Track This
Selina couldn’t help but laugh. “I hope not! This better not become a regular thing.” She gave the cat in her arms a stern look before looking back up at Roman. “I don’t know about that.” She fell silent then and at his next question she made a face and shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t like cats so much as I just don’t… I’m not really a pet person?” She wasn’t sure if she was saying that right. “I’m not used to looking after anyone but myself. To be honest, he’s really not worth a whole hell of a lot.” She pretended to cover the cat’s ears as she said that last. Another laugh fell from her lips and she gave Roman a wry smile as she took a step in the direction of her apartment building. 

Setting a steady, but casual pace, Selina made a face again and gave Roman a sidelong look before facing ahead again. “Well… It was definitely strange and a bit unsettling. I wasn’t exactly attacked but I was cornered by an alien or aliens that looked like my shipmate. I don’t really know what to make of it other than this species could be incredibly powerful and dangerous. It’s like they were able to take on the host’s memories and outside of slightly odd behavior, they were able to come off as the original person without a hitch.” She didn’t know how much Roman had been told but if he’d been briefed, he should know most everything. To be honest, Selina wasn’t sure how she felt about it all. She was a little leery of spending time around Emil because having his clone corner her and attempt physical force to get her to do what it wanted was unsettling to say the least. It had had his face and there was no getting past that. She knew it wasn’t Emil that had been aggressive with her though and she held no grudge against the Gresari yet she wasn’t ready to be in the same room with him just yet. And thankfully Alix had resigned after the mission.

“What are your thoughts?” she countered after a moment. 
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[info]devise
2020-06-14 12:14 am UTC (link) Track This
Laughing with her, he shook his head. "What? This isn't the most fun you've had in weeks? All thanks to him? Come on, all that anxiety must be great." he joked. Taking in her explanation, he was thoughtful on it. There was no real way to argue what kind of person anyone was, and he wasn't about to do that. But he could understand the point about looking after someone else. "With a face like that? He has to be worth some scraps, at least." His voice practically dancing in humor before dropping to a more serious but still friendly tone. "I know you mean on a more consistent level, the whole looking out for yourself thing. But considering what you're able to do here? Watching the backs of others? Give yourself a little more credit. I mean, I know he's a cat," he paused with a laugh. "I know the whole more solitary creature lifestyle, but if you found his worth, he might find one for you outside of food. Sometimes, life just feels easier to handle when someone else has your back. Like a safety net. Scratch his back, maybe he'll scratch yours?" He felt that went too far into pun-land, and he smiled. He didn't expect any advice to be taken, but thought it was worth saying, at least in the moment.

Gaze danced around from her to staring blankly at points on walls and the floor as they walked. Staying quiet without a single interjection, not a single question, only pursed lips and a thoughtful expression that left him a thousand miles away. When she asked for his thoughts, he let out a deep breath, scratching the hair under his chin. "Well," he paused. "I can't pretend to relate to the situation." Taking a few steps ahead of her, he turned to face her and nod towards the side. "I'm not about to be that person that presses for therapy and you talking through this. Unless it's the cat, maybe." Another joke rolled. "You know you better than I would, and anything you need to do to help yourself...feel more," he struggled for a good word here, but used one she had instead, "...settled. I realize the norm around here is whatever it is that day. But the effects of going through something like that, and having to go back out on missions or even living your ordinary life? It leaves a lot to be paranoid about. So what I"m trying to say here, is that I'm an open door. If you ever need to change dance partners on a mission, some space, anything like that, just say so. No questions asked. I'll just try to make it happen." He waited for some visible understanding of what he was saying before moving back to her side and walking in the same direction they had been moments ago.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-06-14 11:59 am UTC (link) Track This
“Ha-ha,” she retorted dryly, although her lips were still curved in a smile. “His face is so…squished,” Selina laughed. “It’s definitely a face only a mother could love.” She gave Roman a sidelong glance and tacked on, “Or father.” Her smile faded into a thoughtful frown as she listened to what Roman was saying. He made some very valid points and it did make Selina reconsider her viewpoints. She’d never thought about her job -neither as a peacekeeper nor as a security officer- as taking care of others but that was essentially what she did, wasn’t it? Licking her lips, Selina considered her reply as she spoke slowly and deliberately. “That makes sense.” She didn’t add on to that, still mulling over what he’d said and her relationship with her mother’s cat. But then the conversation was shifting and she was reminded how small of a thing Sven was in the universe. 

Her eyebrows knitted together and when he mentioned therapy, she started to interrupt. “I’m not-” She shut her mouth quickly though when he continued and heard him out. She was going to say that she wasn’t traumatized, but maybe she was just a little. Could anyone really go through that and see those things and not be a tiny bit traumatized? Her lips twitched when he joked about therapy for her feelings regarding Sven but then they flattened out again as the wheels in her mind continued turning. In that moment, Selina decided that she liked Roman and that she would enjoy future missions with him by her side. He was clearly level-headed and he had a good bedside manner so to speak. He knew what he was doing even if he didn’t know what the future held for them on their missions. “I appreciate that,” she said softly, falling back into step beside him. “And really, I’m okay. Just… I think too much about stuff sometimes. It’s a curse and a blessing, the mind.” She gave him a rueful smile. 

They reached her apartment building; as promised it wasn’t very far. “Do you want to come up or wait here? I won’t be long, just gonna drop this guy off and then we can head to the promenade.” She gave Sven a light shake and got a swish of his tail in response. 
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[info]devise
2020-06-14 09:56 pm UTC (link) Track This
Hands up in defense, he shook his head adamantly. "Don't put that on me, the cat is not my son!" then gazing down at Sven. "No offense." Although, something about the face, he had to really think about as he looked him over. "I bet it's all that hair. Maybe, if...he didn't have all of that...he would look..." Various images filtered his mind. A tiny bone structure, with a wide rectangular head, big eyes bulging out, and pasty, rubbery flesh. Yeah, that was an image that would keep him up for a few nights. "...look like a menace to society." he added quietly, before quickly adding another, "But no offense." Laughing at himself, he shook his head, trying to remove that image from his mind.

"Now that, I can relate to." It felt like that's all he had been doing since he was on his way to Terminus. Most change, regardless of it being due to rank, in duties or station, he had less reason to spend as much time or thought on what was to come next. Only wait on orders and told in which direction to go. "Well, I'm here for it, blessing and curse."

Pausing, he looked at the building, not really sure. Only to end up feigning seriousness, "I can wait here, watching the exits, in case he gets loose and makes a run for it. Full feline patrol." He stood straighter, pretending to be on some form of a mission playing the part of security.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-06-16 01:14 am UTC (link) Track This
Selina just grinned. Following Roman’s gaze, Selina made a face herself at the thought of the cat without hair. He was bad enough with hair as far as she was concerned. “Oh, come on. He already is a menace to society.” Selina scoffed and shifted the cat that was growing heavy in her arms. Not that she was weak or anything but she didn’t have any children and she wasn’t accustomed to carting around a nearly twenty-pound cat. “I meant offense,” Selina deadpanned, glancing back up at Roman with a smirk. Sven didn’t particularly like her as it was and besides, it was a cat. He couldn’t take offense anyway. Unless, of course, Cortez meant that he meant no offense to her. In any case, Selina was far from offended.

“Sometimes it’s really a pain, namely at night when I’m trying to sleep and it won’t shut off.” Her smile turned rueful as her footsteps slowed to a halt as they reached her building. She wasn’t entirely sure whether it would be inappropriate to invite her superior into her apartment or not seeing as she’d never been in that particular predicament before. It would be a little awkward but not entirely. Selina wasn’t adverse to guests, she just didn’t...have many of them. Fortunately, Roman opted to stay put and wait for her, eliciting another laugh with his antics. She gave a nod and then shook the cat in her arms lightly. “Say goodbye, Sven.” Her eyes rolled and she inclined her head toward the building. “I’ll be right back.”

And she was. Selina dropped off the cat and the sack on her wrist in her apartment with a muttered curse at the furball and then she was locking up and heading back downstairs and out the doors of her building to where Roman waited. With a warm smile, she gestured in the direction of the promenade and started walking. “I’m sure you’ve already been to the promenade, but I can show you a few places that are worthwhile.”
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[info]devise
2020-06-18 04:26 am UTC (link) Track This
He couldn't possibly believe this little furry animal could be such a thing. Except any day that ends in a -y. But that was part of the joy of it all? He hoped, anyway. It was good to have something or someone that kept you on your toes. There were a number of good and bad things that came of such companionship, he simply chose to see it as something he could use. Causing the positive to outweigh the negative. He just hadn't had the luxury of doing so for himself. Outside of leave, he hadn't held the kind of opportunity to have a place for one, on his own. And if something did happen to him, he would hate to have to have the critter shipped off to his family all the more lost. Which may be why he kept eyeing him and leaning towards the belief that maybe somewhere deep, deep down in Selina, a cat lover resided. At her words, and meaning for the offensive, his own thought process paused. It's not as though he hasn't been wrong before.

"Is he on a different time schedule? Maybe you should try being who keeps him up all day?" he offered, amused until the idea of a cat fight breaking loose between her and Sven. Making a face that may or may not have fully given away that same thought, he laughed. "At your own risk, of course. I don't know how he is outside of trying to keep my legs for himself." Mimicking the way she spoke the words, he smiled and waved at the cat. "Goodbye, Sven." Holding his hand up by his face, signaling for him to call him, "Give me a good buzz, we'll talk fish. I'll miss you!" That last part he overinflated, before standing at attention, giving a full salute to them leaving. "Aye, aye, cat-ptain."

Once they were out of sight though, he just shoved his hands in his pockets and stood there. Counting passersby, making bad conversation with anyone that would have one. And the second he caught sight of her coming back, his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. "Okay, but does he miss me already? He misses me, doesn't he?" he started to joke, fully letting her lead the way again. "How good is good here? Are you going to take a cut of those that rip me off?"
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[info]reinforcement
2020-06-19 06:14 pm UTC (link) Track This
“Oh, no, I meant…” Selina trailed off on a laugh as Cortez continued teasing her about the cat. Shaking her head, Selina would have wagged a finger at him if she’d had a free hand. “I meant, my mind keeps me awake at night.” She managed to get out between laughs. “Although Sven has been known to pounce on my head when I’m trying to sleep, so…” And then she was chuckling again at Cortez’s farewell to her furry charge. With a shake of her head, Selina ducked into the apartment building and hurried up to her apartment.

Unsurprisingly, upon her return, Selina’s X.O. was having her laughing again. As she led the way to the promenade, she smirked. “He was going in circles around my feet, he misses you so much,” she quipped right back. As they neared the promenade-it really wasn’t far from her building at all-Selina shook her head and this time she did wag a finger at Roman. “Do I look that deceiving?” She scoffed lightly. It was odd and definitely foreign to Selina how easy it was to banter with the man. She was normally awkward and quiet with most but there was something about Cortez that had her opening up more than usual. Kind of like how Jack had. She’d already decided she was going to enjoy working for Cortez but she wondered if there was more to it than that and she might actually befriend her superior. That would be odd.

As they reached the outskirts of the promenade, Selina gestured to the array of shops and restaurants. “You really shouldn’t get swindled too terribly here.” Again her footsteps slowed to a halt as they neared the beginnings of the stores. She wasn’t sure what he’d been shopping for earlier and she wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to ask. “Is there anything, in particular, you’d like me to show you, or do you just want to wander around?”
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[info]devise
2020-06-22 03:22 am UTC (link) Track This
All in good fun, he put his hands together, appearing as if he was about to start praying. Looking up towards the ceiling, he mouthed the words, thank you all too slowly. Not that he really needed the cat to miss him. "He is the proper place for all my love and devotion, with the ability to hand him back quickly and get away. It all works out." Still joking, he dropped the act as easy as breathing, as though it never happened. "Hey, you could be deceiving. For all I know, you've got some side action with all these people taking a ten percent cut of everything." Fingers lifted to point at his own eyes, then back at her. All for the sake of claiming to watch her.

Roman appreciated the ability to speak freely and be able to act more himself without feeling as though he were pushing her limits. Not everyone cared for it, and he understood and tried to respect that. Everything was a new process, all over again. It was nice to be a person for five minutes, even though it wasn't something more than walked into. Furry companions and all.

"Too terribly, she says," he muttered to himself, scoffing slightly. Thinking for a moment, he paused, looking over all that was before them. Shrugging a shoulder, "Wander, unless you know anything about old watches?"
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	starbound ([info]wayfind) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-06-05 20:06:00

	
	
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Edit Tags  Track This  Next Entry

	
Entry tags:	beemo, roman cortez, tui'lelei'mavaelagi


THERE GOES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
TUI & ROMAN // JUNE 5 2657 // GASWORKS, TERMINUS


She really should've known better by now not to ever get complacent around Beemo. They were only a few days away from Fletcher's return from holiday, and thus far the little robot in her charge had been well-behaved. For the most part, anyway - Tui could forgive the small kitchen fire he'd started by burning his own homemade effigies over her stove. It hadn't caused any damage to the apartment, after all, and it was better than setting real people on fire. And that time she'd taken him bowling, and he'd intentionally spilled soda on the floor by the other team's lane when it looked like they might beat their score...

Anyway - everyone who'd ever met Beemo knew he was a troublemaker. It was part of his charm. Only it was slightly less charming to find herself locked in her own bathroom and forced to pry it off its hinges. But by the time she'd escaped, the droid was gone. And taken with him was Niu'niu, his leashed harness missing from the hook on the wall. But she'd learned her lesson from the last time the cat-like creature had gone missing, and had him properly microchipped with a tracker in it that could be followed via commlink.

Tui followed the signal down the block, through bustling Gasworks during shift change for the dockworkers. Rounding the corner just in time to see a shiny blur from across the street: there was Beemo, gripping Niu'niu's leash in his pinching claws as the beast darted through the crowd, with Friendly, the space lizard Fletch had also adopted, hanging off his chrome shoulder. The trio were streaking down the avenue, like a chariot rider hitched to a wild horse. Beemo's shrill noises of excitement could be heard even from where Tui stood.

A collision was not only inevitable, but imminent, as Tui only had a few seconds to shout a warning to the nearest unsuspecting pedestrian, "Look out!"

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[info]devise
2020-06-06 03:16 pm UTC (link) Track This
This was the part of everything he was left to love and hate all at the same time. New kid on the block, left to his own devices, trying to figure out a new place, figure out a norm for himself, meet new people, all in the semblance of between missions. It was funny how much he would get annoyed by his own father's words that practically blasted through the forefront of his mind. No matter the ground beneath your feet, you still need to ground yourself. All he ever cared about back then was flying free. If only he could see him right now. No, that information wasn't getting back home, even if they likely knew him better than himself at this cusp of his life.

Having gone out once again to check out his new surroundings, hoping to do more than keep himself locked in this idle feeling, he had paused his own steps. Wasn't this around where he turned to head back to his own apartment? Ignoring all the passersby, walking around him as he scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out if that was the right direction. He was about to take a step, when he heard the words of caution. Any other noise was just that. Especially considering the variations he's heard throughout his time here.

It was only within that second he turned and saw what was coming like a bullet train in his direction. Too late to move, his back his the floor with a thud. The air knocked out of him. Still not the worst hit he's taken but also not one he was looking to take today. His first breath, a muttering to himself, "Dammit."
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[info]wayfind
2020-06-06 09:16 pm UTC (link) Track This
Her cry came out too late - the runaway robot had already struck, knocking a man clean off his feet as they raced down the street. Niu'niu didn't stop, plowing through the crowd, winding between legs and snaring them with his leash. Behind him, Beemo gleefully shrieking - or cackling, as much as a robot could approximate such a sound, as he was pulled down the walkway.

Although it was imperative to stop them before they caused more trouble, by the time Tui managed to cross the street, they'd already vanished around the next bend. Chasing after them would have to wait a moment, though. It would be unconscionable to leave their victim laying on the ground. "Auuuu... I'm so sorry!" she cried, rushing over to help the man up, not realising it was someone she knew until she was standing over him. "Au, Roman?" Tui hadn't expected to see the new X.O., least of all under these circumstances. Quite a coincidence after she'd just warned him of the mischief-making Beemo was prone to, but seeing it first hand was bound to happen at some point. Unfortunately, he had to be on the receiving end of it.

Stooping down low, Tui extended an anxious hand out. "Are you alright? That was quite a spill."
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[info]devise
2020-06-07 04:32 pm UTC (link) Track This
If he hadn't been on the ground, he might have been laughing. That would be saved for a later moment for himself, when he was sure how much his back was going to hurt getting up. At least he hadn't fallen in some worse predicament? The position was hardly one he hadn't been placed in before. It just had been some time, for better or worse. It was a rough reminder of previous training. Lying there for an extra few seconds, he took a deep breath and moved to sit up slowly. Yeah, he'll feel that in the morning.

"You could have told me we're in for war. I would've been paying more attention," Roman said, laughing at himself and rubbing the back of his neck. Looking up at her, "Guess that shows me to let my guard down. Did you get the number on the back of that truck that hit me?"

Taking the hand that was offered, he slapped his right into it and moved to stand up without a second thought. "What the hell was all that?"
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[info]wayfind
2020-06-08 06:41 am UTC (link) Track This
Tui straightened up, looking over the top of the XO's head and all over for any signs of injury. But he appeared to be made of sturdier stuff than she feared, the sound of laughter easing some of her concerns. Not all of them, though - the agent of chaos was still on the loose, after all. Once he was back on his feet, she looked away from Roman to stare down the street. Hands on her hips, she sighed with resignation. "That...was Beemo."

Did it need further explanation? Well, maybe one thing could be elaborated upon - the robot's cohort. "And my..." Tui paused, frowning as she considered her words carefully, "Niu'niu. I guess you could call him my pet, but that implies I've got any ownership over a wild beast." Although the cat-beast had been in her care for nearly a year now, she couldn't claim she'd tamed him at all. Niu'niu had simply grown to tolerate her company, maybe even developed some affection for her.

Either way, the creature was her responsibility, alongside Beemo and Friendly. "Fletcher asked me to watch Beemo while he's been off station. Reckon he knows Fletch'll be home soon and wanted to get in one last adventure. No idea where they're headed or what he's up to, but I don't think it'll be peaceful."
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[info]devise
2020-06-08 01:06 pm UTC (link) Track This
Taking in everything she was telling him, he stayed quiet, mostly looking back in the direction of anywhere that had previously been behind him already. "Well," he started, mostly trying not to laugh at the situation. "I take it that this isn't a first, and as much as I'd hate to not be special here, I'll accept that."

Turning back to Tui, he looked up at her. Idly, he wondered if that were the look his own parents had been giving his retreating form back on Mahoroba. For all intents and purposes, the station was a home. These things happened. And Fletcher told him there would be no hull breaches, at a time where Roman had been joking but was very much taking seriously now. Time had to be filled, and he could not hold ill will over anything that happened here. Only a problem that needed solving.

"Your wild beast is going to need to refuel, so to speak. I'd suggest a trap that's enticing to all aboard there. Let's him get his adventure, and you get a hold of them faster than you might playing part of their cat and mouse game." He paused. "But you would know better than I would here. If you need help, I don't exactly have a whole lot going on here."
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[info]wayfind
2020-06-09 04:12 am UTC (link) Track This
At least he had a sense of humour about the whole situation. While Tui bore no preconceptions about new crew mates, it was something of a relief to know he wasn't a rigidly militaristic 'hard ass', as humans said. Not that he'd given her such an impression in previous interactions, but Endeavor's executive officer role was always filled by a ranking member of the ADF. If Roman could tolerate Beemo's off-duty antics, Tui had the impression that he'd be a fine X.O. in the middle of a mission, where an unexpected turn of events was almost always to be expected.

What she also appreciated was his readiness to offer a solution to the current dilemma. He didn't have to help her wrangle the troublesome trio, but Tui was glad for the offer, and the clever suggestion of what to do. "Actually, that's how he came into my care," Tui said with a wistful, wry smile, "He'd been living inside the ventilation system of my homeship and built up a nest. He had to be lured out of hiding with food." There was a longer story there, involving the accidental death of a revered elder in her community that was mistaken for murder, and Niu'niu's key role in his demise - but perhaps best told another time.

"Honestly, Niu'niu will eat almost anything, though fish is his favourite. Au, there's a chip shop not too far from here. Good eating in general, but maybe he'll come running back if I bring him an order. Want to grab a bite?"
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[info]devise
2020-06-10 12:52 am UTC (link) Track This
From the moment he arrived, he knew what kind of ideas people may have of him, whether it be the crew or anyone else on Terminus. While he hasn't made a point of trying to show his best, nor worst, face to the world. Neither are good points in building trust, let alone establishing a life here. There were far more issues out there in play than someone with a formidable stick up a dark hole, demanding respect and quiet members of the crew, android or otherwise. Always having been a firm believer in respect, and how it should still be earned, regardless of the circumstance. And he was able to see that in Tui all too easily here. Regardless of the little bit of mayhem that went on, she called out, she stopped to help, and she stayed and explained the situation. None of these things that she had to do, but did so by choice. The type of choice that already spoke volumes of her as a person, he was already finding that line of built trust and respect. Each leaving him thankful she was part of the crew. As far as Beemo went, everyone needed to get energy out somehow. It could be unsettling to be left to your devices for too long. At least that was how Roman couldn't help but see it all.

His brow drew in, curious but familiar with the concepts. Nodding, "Sounds like someone was lucky. I mean, I don't know what the meal of the day was, but anything is better than playing around in a ventilation duct." He almost cringed at the thought. Never the claustrophobic one, he could recall enough jams to have been placed in there.

"Fish you say?" he asked, thinking about it while scratching the hair under his chin. "Remind me to thank your freedom fighters when they get back because yes." He joked, about the previously streaking trio. "I have yet to much of an idea on places to go here."
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[info]wayfind
2020-06-10 10:14 pm UTC (link) Track This
"You're in good hands, then. I know all about the best cheap eats 'round the station," Tui grinned down at him. It wasn't the first time she'd been the unofficial welcome wagon to new Endeavor crew - fitting for her gregarious nature and navigational talents. Who better to give a tour than someone who had an acute memory of locations she'd been to, and carried a map of the station around in her head?

"Au. But we'll have to schedule that trip for another day." When there wasn't a robot running rampant through the station. She listened for more panicked or furious shouts nearby, but the street seemed relatively quiet and there wasn't any smoke in the air - all good signs by her account. Though it could also mean that Beemo had realised Tui had escaped her bathroom by now and was plotting something more devious. And she was one of the few people Beemo actually liked. Thankfully, Niu'niu was a simpler sort of beast, ruled by primal instinct and very base needs.

Tui started off toward the chippery stall around the block - a little shack frequented by dock workers called Oh My Cod!. The scent of hot bubbling oil and fish wafted through the air several feet before they even saw the short queue forming in front of the shop. "Can't imagine Niu'niu will be able to resist this." In fact, she was kind of surprised he wasn't already crouching by the back door, ready to beg for scraps - or worse, steal right from a customer's hands.

But Beemo must've redirected him down a different route. She checked her commlink for the tracker signal, seeing the blue dot representing Niu'niu on the map of Deck Two. But she didn't recognise the address, squinting at it with a frown. "Maybe a warehouse? Lots of those around here used for storage," she remarked with a shrug, just as they got up to the front counter to place orders.
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[info]devise
2020-06-11 09:41 pm UTC (link) Track This
Nodding, he still appreciated the offer fully regardless of the when to come. As much as he enjoyed checking out things for himself, that wasn't always the best thing. And he already knew of Tui's love of pizza, so that made her good people. Following her lead, he kept an eye out. Not only for what may or may not go after his legs again, but their surroundings. All the better to remember his way around with, at least some day. Knowing him, he would likely lose his way a few times before he finally did more than remember the name of the place.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back, placing more of his weight on his right leg. He was taking everything in, but once he heard her, he was quick to glance up and nod thoughtfully. "Would make sense. A lot of space." No matter if it was cluttered with actual things, or open space, that could be used for their benefit.

Ordering a little more than he needed, he found he had a few questions for Tui that weren't food-related. "How does one lure in Beemo? Do you have a normal way about that or does he normally fall in line after it's all over with?" Curiosity beamed with the extra thought on the matter, all too new to these situations here.
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[info]wayfind
2020-06-13 05:37 am UTC (link) Track This
"Lure in Beemo," Tui repeated, a sort of wonder in her voice, as if the thought had never occurred to her. She would've scratched her chin, but her hands were full of recycled paper cartons, the shells holding enough beer-battered fish to feed a human family. Or just enough to sate a Vorut and her predatory pescatarian pet. Niu'niu was a predictable creature, but Beemo? Tui shook her head, "I don't know if that's possible. There are ways you can attract his attention. Cash bribes and the like." What he spent his hoarded cache of credits on remained unknown to Tui, but she'd been involved in one of his schemes before - unwittingly roped into a fight ring, enlisted to win a bet for him.

She really hoped this wasn't another set up like that - Tui hadn't stretched properly before leaving her flat, and she wasn't at all fond of violence. And she was still emotionally sore about the circumstances of the last mission, forced to throw her weight around to get the crew out of a bind. She didn't know what to expect now, which was appropriate.

"But, au, he's a-- what do you call it? A wild card?" Unpredictable. Reckless. Impulsive. Impetuous. All appropriate words to describe the capricious little droid. "If you could put chaos in a chrome case, that'd be him." For an entity that was coded and programmed to be a certain way by his creator, Beemo defied expectation, orders, and boundaries one normally came to expect from an robot. "He has come through for us on missions, though," Tui added after a beat, worried she wasn't painting him in a fair light. "He's remarkably brave, at times. I don't think we'd have survived without him." The official mission reports reflected that assessment - Beemo had pulled off stunts the rest of the crew couldn't manage.

"Reckon there's not much in the way of getting him to fall in line, but he does come around on his own, eventually. I know he cares about us, as much as we care for him." Said with a warm sentimentality in her voice. Tui shifted the bag of food under one arm and checked her commlink again - close to the signal, not there just yet - then she sniffed. "Au. Do you smell smoke?"
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[info]devise
2020-06-13 11:02 pm UTC (link) Track This
There was a number of thoughts that floated around his head, on a number of possibilities, but when she brought up money, he paused. Lightly repeating the words, "Cash bribes," he nodded. Roman hadn't realized that could be an option before. But now? That was definitely something useful, whether its for the present or the future. Whatever he could use money for, he couldn't imagine either. Mostly because that left a whole world of possibilities in the wide open. And if it were something he shouldn't be getting into, there was plausible deniability. Cogs were working slowly here.

Chaos that saw value in money. For all he cared, he could be building himself the perfect robotic companion to go frolic with. Noticing the way she spoke of Beemo, more than a single time now, he smiled up at her. "Whatever you tell me about him or anything else, it stays between us. How anyone acts off mission, it's not my place to judge. On mission, you've all been here working as a single body, and I'm simply a replacement part. Wild cards, every good body needs one."

Earnest in his words, control was less about what he was directed towards. Only means of aiming Beemo in general directions. Not even to save himself from the the possible scenarios or having some repeat of what happened here today. action led to reactions, and chaos never simply spawned from nowhere. Staying on one's toes, prepared for varying situations what might come. That held its own benefit in ways that were harder to gain, regardless of unpredictable natures.

"But he does find value in money? Think he's hire-able?" he tossed back quickly. Looking down at his own hands, eyes narrowed as he paused to sniff at it. "So you're telling me its not the fish?"
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[info]wayfind
2020-06-16 05:29 am UTC (link) Track This
Where there was smoke, there was fire. Where there was fire...there was most likely Beemo setting something ablaze. Tui didn't get a chance to answer Roman's question before the smell and the smog intensified, an acrid taste gathering on her tongue as she ran toward the source of danger rather than away. But Beemo wouldn't purposefully commit arson, would he? He didn't care much for human laws, but he understood how much trouble he could get in for breaking them. Even if this wasn't Beemo's doing - but it probably was, knowing how much use he got out of his flamethrower attachment - Tui was always eager to help where she could.

Rushing to the front of the building, Tui realised the fire wasn't inside of the shuttered warehouse, but to the side of it. She didn't look behind her to make sure the XO was following, though she sort of assumed he'd be there, her long legs carrying her quickly down the attached alleyway between buildings. A dark column of smoke rose up in the middle, the warm glow of a burning fire illuminating several small figures around it, like campers gathered around a bonfire. Only the real image wasn't nearly as sweet.

Perched on the edge of a dumpster was Niu'niu, ruddy brown fur standing on end, his back arched as he hissed, the space lizard Friendly tucked between his flattened ears. On the ground was Beemo, spraying fire at a pile of papers as he screeched in Binary. "Beemo! What are you doing?" Tui cried, tucking her bag of food under arm as she looked around the alley for something to put out the fire.

The robot stopped to look at her, continuing to beep furiously at her, shaking his head and his arm, pointing at the ground. She couldn't see it at first, didn't understand what he meant - but then she heard a scrabbling noise and looked past the wall of flames. What she laid eyes upon were the biggest, filthiest rats she'd ever seen in her life.
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[info]devise
2020-06-18 06:28 pm UTC (link) Track This
Once Tui was off and running, Roman was quick to follow suit. There wasn't really some deep seeded love of running he tried to get others to fall for, no, that was for the sake of joking around. He did understand the possibility of an emergency once he realized this was out of the norm. He felt more and more like a fish out of water here, as if he were learning new customs to live on a foreign colony. While she was focused on reaching the location of that smoke, he was more focused on not losing her and watching for anything that might come out of any corner along the way. The last thing he needed to do was to end up on his back all over again.

Realizing she had stopped ahead, he began to slow. At least until hearing those words. His feet moved much faster, speeding right back up until he finally came up from behind Tui. He was at a loss between wanting to apologize for being late to the party and wanting to ask if everyone was all in one piece. Before he could get any words out, his own eyes were already fixed on the ground. Whether it was out survival instincts, or that he expected everyone but Tui to be shorter than him, he'll never know. But he jumped at the sight of the rat, and automatically took two steps forward, kicking it as hard as he could.

Realizing where he was, he straightened out his clothes and the food still under his arm, clearing his throat. Turning back around to Tui, he pointed in the direction ahead. "I'm, uh, sorry, if that was uh, one of yours. If not though, we might want to get out of here before master splinter and his friends come back to eat us..." Steps were taken backwards at the sound of some movement ahead. He didn't know if that was going to turn out being his paranoia or not. Either way, he didn't want to stick around.
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[info]wayfind
2020-06-19 08:45 am UTC (link) Track This
The shriek that enormous mutant rodent let out after being kicked was piercing enough to leave Tui's ears ringing. Rats that size had been a common urban legend around Terminus, but this was the first time she'd seen one in the flesh - flesh wrapped up in slightly singed fur now. She never would've expected one outside of Lowtown, either, but she supposed all of the maintenance tunnels in the station ran together eventually. After taking a second to collect her thoughts, she snapped back to it. "Au Beemo, we're going home! Now."

Even the wayward robot wasn't objecting to the plans to retreat - least of all when they could all hear the ominous rustling further back in the alley. Tucking away his flame thrower extension, Beemo let out another string of Binary and rolled over to Tui's legs, pinching at the hem of her pants. A gesture she was quite familiar with after the past year, indicating that he wanted to be picked up and carried. She scooped him up in her empty arm, which he quickly scaled until he had seated himself on her shoulder.

That was one rogue rounded up - the next was still growling from his vantage point atop the dumpster. But the rusty container wasn't so tall that it was anywhere out of the Vorut's reach. "Niu'niu," Tui said in all soft, dulcet tones, making a little kissy noise at her feline-adjacent flatmate. The rumble in his throat ceased, though he continued to stare apprehensively, tail lashing back and forth, not unlike one of those cartoonish clocks Tui had once seen in a vintage pawn shop. Humans had such interesting taste in decor! But everything about Niu'niu's body language was far less friendly than the clock cat's.

Still, she thought he could be persuaded by the bounty wrapped up in paper bags. "C'mere, I've got your favourite." Tui held out the bag of fish and chips, which still smelled delicious to her nose. A switch seemed to go off behind Niu'niu's eyes, as he uncoiled and suddenly made a flying leap off the ledge. But rather than jump into her waiting arms, Niu'niu had launched himself at Roman! "Au, sorry, mate!" Tui shouted in surprise, watching the alien land precariously on the XO's shoulder, nosily investigating his food bag. "Niu'niu, no biting!"
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[info]devise
2020-06-21 04:55 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman was barely began to turn slightly, when he felt the new weight land on him. Freezing in place, he hadn't realized just who it was there. The back of his head practically screaming that it could be one of those little friends. Part of some rat pack that suddenly decided he was needing to learn some unappointed lesson on evolutionary tactics here. Hearing Tui's apologies, he found himself able to breathe. Now able to look and see the reach for the bag, he exhaled a little deeper.

In his current condition, the last thing he could possibly care about was replaceable fish. Pulling the bag out slowly, he moved to open it. Held up for Nui'nui's personal inspection. "Is this what you're looking for?" It only occurred to him then that she had said something else a moment ago. Barely registering this, Roman slowly turned back in the direction of Tui, a brow raised but his color coming back to him. "He bites? Should I be worried he bites?" Roman asked, still holding up his own bag, presented as if some delicacy for Nui'nui to just take as he pleased.

This was a point his life may as well have flashed before his eyes, leaving him questioning why he didn't befriend more of those barn cats back home. It wasn't his own fault he preferred the large tom cat that followed his dad around like one of the dogs. Either way, he wasn't looking to give Nui'nui an excuse to go biting him or anything else for that matter. Not moving beyond staring at Tui, he just waited for the next move. Idly hoping it didn't include more rats. With rats like those, who needs enemies?

"Everyone's accounted for, right? No one is left behind to be eaten? ...outside of the fish? Maybe the rats too."
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[info]wayfind
2020-06-21 08:46 pm UTC (link) Track This
Without realising it, Tui had been holding her breath while Niu'niu settled himself atop Roman's shoulder, sniffing loudly at the opened bag. It wasn't until the little beast stuck one of his talon-like paws inside to pluck out a golden brown filet that she finally exhaled. Holding the fish between both paws, Niu'niu began nibbling his way through the food like he'd been starved for weeks - nevermind that he'd just been fed his lunch before Beemo absconded with the critter. But at least any chance of biting had been allayed by his furious concentration on the fish.

A flash of blue scales poked up between Niu'niu's twitching ears. Friendly flicked his tongue in the air, then sank into the bed of fur. "Au, we're all here," Tui nodded, then looked down at Beemo with a weary sigh, "Let's head home, yeah?" Leading the way out of the alley and back to the main thoroughfare, she slowed her steps so Roman could keep up pace - and to make sure she had an eye on Niu'niu. But he didn't seem to care about anything beyond his snack.

Beemo, on the other hand - he was sentient enough to grasp that his behaviour had been incredibly reckless. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Tui frowned at him, all while he avoided her stare, whistling innocently while twiddling his metallic thumbs. "At the very least, I think you owe someone an apology," she said pointedly, tilting her head toward Roman. She didn't care if Beemo said sorry for being a brat to her - it wasn't anything new, honestly - but it mattered how he treated a superior officer and someone new on the crew.
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	𝓫𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓪𝓰𝓪𝓶𝓪ð𝓾𝓻 ([info]orgasmic) wrote in [info]spaceports,
@ 2020-06-03 21:24:00

	
	
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Edit Tags  Track This  Next Entry

	
Entry tags:	roman cortez, sólblómaolía sál
[info]devise & [info]orgasmic // june 3rd @ 8pm
i'll figure you out


SOL SOMETIMES FOUND HERSELF AT THE CALLOWAY BAR IN NOVA HEIGHTS WHEN SHE WANTED TO INDULGE. IT WAS EASY TO LIVE IN HER TINY APARTMENT IN LOWTOWN, SURROUNDED BY HER PLANTS AND TRINKETS, AND BE SATISFIED. YET THERE WERE MOMENTS WHEN SHE WANTED LUXURIES, OR RATHER CRAVED THEM IN A WAY THAT WASN'T ALWAYS FLATTERING. SHE LIKED TO TELL HERSELF THAT SHE WAS WORTH IT, HAD EARNED HER WEALTH BY DOING AS SHE PLEASED ONCE LEAVING KALLAN AND THAT WAS ALL WELL AND GOOD. THOUGH WHEN SHE STOOD INSIDE THE BAR IN HER SLINKY GOLD DRESS, MAKEUP DONE PERFECTLY AND DELICATE JEWELRY AS ACCENTS, SHE KNEW SHE WAS KIDDING HERSELF. IN HER HEART LAY A WOMAN THAT APPRECIATED THE FINER THINGS AND THERE WASN'T A DAMNED THING WRONG WITH THAT.

NOR WAS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH ENJOYING THE COMPANY OF SOMEONE SHE'D YET TO GET TO KNOW. BANTER WAS A THING THAT TITILLATED HER, ENTICED HER, AND IT MADE HER SMILE AT HOW EFFORTLESSLY IT HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WHILE TALKING TO ROMAN. THOUGH WHEN SHE LOOKED DOWN AT HER HANDS, AT THE SOFT LACE GLOVES SHE'D ADORNED THEM WITH SO THAT THERE WOULD BE NO ACCIDENTAL BRUSHING OF SKIN UPON SKIN WITH ANYONE AROUND HER, SHE KNEW THERE WAS SOMETIMES A LIMIT TO KNOWING SOMEONE FOR HER OWN GOOD AND THEIRS. SIGHING, SHE CHEWED AT HER BOTTOM LIP, GAZE FLICKING TO THE ENTRANCE AND THEN NODDING A LITTLE TO HERSELF AS SHE WENT OVER TO GET A TABLE, WAITING FOR ROMAN TO MAKE HIS APPEARANCE.

SOL FOUND HERSELF LOST IN THOUGHT, NOT NERVOUS BUT PONDERING HOW THE EVENING MIGHT GO. SHE WAS BY NO MEANS SHY BUT SOMETIMES THERE WAS A PAUSE WHEN SHE MET SOMEONE NEW. WOULD THEY LIKE HER? WOULD THEY THINK HER WEIRD FOR THE GLOVES AND EVEN WEIRDER STILL WHEN SHE HAD TO EXPLAIN WHY SHE WORE THEM? NO, IT WAS NONSENSE. THEY LIVED IN A WORLD WHERE HUMANS AND ALIENS COEXISTED. IF THIS MAN HELD HER TRUE NATURE AGAINST HER THEN THAT WOULD BE ON HIM, NOT HER. SHOVING THE THOUGHT AWAY, SHE CASUALLY ORDERED A DRINK AND WHEN IT CAME, SHE SIPPED AT IT AS SHE LAZILY TOOK IN THOSE AROUND HER, PASSING THE TIME BY IMAGINING WHAT THEIR LIVES MIGHT ENTAIL AND HOW THEY'D FOUND THEMSELVES AT THE UPSCALE BAR THAT VERY EVENING.


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[info]devise
2020-06-04 05:30 am UTC (link) Track This
As much as Roman wanted to claim that once you've seen one space station, you've seen them all? He really couldn't. Being new to Terminus felt more like the new kid on his first day, in the middle of the school year. All that seemed to be missing was a forced tell all by the teacher. But he was grateful for the time to get himself situated and acclimated to how things worked around here. Most of that time leaving him to a lot of reading, in his own attempt to catch up on anything he may need to know in the future.

Roman had no idea what to expect with Sol, but at the same time, he was far too content to go somewhere and feel more like himself. Less locked away, reading files, talking to himself as the neighbors got loud, and running into things from said noise, in his place on Gasworks. All in between his own attempts to pull himself into some regular regimen. He needed some fun, even if that only turned out to be easy conversation.

Finding the bar, he smiled and found his way through to it. Dressed up some, in variations of blue, he felt a little stiff. Nothing that couldn't be eased out. Tension retreating, once he laid eyes on who he believed to be her. Right on time, he made his way to her with ease. Leaning over the bar mildly, there next to her, he simply asked, "Is this seat taken?" A grin molded clearly into his features, as he looked her over. A hand held out, all too happy to introduce himself. "I'm Roman, AKA the man who is still not giving you photos of him in a dress." he chided.
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[info]orgasmic
2020-06-05 02:20 am UTC (link) Track This
The daydream was interrupted by a voice, a very nice voice, if she did say so herself. Flicking vibrant blue eyes to meet the gaze of the man she'd been waiting for, the corners of her lips quirked upward. Handsome, yes. Effortlessly so in shades of blue that complimented his dark hair and complexion. She found herself nodding again and sliding her glass out of reach for the time being.

"I was waiting her for a dashing knight in shining armor, but I think you might do instead." She laughed lightly, gesturing to the seat across from her and adjusting herself so she was facing him as he sat. Taking his hand in greeting, her eyes danced with mirth. "My formal name's too long to delve into, so just call me Sol." Crossing one leg over the other, she sat back a little and feigned a pout. "I'll get those photos out of you one way or the other, you just wait." Sitting back a little, she once more glanced around the room.

"Do you ever look at strangers and wonder what they're doing in the same place you are? I was thinking on it before you arrived, what their stories might be." She gestured broadly to those bustling around before reaching to take another sip of her drink.
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[info]devise
2020-06-05 06:51 pm UTC (link) Track This
"You're better off anyway. Not to toot my own horn or anything," he started off, pretending to straighten out his collar, and taking a seat. "All that heavy armor, you know someone else put the hard work and spit into that shine. Can't be trusted." Turned towards her, with an arm still leaning against the bar, he nodded in understanding about the name. What someone preferred to be called mattered a little more. "Sol it is then, but I hope size doesn't matter there. I'm only Roman." Eyes narrowed slightly at her, in thought but also for the sake of the jest. A pause came before he shook his head. "Nah."

Making an effort to gaze around the room, he shook his head again and pointed to the glass in front of her. "I'm more interested in what you're drinking, but nah." He paused, gesturing at the room with a small wave of his hand. "I don't really think about that unless I have a reason to be watching my back. But, if you're looking to play secret agent?"

Without dropping eye contact with Sol, "The brunette lady in that far corner is a classically trained mercenary who is watching her mark. The guy she's talking to doesn't realize he's losing more than a few credits by the end of the night. In the other corner, those guys are looking to piss off their parents and are in full plot mode to break some rules. And the bartender is about to give me," he turned and looked at said bartender, to finish his sentence, "an old fashioned." Turning back to Sol with a grin. "What's your story?"
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[info]orgasmic
2020-06-07 03:56 am UTC (link) Track This
The soft smile on her face widened into a full out grin with the quick wit that rolled off Roman's tongue. She held back a giggle but she felt it there, bubbling in her chest just wanting to burst forth. Fiddling with the glass straw in her drink, she nibbled at her bottom lip and glanced down at it. "I asked for a surprise." She gave a little shrug. "I happen to really enjoy surprises. Sometimes they end up rather good and in this case, it's true." Swiping a few strands of hair behind her ear, she loosened up a bit more, sitting back in her seat and keeping her gaze locked with his as he spoke again.

Sliding her glass to the side, she steepled her fingers under her chin, fascinated by the stories he so easily came up with. Maybe they were lavish over-embellishments or maybe there was a grain of truth to them. She'd never know but that wasn't important. His next question though gave her pause. How much to tell and how much to keep to herself? She weighed the pros and cons and then realized that she hadn't hidden her tumultuous past before, except for her home planet, because she hadn't felt ashamed of anything she'd done and she wasn't about to start now. Finishing her drink with a final little sip, she nodded at the bartender for a refill and then let out a little breath before she responded to the inquiry.

"I grew up on a planet that I never fit into. Suffice it to say, I felt myself an outsider so the first chance I got, I left. I explored neighboring planets, spending several years as a sex worker and companion on Antillia before my travels brought me here. I left that part of my life behind after I learned some very valuable lessons and returned to the life of an artist that I really wanted to have. So that along with gardening are my passions and selling beautiful plants to people while teaching them about them means a lot to me, even if many have told me I'm making a pittance of what I once did, it doesn't really matter to me. I'm secure and, well, I happen to like exactly where I am right now." A drink was handed to her and she took a generous sip before her cool gaze fell upon Roman again. "What's your story, aside from possibly looking lovely in a dress?"
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[info]devise
2020-06-07 05:32 pm UTC (link) Track This
Where he held no expectations on the story, he also didn't see this story coming in his direction. There was no outward showing of this, beyond the way that his brows slightly knit together as he followed along, absorbing the information as it was readily given. All leading to digestion as he took his turn on that. Looking down at the bar and laughing lightly, he shook his head. "Well now, mine would have a similar start only mine might be a little less..exciting." He tried, coming up short with a better description of differences. It was more of a fall back word he tended to use about his experiences as a youth.

And it was true, he didn't always know how well he actual fit into things. He learned a great deal about animals, crops, and the way of life his parents had fallen into. The same way that many different generations of his family, and even a couple of his siblings moved towards.

"I grew up on Mahoroba, living the full farm life. Suffice to say, back then, my only issue was having to get up and work my ass off an entire day." he gave a light chuckle at the memory. "But that wasn't the real issue. I held zero passion for doing the same exact thing every single day of my life. So I pushed, and I rebelled, and I made my own versions of excitement, before looking for college as that turn. Mostly because the only thing I hadn't destroyed by then were my grades."

Leaning towards her, he muttered quietly, "However, the dress, was before I gained a full figure and body hair, so my teary eyed sister had a lot of evidence built up against me to get me into it." Laughing again, he righted himself. "At the end of college, I was recruited, signed right up for the Navy and made that my life since. What you see, is what you get. A solider waiting on his next space adventure."
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[info]orgasmic
2020-06-09 12:55 am UTC (link) Track This
"You learned a good work ethic," she murmured, lips pursed for a moment. "Not everyone learns that at any age, no matter if it ends up being part of their chosen life or not. That says plenty about someone, I think." Sol smiled as she was handed another drink, sipping at it and looking momentarily pensive. "Sometimes we are the image of our parents and other times that isn't what we're meant for. No shame in it and nothing to regret if we find our confidence and strike outward."

A little huff escaped her and she seemed almost surprised at the noise, shaking her head a little. "Do you feel pride, in what you do now? Is it fulfilling? Because if you do and it is, then I believe that's the whole of it. Not just existing but really living. Enjoying what you find out here. The galaxy's too vast to be stuck in one place. It just wouldn't be right. At least not in my opinion. It'd feel like a waste, you know?" She shrugged a little but then there it was, the little grin that lit her face. "I'm going to just picture what you looked like in my head, so even if I never get to see real proof, I'll have built up a solid enough image that'll suit me just fine."

Twirling her straw around, she found herself tilting her head as she gazed at him thoughtfully. "Where would you go next, if it were fully your choice?"
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[info]devise
2020-06-09 08:56 pm UTC (link) Track This
Nodding, he agreed with what she was telling him. "And some that do learn, turn away from it. But I can't argue against it. We are who we are. I might see it as a lazy person, but for all I know, they are or they need that creative space. But I'll stick to it being lazy." That last part he added with a smile and playing on the humor of it. "Except for the parents, sometimes."

Taking his drink, he took a sip, smiling and nodding again. "Nothing anyone will ever do is perfect. Whether that pertains to me, my job, anyone around me, above me, or below me. But I've never made the decision to leave, and not because I can't do anything else. I don't want to. It gives me what I need, and I give the navy what it needs out of me. Which, I can only imagine that's what you do with your plants." There was a mock challenge in his gaze, "Oh yeah? What color was my dress?"

It didn't take much thought for him to answer her question at all. "Go next? I'd happily be pointed in any direction and just never stop going. Just get lost and learn as I go, experiencing things I never thought I could. What about you? Where would you go, given the chance? What would you do with all of your plants? Hm?"
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[info]orgasmic
2020-06-14 06:36 am UTC (link) Track This
She found herself resting her chin on her hands, intently listening to him speak as she observed his mannerisms. His way of speaking and the inflection in his voice. Sol liked to observe people in a way that seemed as if her attention wasn't fully on them when it very much was. She heard the ambient noise around them. Noticed the people. But it was him that she focused on, blocking most everything else out as that smile kept playing at her lips.

"They give me purpose." She gave a tiny shrug and let her gaze fall from him as she looked around the room briefly. "Something that keeps me from floating away, which is what I often feel like doing because not much keeps me tethered. My family life wasn't the best and I never want to travel backward. So I do what I enjoy and more often than not, it's enough. When it isn't, I seek other means of entertainment." At his question, she quirked a brow and turned her head to catch his gaze. "I've envisioned something pink, possibly with ruffles or sequins."

Where would she go? She didn't know. She'd traveled so much and finally found a tiny spot to carve out as her own there on Terminus. "Maybe to a place where I could dig my feet into the sand. I've always wanted to feel that on a particularly beautiful day. Share it with someone that just wanted to revel in the simple joy of it. As for the plants, if I were leaving for a long time, I'd give them away to new homes. Find other ones once I was back." Her head tilted a little and she gave him a lopsided grin. "Imagine all the flora and fauna I could possibly find on some far off planet."
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[info]devise
2020-06-15 04:04 am UTC (link) Track This
"Don't care for that feeling of floating, do you?" Roman asked, feeling like he already had his answer in her explanation. "That lack of control in direction, when you're floating. Can't say its for everyone." What direction he was pointed in, it never really mattered. He was all too used to it. With the navy, that was part of his life. Pointed to go somewhere, told what to do or look for, and how to handle it. And before all of that, his purpose wasn't quite so set. His choices were his own, fully, and no matter what he did, he felt like a rat in a maze refusing to try and find the cheese at the end. His roots held more in connections through people, like a web he could move through. "What kind of entertainment do you seek out?"

Feigning to be taken aback by the thought of pink, ruffles, and sequins, his jaw grew slack. "How dare you. I'll have you know, my mom wanted pink. My sister was all about that sunshine yellow. And ruffles." A quick grimace at that memory, he shook his head and took another drink.

"How many beaches have you found yet? Something about that tells me you have a full count." Not typically his first thought of nice things. Although, he could recall pausing with his feet at the edge of some mud from irrigation, pretending it was that. At least during a mud wrestle, playing with his siblings like they were pigs. "And all you could do and learn with all of that." Roman fully agreed, nodding.
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[info]orgasmic
2020-06-19 03:16 am UTC (link) Track This
Sol couldn't stop her nose from crinkling. No, no she didn't like the idea of floating, untethered. It made her feel unsafe, like she could drift off into nothingness and never be pulled back. The feeling had encompassed her several times when her telepathy had come into play and she had never forgotten the feeling of emptiness it had left her with until the memories of another had faded. "No, not it isn't for everyone." Playing with the edge of one of her gloves, her expression went to one that seemed faraway and she had to remind herself to stay anchored. It wouldn't do to get lost in things she shouldn't be dwelling upon.

It was the talk of the dress that brought it all back and her blue eyes lifted to regard Roman once more. "Yellow and ruffles." Resting her chin in one of her hands, her lips twitched, her nose crinkled but this time in a good way as a smile split her face. "Oh I bet you were darling." A delighted little giggle escaped her and she did nothing to hold it back. "All that dark hair and complexion with a bright yellow to set it off." She let her head fall back as she laughed heartily. "Oh that's beautiful, really."

Clearing her throat, she swiped a few tears of mirth from the corners of her eyes. "Four to be exact," she said once she'd controlled herself. "Four beaches and neither like the one before it except for the feeling of freedom and pure happiness." A little shrug and she licked across her bottom lip. She realized in that moment that she'd sidestepped his previous question about what kind of entertainment she sought out. Tapping her bottom lip, she contemplated answering it then. "You asked me about entertainment. Truthfully, it comes mostly to three things. Sex, art and music and not often in that order. Depends on what calls to me on any given day. What about you, Roman, what entertains you?"
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[info]devise
2020-06-21 04:12 am UTC (link) Track This
Where he may have wanted to ask where she went there, off into her own mind, he didn't feel it was his place. It was far from the first time he had someone wander off in thought, it was one of those kind of distractions he was eager to fall into from time to time himself. However, his held more of a purpose in boredom or minor fixation on an issue. Nowhere he found himself here. And he certainly couldn't claim to be the best judge here, on the inner workings of another.

It was easy to let her have that laughter, to imagine him at his worst, or best. It was hard to really make the decision even now. No matter what had led to his final decision in coming to the aid of his sister, there were good intentions. Even if it were a day he could look back and shake his head at.

There was surprise written on his face, whether it was due to the number being too large or too small, it was hard to say. Neither idea was really keeping hold to his thoughts. "But which one had your favorite color of sand?" Roman asked, as though he were trying to hold an interrogation on a parent's favorite child.

Typically, there was a reason someone slipped over a question, ignoring it or forgetting about it. It was one of those things he liked to make a mental note of, in case it was the former. But as she went back to it, a light chuckle came about, as he pointed to himself. "Me? Did we move to me that fast?" he laughed. "I tend to entertain myself. But I like people. Not specifically as entertainment, but company. If I don't have someone around, I'll end up making someone and talking to some inanimate object." The level of truth to that, he didn't want to get too deeply into. "Sex and music, they require a connection. Not some lifelong, life altering thing. They both reach and show these parts of you that shouldn't always be shown. Art, though, I can't say I'm the best judge there. But this was probably not the answer you were looking for." Roman trailed off at the end there. "Why those things, regardless of order?"
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[info]orgasmic
2020-06-26 12:49 am UTC (link) Track This
Sol swirled her drink around, staring into the depths of it as she thought of an answer to Roman's question. Saying her own planet would bring up further questions and she wasn't ready to answer those. The less she thought about Kallan, the better, lest it spike her anger that she otherwise kept so well under wraps. Though the answer was the truth so she couldn't, no, she wouldn't lie.

"A small beach back on my home planet. The sand was varying shades of gray and blue. I have some of it in a jar back at my place." Sipping her drink, she'd barely finished it before another was almost magically set down for her. Chuckling a little, she could feel that tell-tale warmth in her cheeks. She knew the more she drank, the more likely she'd become a giggling mess and she supposed that wasn't so terrible. Good company, good drinks, the ability to "let her hair down" so to speak, it all added up to a proper sort of evening out.

Eating the fruit on the tiny stick that had been plopped into the drink, she smirked at his response. "It did move to you, indeed." She listened intently, that smile never quite leaving her face. "I agree with you, about the connections. Art, it holds the ability to go much deeper into a connection if one is open to it." Pausing, she mulled over his last question and gave a little shrug. "Sex became a way to be happy in my own skin, to feel empowered and at one with myself. Music lifts me up in a way that not much does and art, well, all forms tend to speak to me in a way that I wasn't allowed to wonder much about when I was younger. I suppose that's why I cherish all three as much as I do now, for all the negative connotations they came with as I grew up. I was told they were useless things and part of me intensely hated that."
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Cortez & Open
[info]devise
2020-07-17 01:17 am UTC (link) Track This
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The words shuffled back and forth through a mind that began counting footsteps, bricks, and even breaths taken. Uncertainty had befallen Roman with the inability to understand what had been happening. Was it real, or was it all due to the mold toxicity? Maybe none of this was real? He was caught up in his thoughts, trying to find certain footholds in it, to provide proof of reality. A single finger tapping his puckered lips, waiting for what felt like the next level of repetition.

Not in the same place he had been in previous times, he found himself rounding a corner. A bright flower only inches from his face, it took him too long to register it. Falling short of stepping right into it, the bud had different ideas. Opening wide, in his face, it ejected pollen. Momentarily leaving him if this was what a Disney Princess faced in life, because if so? They could have it!

The loud sneeze that followed, left roles to be reversed. The flower now covered in a different type of spatter. Recoiling little from the man that stood before it. Whether it was karma, or this planet, or the fact that he was going to die the way he lived his life...hating said planet, it was all hard to say. Especially with the rattling of the walls, something moving loose in the ceiling above him. Barely looking up, there was no time to move fast enough out of the way. A few of those rocks falling down, in an almost cartoonesque scene. One dropping onto his head, breaking the rock like an egg. It was Roman's turn to crumble to the ground, some blood leaking from the wound on his head. Mostly conscious, "Did anyone get the plates on that bus?" he muttered to himself.
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[info]medcheck
2020-07-17 05:36 pm UTC (link) Track This
Kamaria was trying to make sense of everything. There had to be a reason. She grew up surrounded by science and medical caliber that should have prepared her for all these moments, and yet this one was throwing her. It was only her first mission and already she was questioning which step was the right one to take.


Noticing Roman ahead she didn't think much in ways of keeping an eye on him. However there was an audible thud and she looked up from her glance on the path in front of her to stumble her sights on Roman going from standing to going to the ground. She picked up her pace to clear the distance between them. Bending down she crouched next to him. Making no timne in pulling out her medical kit from her bag she was putting on her gloves while talking to keep him cohesive. "Looks like this isn't your day, Wile E. Coyote."
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 07:08 pm UTC (link) Track This
The palms of his hands were used to rub his eyes, the only thing he could concentrate on was the pain. But he was trying to pull himself out of that, as he heard the voice next to him. He wanted to laugh even though all that came out was a long groan. "How many stars are up there? I can't tell from here. I'm afraid I might run into those on my way up." Dropping his hands down, he laid them on his chest.

"If you're looking to do brain surgery, I can't promise what's in there is in working order. Or the amount of mold that's been absorbed by this place." He idly wondered if it didn't all pile up each nonexistent day. Literally living inside of him, before he turned into some insane mold monster.
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[info]medcheck
2020-07-18 01:18 pm UTC (link) Track This
"Second star to the right and you're in Neverland, right now you're in wonderland, hatter." With gloves on she goes to quick work looking over the source of the blood on his head. Having to find a creative way to figure out if he's got a concussion she reaches in her bag and pulls out the supplies as she begins to clean, treat and bandage him up.

"The stars are aligning, no brain surgery." She had noticed that he was acting more eccentric than normal but she knew why. When you're one of the few people living the same day over and everyone looking at you like you're crazy, you're going to start to believe it. "How's your vision now? Still reaching for the stars?"
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[info]devise
2020-07-18 09:27 pm UTC (link) Track This
Was it possible for his head to hurt even more trying to follow along, or for the sake of even finding logic in this entire mess? It made him question his fair share of thoughts, even pre-pollination.

As he slowly became more aware of his surroundings, his face began to warm. Sinuses now coming to terms with what was blown in his face. Eyes watering, irritated, but nothing like the pain from the top of his head. The urge to sneeze was quickly coming upon him again, but he tried to hold it back. Instead of answering her, it came again. The loud sound echoing into the room as a jolt of pain came over him again.

Rocks that were once moved due to the last noise found their way down. Eyes wide in shock as he saw it tumbling down towards him. He did what he could, reaching an arm out to push her back. Leaving him with the end that came, as a few more came down crashing over his head.
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Kamaria & Roman
[info]medcheck
2020-07-17 01:44 am UTC (link) Track This
Noticing a path she enlists the help of Roman. The path was lined with vines and flora expanding up towards the sky and draping across each other like an entwined canopy she made note to keep from getting too close to the foliage. "How long do you think we'll be stuck here?"
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 01:52 am UTC (link) Track This
Taking a deep breath, he shakes his head. There part of him that wonders if this won't be what's left of eternity with the way his own sanity seems to be falling apart. "I don't know, what's hell look like to you? Think we found it?" he asked Kamaria curiously. "Imagine your poor files crying for you now."
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[info]medcheck
2020-07-17 02:25 am UTC (link) Track This
"It's an eternal reset on a day I didn't want. At least I don't have to worry about my whole team hanging off a cliff side." Looking over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you dare mention my precious files, everything will be okay. Mamma's coming home!" Looking ahead as if bewildered to be without them and as if all hope was lost. "If we fall, we go swinging together."
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 03:00 am UTC (link) Track This
Those two words may as well have been a trigger. Eternal. Reset. It practically snapped him right out of his revere of the path before them. "Wait, when did they hang off the cliff side?" Roman asked, cautiously. As long as it wasn't something from today, that mattered. This today, anyway. "Oh, ho, ho, I'll talk about those files all I want." Roman joked, feeling a little more like himself for a moment. "I wish I could keep up with the tally of everyone who has gone over." He added offhandedly.
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[info]medcheck
2020-07-17 03:10 am UTC (link) Track This
She wasn't sure how to say they had hung off a cliff today, but not this today, a different today without sounding mental. Little made sense but it was her first experience in a mission capacity with part of the team. "The first time we did this, before we came back to start this day over again. We were crossing a bridge made out of sheet metal. It snapped and Emil slid, then Fletch reached for him and then the commander. I was on the other side with a rope. Beemo got fletch while I got the commander then Beemo got Emil."

She looked about trying to find the direction of where that actually happened in relation to where they were. Pointing and then second guessing herself she pointed to a different location. "Whatever day it was, it was the same day when I got electrocuted and you were the only one to check up on me. Then boom, at the start of it all again..." Her voice trailed off thinking about that time, seeing Fletchers body, seeing not everyone come together in that room and then all of a sudden it was morning and they were going to try all over again.
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 04:11 am UTC (link) Track This
By his own amazement, Roman was able to follow her statement. While he hadn't been there, it didn't stop him from understanding what she was telling him. His own memory reflecting the moments after she had been electrocuted. The helpless figure that was sitting against a wall, much the same way he had recalled seeing Fletcher and the way it bothered him. It bothered him now too.

Pinching himself on the arm, he stayed wordless until that moment. "Ouch," he whispered to himself. Knowing full well he likely looked crazy. "Sorry, I had a moment." Roman laughed, before clearing his throat. "I'm not really sure how to make anyone believe those stories."
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[info]medcheck
2020-07-17 05:45 pm UTC (link) Track This
Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched him pinch himself, keeping the pace. "I don't know if there is any way we can. Just keep them from doing the same thing. We get to be the ones telling everyone not to step there, or open that door or touch this thing."

As if fate would have her life by the vice, waiting to pull the trigger she walks smack into a nest. Not just any nest. A murder hornet nest. She wasn't given much time, as a hornet came to fearlessly take care of business, stinging Kamaria in the calf, her leg almost giving out instantly from the sting. She clutched her leg, sitting on the ground. "Could he bee, more aggressive?" She knew it wasn't a bee, but the joke still came.
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 07:19 pm UTC (link) Track This
He hadn't been paying any better attention given the realization that someone may as well have said I believe you. All too quickly did his happy moment get plummeted by the sound of her walking into that nest. His jaw dropping, and not over the pun. No, the pun he could follow without skipping a beat.

"All stings considered, you really bugged them." He didn't know how much time there was to be had, but as more hornets came out, he wasn't expecting very long. Moving to pick her up off the ground, this didn't need to turn into that kind of death. Roman made a run for it, looking for any type of cover.
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[info]medcheck
2020-07-18 12:57 pm UTC (link) Track This
Helpless to do anything really but let him carry her to hopeful safety. "This day keeps repeating itself, and now it's my fault. This is un-bee-lievable." Shaking her head, holding onto Roman with a bit of a grip from time to time when the throbbing in her leg was becoming harder to deal with.

"Listen, player one. Don't tell them player two was the reason the game reset." Not that many of them would believe them if they were to tell them. "Thank you for giving me a noble death, you're the bee's knees."
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[info]devise
2020-07-18 09:35 pm UTC (link) Track This
The noise of the angry hoard of hornets behind them only grew louder. Whether that was due to the sake of Roman very adamantly paying attention to that noise or because they were getting closer, there was no way to tell on his end. Painful death 101 led him to believe this was not the way to go. Especially after he gained a couple of stings from behind as he was running.

The lack of shelter left him rushing for water. All too literally tossing Kamaria's body into the river before rushing into it himself. If this led to some waterfall and they ended up crashing against rocks, so be it. Escape of hornets was the only current need.
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[info]medcheck
2020-07-18 09:40 pm UTC (link) Track This
The water dissipated the hornets and they were free of them. But now it was a matter of finding shore or left to wade in the water. Her vision was going blurry and the strength to keep afloat was quickly disappearing. There was no land to swim to even if she did will herself to keep going.

Eyes growing heavy her arms and legs soon stopped fighting the water. Her body went limp and unresponsive as she slowly sunk deeper and deeper into the water until she couldn't be seen.
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	selina + cortez
[info]reinforcement
2020-07-17 01:45 am UTC (link) Track This
There was an odd sense of deja-vu as Selina began to step across a bridge that looked older than dirt because the grass literally was greener on the other side. Go figure. Despite the niggling at the back of her mind, Selina wasn’t quite buying what her X.O. was saying about this being the third or fourth time they’d traversed this strange, new planet. Not that she doubted his sanity or anything, not really. She did, however, wonder if he’d slept much the night before after him relaying his apprehension. Selina couldn’t blame him for that; she’d had plenty of apprehensions herself before and during her first mission aboard the Endeavor. This particular mission so far had been mostly harmless with a few of their team getting scratched up by some vines. Now they were having to cross this old, rickety bridge. Selina had volunteered to go last and so, with one hand braced on the ropes on either side of the bridge, she started her trek across.

The wood beneath her groaned and creaked with each step she took. Since the rest of her team had already made it across, Selina wasn’t too concerned although maybe she should have been. A quarter of the way across and the bridge swayed Selina’s stomach along with it. Heights weren’t exactly her favorite thing. Another step and then another and the bridge continued to strain at her weight. She made it a handful of steps further when the telltale sign of wood cracking reached her ears and reflexively, her fingers curled around the ropes more as she took another step...and felt the wood beneath her boots give way as the bridge, at last, caved under pressure. Selina’s hands tightened on the ropes, even more, getting burned as the rope slid through them before her grip tightened and she was left hanging over a large crevice with a rushing river beneath her. Well, this was certainly new.
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 02:09 am UTC (link) Track This
With as many things had caved in during their stay here, Roman had given up on much of the typical uses of his time. Instead, he had taken to adding a little flare to the over dramatic, playing things a little more wilder and less like he was going to actually die anyway. It wasn't as if anyone was going to believe him, and Selina certainly hadn't. Instead of waiting around for her with the rest of the group, he had managed to tie a rope to a boulder. Checking how tight it was, before tying it to himself.

Without any single warning, he launched himself off the cliff. Propelling himself down the side, moving to swing and grab her. The rope had been just barely the right length for this act. However, this didn't mean he knew it would hold their weight or not, let alone how difficult it was going to be having to pretend to hold some experience rock climbing back to the top, if they even made it. He was too lost in having fun playing Mission Impossible here, no longer caring about how it ended.

The grab of her was not at all smooth, leaving him twisting and turning, back ground against harsh rocks. "Believe me yet?" he asked, laughing in the moment. One arm around her, the other turned her face, kissing her as the rope jerked slightly.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-17 02:25 am UTC (link) Track This
“Uh, guys…” Selina called up to the rest of her team, trying to peer up the dozen or so feet to the top of the crevice. She couldn’t make out anything let alone anyone, so she just hung out for a moment, praying that the rope she clung to wouldn’t unravel in her hands. All she could do was hope that someone was working on a rescue attempt. The next time she glanced up, she saw a form beginning to make its way down the side of the cliff and she exhaled on a sigh. Although she thought it might have just been easier to use the ropes of the bridge that still hung, keeping her suspended over the river below, Selina wasn’t going to knock any kind of rescue attempt.

When the X.O. reached her, Selina carefully transitioned from gripping the ropes of the hanging bridge to gripping, well…him. She could only hope the rope he used was strong enough to hold their combined weight. Heart racing from the adrenaline rush of nearly falling to her death -no one’s died, ha-ha- Selina wasn’t exactly concerned about being gentle. Not that she wanted Roman to hurt himself but it wasn’t like they had much of a choice in tactics here. At his question, Selina just groaned. He’d been asking her that the past two hours they’d spent heading toward that damn skyscraper. Opening her mouth to reply, to tell him that in no way, shape or form did she believe that they’d done this already but she didn’t have a chance to do so before Roman’s mouth was over hers.

Naturally, the rope jerked more and Selina whipped her head back. “Whoa-what-?” A light laugh of her own fell from her lips but her brows furrowed in concern as she studied Roman’s face. “You’re not having a nervous breakdown, are you?” Because having this conversation while dangling over the side of a cliff was a great idea.
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 02:47 am UTC (link) Track This
The corners of his mouth turned up, not a second thought was given. At least in the moment, as if this came off to be some average day. Although, it was nothing of the sort. Her question left him with one to throw back. Look on his face moving into a more thoughtful one, as he asked earnestly, "Would I know if I were? Are there signs?" Maybe that was something to study up on next time. "Why do you ask?" The final question left for another jerk of the rope.

Looking up, his brow furrowed before looking back at Selina. Nodding up, "You better try to move while you still can. Everything is jinxed, you said no one would die, and someone is going to. Again." Even if it was only him. But maybe that was better, at least here. If she reached the top anyway. No pain, no memory of pain. "Use up the rest of your luck, I'll be behind you," he tried, smiling. Internally questioning if he shouldn't just untie himself now, before things go that far south here, into the next reset.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-17 02:59 am UTC (link) Track This
He was definitely losing it if he hadn’t lost it already, Selina decided. While she’d gotten to know Roman in the past couple of weeks and knew him to be eccentric and unpredictable, this was pushing it. Selina’s mouth dropped open and a quiet ‘uh,’ escaped. She could feel her face flushing with color but tried her best to ignore it and the very real awkwardness of the fact that he’d just kissed her. “You’re a little bit more...antsy than usual,” she finally said softly, still watching his face for a sign that something was amiss.

Instead of starting to climb right away, Selina rolled her eyes at Roman. “No one’s going to die,” she insisted, even as they hung a dozen or more feet over a rushing river. “Everyone’s going to be fine,” she muttered, twisting in Roman’s grip to try and grab hold of the rope he hung from. She still didn’t understand why he insisted they’d already been on the planet for a day -several days- but then she was starting to think she wouldn’t understand anything that came from him today, especially that kiss.

Grabbing hold of the rope, Selina swiveled further in Roman’s hold. “I got it,” she informed him, silently wishing she had gloves to protect her hands. Nevertheless, using the side of the cliff, Selina began the slow climb up to the top. “I’d say I’d race you, but…” she called over her shoulder, glancing down more than once to ensure that Roman was on her tail. Up at the top of the cliff, Selina could see their teammates holding the rope so that the weight of the two of them wouldn’t send them both tumbling to their deaths.
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 03:57 am UTC (link) Track This
That smile grew wider, as he wasn't about to let her live down anything anytime soon. What was the point of that when there was literally no tomorrow? Through his times of trying to hold it all in, believing it was nothing more than mold toxicity getting to his brain. And then having tried to see if anyone else understood what was going on? Without finding anyone listening, life changed before him. Why go through watching or waiting for someone to die? Might as well have some fun with it? Or let your mind unravel a bit. Maybe more. Who was to say, other than Selina, currently.

"You found my favorite color. Not that you'll remember. Oddly enough, that wasn't even referring to the reliving of days. No, that was a crack at her actual memory.

But he knew better, as far as anyone dying. Giving a small smile, he only nodded over her claims. "Okay. Everything will be fine." He repeated. Nothing less than agreeable, trying to help her move up the best he could.

"But you'll win because you're lucky." he mused, but also with a slightly sadder tone. As she moved, he didn't, staying still until he noticed some unraveling of the rope against a sharp edge of a rock, on the cliff wall. Untying himself, he didn't have it in himself to drop. Instead, he moved to grab hold of the rocks and what was left of the bridge himself. Still playing the part of Mission Impossible, only a tad bit quieter from below her.

Moving slower than her, his foothold left him before his grip did. Leaving him to feel as if everything moved in slow motion as he fell.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-17 06:04 am UTC (link) Track This
Selina’s eyes knit together further at what seemed to be rambling coming from Roman. “I found your favorite color-what?” She wasn’t following him, not for a moment. Well, except for the dig at her memory which was mediocre at best. She could remember small, inconsequential things at random moments from several years before but ask her something that was said in a conversation the night before and she’d have to wrack her memory and even then, the outcome wasn’t always accurate. And don’t get her started on her ability to follow a conversation.

As he parrotted her, Selina frowned but said nothing. There was nothing to say. She was trying to be optimistic and clearly it wasn’t working. All she could do from there, all either of them could do, however, was go up. Literally. Selina inched her way up the wall, holding onto the rope and pulling herself up against the side of the cliff. When he spoke those last words, Selina gave a shake of her head. “This isn’t a game to win…” Glancing down that last time, Selina wasn’t happy to see that Roman hadn’t made to follow her and intended to scold him for she watched in horror as he untied the rope from around himself. He really was losing his mind and Selina hadn’t the faintest why. Surely his anxieties about his first mission weren’t that great.

“Cortez, what are you-” And then he was falling and for a moment time stood still. Selina wondered if he was stubborn enough to prove himself right by doing something stupid like this. She couldn’t even shout his name as he fell and instead, silently moved to action, using the rope she held, Selina traversed over the side of the cliff wall to where the bridge remains hung and while holding onto her own rope with one hand, she yanked as hard as she could on the rope of the bridge hoping to draw it close enough that Cortez could grab onto it before he fell out of reach.
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 06:57 pm UTC (link) Track This
A fear of death itself had never occurred to Roman even before this mess. There may have been a fear of pain, but he had moved beyond that well before the navy. It pushed him on, propelled him forward. He learned to take hits, and use the feelings it brought upon him to focus on the next component of a mission. There was a strong capacity for fear, only it flowed in the direction of what his death was worth. If it would have been from a fall down the stairs, a worthless bump to the head, or an accident where he couldn't sacrifice himself for the betterment of someone else. The only other fear was watching others suffer. He couldn't sit and watch, he had to do something about it, no matter how big or small.

In his moments of pretending to hold some leading actor part in a bad movie, he quickly turned into a side actor losing his grip and falling to his demise. Where Selina didn't believe this was a game to win, he may have momentarily believed her. If only he didn't feel as though he were living out his life as an arcade game.

Too naturally, his hand went for that rope, but missed. In the process it managed to wrap around his other arm, leaving him suspended in air and barely hanging on. A full jerk against his shoulder, pulling it straight out of alignment. A sharp hiss, as he wanted to yell out but didn't. A string of curses, as he tried to find a way to ease the pain. Trying to focus, he started to call out the words to I Believe I Can Fly.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-17 08:16 pm UTC (link) Track This
Having spent the better part of the first couple of hours of the day listening to Cortez try and convince her that this wasn’t their first day spent on Tidlosa had been tiring, to say the least. The other members of their team remained silent and out of the argument whether they agreed with Cortez or not. Naturally, that only convinced Selina more of the fact that Roman was losing his mind. Of course, she only thought such a thing lightly, not that he was truly going mad but she was starting to question that with each passing moment. Why the hell had he untied himself? There was no explanation that Selina could think of that would rationalize Roman’s bravado or...whatever that had been.

Selina’s heart stopped as she watched him miss the rope and continue his fall until all of a sudden he was jerked and left suspended several feet down from where she held the rope he’d brought down. And suddenly, their roles were reversed and it was Selina attempting to come to his rescue, rappelling down the side of the cliff wall in hopes of being able to reach her X.O. that dangled awkwardly. Unfortunately, she ran out of rope before she could reach him. Selina wasn’t one to curse, but the urge in that moment was strong.

As she gripped her own rope with both hands, Selina tried desperately to figure out what she could do to help. She wasn’t sure that pulling on the bridge again was the best option but she didn’t know what else to do. It was then that Roman’s words reached her and she almost laughed at how ludicrous it was. “Are you singing?” she hollered down to him. With an incredulous shake of her head, Selina wondered if he was perhaps dehydrated or something. Carefully moving over the side of the cliff wall, Selina managed to grab hold of the rope attached to the remains of the bridge and was trying to figure out what to actually do when she felt the tension in the other rope give way.

Apparently rappelling down the wall had set the jagged rock further up the wall, sawing at the rope until it was only held together by mere tendrils. Selina moving to grab for the bridge was the last it could take. Eyes wide in terror, not unlike when Roman himself had fallen, a scream died in her throat as she frantically gripped at the rope of the bridge. The rope slid right between her fingers, burning the palm of her hand as she continued to fall. The only thing that stopped her was Cortez’s arm, wrapped up in that rope at what had to be a very uncomfortable angle. The bridge shook from the force of halting her fall and Selina knocked against Cortez hard enough to rattle her teeth as she grappled for the rope with her other hand as well.
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[info]devise
2020-07-18 12:13 am UTC (link) Track This
"Why? You need me to change tracks? Have some requests?" he tried back, biting back against the pain. With little pause, he moved into another song. "It's time for me to fly, I've got to set myself free. Time for me to fly, that's just how it's got to be. I know it hurts to say good-bye." The words still more ground out than sung, but he was working with what he had, in attempting to keep himself together and find a way to shift his weight. An angle of some sort, to pull this arm out and either fall or just stop the pain. This wasn't in his description of a thousand ways to die here.

Having long ignored the screams above as anything more than background music or singers to his ongoing fiasco, he was still deep into trying to figure out a way out of this mess. A curious thought about how this type of thing worked in movies, even with people who claimed to do it for real. It only made him more fickle towards that lifestyle. Not that it mattered, he checked that angle off his mental list. Maybe next time he would find a way to work this into Die Hard. It felt right. That thought melted away as he barely looked up in enough time to see Selina falling.

This time, he did yell out, with an emphatic, "Yapiro!" He would have sworn he nearly saw stars with the pain that shot through him. A few deep breaths, and his mouth just had to keep on. "Couldn't just keep going up? That kiss mess with your head? The hell, woman." A few more deep breaths, unwilling to move an inch this time. He tried to compel the thought to her again. "You're going to either have to find a way to shove that back into the socket or cut the rope. Everything will be fine. Just because you don't believe me, doesn't make it wrong. If I acted like this before this mission, I'd have been actually dead way before the word Endeavor was a thought in someone's head. I'm not going through the rest of this blip of a day losing an arm. If you've got my back, then you're going to have to trust me here."
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-18 12:34 am UTC (link) Track This
Selina couldn’t believe herself when she replied. “Maybe something a little more uplifting.” There was something about his tone that quickly clued her in to the fact that it was likely a distraction tactic for him. His arm was drawn up with that rope at an unnatural angle and she was sure that along with the fact that it was holding up his entire body weight was enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Not that there was exactly anything she could about it several feet above him. Of course, she wasn’t above him for long.

Cortez’s yell rattled around inside Selina’s head as her heart hammered against her ribcage and for several long seconds, she just hung there, practically on top of him. Both hands clung to the rope now and she dared a glance up to see the remainder of their team moving about frantically, no doubt, trying to figure out how the hell to get them up. Cortez started running his mouth again, drawing Selina’s attention to him as her face colored once again. “I’m not the one who untied myself!” she snapped back, blue eyes blazing as they moved over the rope that was wound around his arm. She didn’t want to talk about his absurd claim that they’d lived through this day (or died during it) already. Not right then anyway. Maybe if they did live through this, she’d humor him.

“I’m not sure I can get it back into the socket with one hand,” she confessed after a moment of analyzing her options. She could hold herself up with one hand for a short period but there was no way she could fix his shoulder with just the one hand. “Can you grab onto the bridge with your other arm? I think I can cut the rope.” Already, she was reaching for the knife on her backpack, twisting to reach it. Selina could only hope that their teammates were devising a way to haul them up the side of the cliff while she worked to make Cortez a tiny bit more comfortable.
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[info]devise
2020-07-18 01:59 am UTC (link) Track This
Uplifting? He paused, wishing he could give her a dirty look. "Well, everybody needs a hero, but I'm not everybody else. I walk alone, yeah, I walk alone, yeah, I walk alone, oh, yeah. You know, I tried to be a hero, but I was lying to myself. I walk alone, yeah, I walk alone, yeah, I walk alone!" But that would be his last attempt at music, before the end felt as though it were nigh..during this extra life being played out.

Roman wanted to punch something, not her, but definitely something. Not that he would be doing that anytime soon, like this. This was her argument, right now? "I'm about two-hundred pounds of extra weight here. That rope wasn't holding and it doesn't take a civil engineer to see the remains of that bridge isn't going to hold much for long either." He snapped right back. "Everyone and this mother fucking bridge," Roman added to himself.

Shaking his head, he exhaled a deep breath. "I'll lose consciousness." It was a viable threat, especially if he was passed out wasting more time here like this. Waiting on someone else to die so he could move on. "Cut the rope, or I'll gnaw this damn thing off." Not a real threat, but he made sure to sound serious, through gritted teeth. There was no way he would manage to stay conscious through that either. He was lucky to have made it this far. "Let me go, Killer." The words a little softer, but still just as certain.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-18 03:22 am UTC (link) Track This
Selina didn’t get the chance to groan. She would have though, if she hadn’t practically fallen to her death. Although, there wasn’t necessarily a guarantee that the plummet into the rushing river beneath them was a death sentence. Selina scoffed even as she worked on freeing the knife from its sheath on her pack. “Well if you hadn’t decided to play Rambo, we wouldn’t be hanging out...like this.”

Freeing the knife from its sheath, Selina gripped it carefully in her free hand. “I’m working on it!” High tensions called for short snappy replies apparently. Without another word, Selina began sawing at the rope that was wound tightly around Cortez’s arm. She was mindful of not cutting him in the process which made it a little slower going than it would have otherwise been. Well, that and she was hanging there from one arm herself. Selina paused in her slicing to meet his gaze, noted the pain there and something inside her cracked. She quickly averted her gaze to continue sawing at the rope but stopped short of his arm breaking free of it.

“If you’re telling the truth, then it doesn’t matter if we die.” Even as she voiced the words, Selina’s heart raced in fear at what she was about to do. She still wasn’t sure she believed him, no matter how adamant he was, and certainly, no amount of a death wish was going to convince her either. Without another word of warning, she replaced the knife in its sheath on her pack, and then she released her one-handed grip on the rope of the bridge. Moving quickly, Selina wrapped both arms around Cortez’s neck, and just as she’d planned, her added weight was enough to snap the tendrils of rope that still remained together around Cortez’s arm, sending them plummeting the twenty feet or so into the rushing water below.
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	selina + open
[info]reinforcement
2020-07-17 02:10 am UTC (link) Track This
After splitting up into teams, they set out to navigate their way to the skyscraper they could all see towering over them. According to nearly half the crew, this would be their second time traversing the seemingly inhospitable landscape of Tidlosa but Selina had no memories of their first time. Or what some claimed was the first time. As they set out, Selina’s team’s first obstacle was thick vines that grew over the road they were attempting to pass through on. The vines were so thick that Selina wasn’t sure how they would actually manage to get through them but a quick look around showed there wasn’t exactly any way around the vines. “Any ideas?” she asked, turning to her team with a raised brown.
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[info]devise
2020-07-19 02:53 am UTC (link) Track This
This wasn't the way that Roman remembered things before, even though everything had previously felt like deja vu, up until these moments. There still held a high hesitation about this planet and the things that were found here. The look about it all, it was more than slightly eerie. The way everything grew, the feeling about it all. With what he knew about plants and growth, even though in another landscape, this didn't feel quite right. "I don't suggest touching it." Everything about this place, everything touched, it only brought about bad results.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-19 03:12 am UTC (link) Track This
Selina sighed and turned to give Roman a slightly exasperated look. "They're not going to bite you," she chided lightly with a shake of her head. Turning back to the obstacle at hand, Selina contemplated their options. There was one section of the overgrowth that was low enough to the ground that they could potentially climb over it but the rest of the vines grew in thick as her arm and were as high as her waist. It would either be over or through them and if they were going through the vines, they'd need to cut them back...somehow. All any of them were equipped with were knives if that and they would be little help with vines as thick as these were. Although some of the crew had relayed vines that had a poisonous sap, but Selina was still skeptical about their 'knowledge' on such things. "I can try and climb over it?" she offered with a raised brow.
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[info]devise
2020-07-19 03:39 am UTC (link) Track This
"There's worse things than a little bite," he started, but opted to go looking around the cavern instead. More in hopes of another direction or any idea on what else to do here. "You can try, but what happens when you run into something or someone over there?" Pulling out a flashlight, he turned it on and tossed it in Selina's direction to catch. "But I still suggest not touching anything. I barely trust the dirt. Only positive thing about this, is the lack of mold growth over here."
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-19 03:45 am UTC (link) Track This
A single brow arched high but Selina didn't comment. She wasn't afraid of the vines, even if they did look a little prickly. Catching the flashlight tossed her way, Selina gave a slight shake of her head but didn't say anything. The likelihood of running into someone on this deserted planet was slim to none and she couldn't imagine running into anything dangerous. A laugh escaped as he continued speaking. "What is it with you and mold?" From the moment they'd started out that morning, Cortez had been muttering about mold spores. She didn't wait for him to reply before she was switching the flashlight on and approaching the vines cautiously in spite of lacking any sort of real concern about them. "We have to get to the other side of them somehow."
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[info]devise
2020-07-19 03:59 am UTC (link) Track This
Going back to checking out the walls, and recalling those moments of Tui taking pictures of some images that had been seen about doors. It bothered him, that feeling about this. At the same time, he felt the urge to take photos of these. "Mold can mess you up. From lungs to brain." He muttered, more to himself over her question, scoffing in response. "If you're so sure that's the way, go for it. Call for help when you end up face to face with some bad, ugly version of a possum hiding with her babies." That part, he fully made up but it didn't mean it wasn't possible. The smell here bothered him more and more.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-19 04:14 am UTC (link) Track This
Shaking her head, Selina focused on the task at hand. The vines were thick and tightly coiled together. Cortez might have warned not to touch them but she didn't exactly have a choice. They would have to climb over them or figure out some way to cut them back and the latter didn't seem likely. "Or my very own housecat," she mumbled in response, not deigning to glance back at him. Reaching out, Selina touched a spot on the vine that lacked any thorns or other protrusions and pressed down to test its strength. When it didn't bend or snap, she applied more and more weight until she was satisfied that it would hold her. Slipping the flashlight between her teeth, Selina carefully mounted a spot on the lowest section of the vines and pushed up, up, up. Three feet up off the ground, she was stooped over the vines and peered over the other side of them...which was a good twelve feet away. They'd have to really climb over them.

Balancing on the vine she stood on, Selina pulled the flashlight out of her mouth and shined it as far as she could to see beyond the vines. "No possums," she hollered over her shoulder, turning to shoot Roman a wry grin. Roman, who suddenly looked a lot lower than just three feet. Selina felt the vine beneath her boots move and dropped the flashlight in her surprise and haste to grab onto nearby vines as her balance was thrown. The vines seemed to grow both in thickness and in how far they were from the ground. "We should probably hurry..." Suddenly, the tales Roman and the others had told didn't seem so far fetched.
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[info]devise
2020-07-19 04:54 am UTC (link) Track This
The sounds emitted in the movement hit him before her words. Turning quickly he watched the shift in how things played out, mentally cursing himself. Part of him wished she would jump, but he didn't know how safe that idea was or what it would surmount to. As everything quickly turned, he didn't pause except to wait for others to go ahead first. He, himself, jumped into the pile with little care about what may or may not prick or scratch him. Looking behind him only to shoot at the thickest thing he could see within the distance. And worse, anything that moved in anyone's direction.

An idle thought reaching back to a time where he recalled Selina had pulled a cloth off of something when he hadn't been paying attention. The damage it caused. He started to believe that may have been a sign at how much trouble she had him stepping into. A thought that held him just as some vines wrapped around his leg, pulling him back.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-19 05:14 am UTC (link) Track This
Maybe she moved too quickly but Selina liked to think she assessed the situation and then moved. They had nowhere to go but the other side of the vines and she’d deduced that going over them was the best way to go about getting to the other side. Naturally, the last thing she’d expected was for the vines to come alive and start moving. While the vines had seemingly begun to grow, Selina had made quick work of traversing over them and then down the other side, albeit with a few scratches on her hands and arms. They were minor though, little more than mere irritants.

Dropping down on the other side of the vines, Selina’s boots splashed into a couple of inches of water. Maybe there was something to that mold Roman was so adverse to. Turning to help her fellow crewmates scramble over the vines as well, Selina watched with a mixture of surprise and horror as Roman appeared over the top of the vines and then began to be sucked down into them or so it seemed. Selina moved to help him, unsheathing the knife on her pack in spite of the fact that the vines were now thicker than her arm and a knife would do little more than gouge them. As she prepared to do just that, Selina took a page out of Roman’s book and dropped an old line on him. “Feed me, Seymour!”

Selina drove the knife into one of the vines that were wrapped around Roman’s legs and nearly dropped it in surprise when a sharp cry rent the air. The vines reacted as though they’d been...well, stabbed. In the next instant, they were flailing and in effect practically thrusting Cortez’s body away from them, taking him for the threat. For a moment, Selina just stood there in shock, gaping at the sap that leaked from the vine where she’d cut into it.
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[info]devise
2020-07-19 05:37 am UTC (link) Track This
On a planet full of life, but no one left to tell the tale of it? Roman's first worry was about who was top of the food chain here. The apex predator of them all and it had left him questioning every turn from the second they stepped onto the ground. The sense of deja vu hitting him hard, not in this experience, but that feeling. The way that he had first questioned vines that did little to nothing once, now moving in some strange accord. For what purpose? For all he knew something was preparing to jump out at him as some venous fly trap, but he was left to be the fly.

The dirty look he was giving her would be left alone, for now. Stifling any other thought than the fact they still needed to get out of here now. This wasn't the time to be making wise cracks or he would have been doing that the entire time with Milo's head. Except, he didn't have Milo's head.

Seeing the look about her, and the vines, an arm moved around her middle quickly rushing her away. Mold was absorbed into his body, who knew what would happen with that sap. It could absorb or it could kill living cells, for all he knew. He didn't care, the first rule of anything was don't mess with things you don't understand. It creates disastrous results.

"If you touch something, I swear, I will end you." Roman threatened. He wouldn't, but that was besides the point.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-19 06:59 am UTC (link) Track This
Roman did have a valid concern. Where had the inhabitants of the planet gone? It didn’t look as though they’d all been slaughtered -there weren’t dead bodies or skeletons about, after all- but rather as though the place had been abandoned. Still, that begged the question, why? Why had a perfectly good planet with so much obvious work put into it been abandoned? They’d likely never know the answer to that question.

The line had been so unlike Selina and yet all she could think was that she’d spent entirely too much time around the X.O. and he was clearly rubbing off on her. There was also a part of her that had grown accustomed to Cortez making quips and being snarky and she found she missed that demeanor. He’d been way too serious and somber all morning though she supposed if she believed she was reliving the same day again, she might not be so quick to drop lines herself.

Indeed, Selina had been about to take a closer look at the cut vine when Roman’s arm wound around her and he ushered her away. “I wasn’t going to touch,” she protested weakly. “Why would I want to touch it? The sap is probably sticky and I didn’t exactly bring along sanitizer.” Of course, there was the water they were splashing through. The water that was rising the further they got from the vines…

The lighting was dim at best and since Selina had lost Cortez’s flashlight, she fished her own out of her pack and passed it over to him. Still holding the knife she’d used on the vines, Selina was able to examine the sap that clung to the blade with unabated curiosity. “It was like it was alive,” she murmured aloud, almost to herself. The sap was a dark goldish orange color and despite her reassurance that she wouldn’t touch it, she couldn’t seem to help herself and as they continued through the deepening water, the hand that didn’t hold the knife slowly reached toward the sap on the blade as though compelled to do so.
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[info]devise
2020-07-19 09:02 pm UTC (link) Track This
He couldn't see anyone up ahead and something about this moment felt far too similar to his memories. Where was his mind? Was he going insane? Was it all the mold? Did one of these vines suddenly send him back to hell? He didn't want to call out, in case that caused more trouble than necessary. But no one was screaming up ahead so that had to be a positive thing, right?

With water on the rise, he couldn't help but turn to look at Selina. There was an urgency to want to ask if she were high, but he didn't. He kept that to himself, the air in his lungs caught the second he saw the way she looked at the knife. Smacking it out of her hands, he didn't care about it. It should be left behind. He had another one, if it came to that. But he would certainly think twice about trying to pick fights with some vines.

Grabbing her hand and making a run for it, he only muttered a quick, "No shit." He thought about running back to where they came from, given his memory, but that wasn't right. And the last thing they needed to do was head back head first into crazy, live vine town. "Stop acting like you're high. Snap out of it." Not that he figured it was that easy, but maybe the words or something to follow would shake something loose in her head. He hoped, anyway.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-19 09:28 pm UTC (link) Track This
If Selina were honest, she kind of did feel like she was high. There was a slight tingling in her extremities and she was entirely too curious about the vines they’d practically fought off and the sap they’d leaked when cut. She was much more focused on that in any case than the lack of the rest of their team and the other imminent threat of the rising water the further they went. Her movements were slow and slightly muddled, a quiet ‘uh,’ escaping in protest when Cortez knocked the knife from her hand. Her eyes dropped down to the water and for a moment she looked as though she were going to drop down to retrieve the knife. Cortez took her hand before she could move to do so, however. 

Blinking up at him, Selina frowned and was about to comment further on the vines they’d just climbed over (and through for him) but he was practically dragging her along behind him. Selina’s steps faltered a little as though her legs might buckle beneath her at any moment, but the further they got from the vines, the clearer her head felt. She was trying to shake it off and was very much tempted to shoot back a retort stating as much when her boot caught on something beneath the water that was now nearly up to her knees. 


Her hand reflexively tightened in Cortez’s, gripping it fiercely as she struggled to remain upright. Unfortunately, not only did Selina go crashing down into the water but because of Cortez’s grip on her hand, she took him down with her. A rare curse fell from her lips and she mumbled an apology. Now they’d have to make the remainder of the trek to the skyscraper in wet clothes. Releasing Roman’s hand, Selina planted her hands down in the water and started to push up but froze when she felt something slither against her bare arm. “Tell me you felt that.” Not that she thought it would be better if it was real and not imagined. In any case, it lit a fire under her ass and got her up on her feet in a flash (or rather a splash). 
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[info]devise
2020-07-20 03:05 am UTC (link) Track This
Other than feeling like he was living a cheap rendition of a not so faded memory, Roman didn't see anything out of the norm. Only looking to keep going, in hopes of outrunning whatever this could turn into. Even as he had questioned her mental state, her words didn't go unnoticed. A single, swift movement left him pulling out a knife on his person, handing it over to her. And a Leatherman for himself. Light moving over any area of water around him, he didn't know whether to keep moving or not.

But at the same time, the will to do so felt more apparent as the water was only going to continue to move. There was a chill that was felt deep within his bones, wishing he knew what could be in the water. Whether it was those vines looking for another rush at them, or something else they had yet to encounter. Taking his chances, and making sure they were armed in some way,

In a low voice, he made sure Selina could hear him. But he wasn't looking to upset the nature of whatever was poking around. "Relax and keep moving. If you see something again, you say where." A hand went to the small of her back, slowly moving her on ahead. "Stay in front of me. Slow, deep breaths."
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-20 03:48 am UTC (link) Track This
Up and out of the water, Selina was on her feet in an instant, her entire body tense as she tried to peer into the murky depths of the water to see whatever it was she had felt. She was almost positive she hadn’t imagined it but as for what it was, she couldn’t say. The knife that was passed over to her was only a little reassuring but she gripped it tightly in her wet palm and at Cortez’s urging, began moving again, this time sliding her feet carefully through the water so she wouldn’t trip again.

“I’m not hyperventilating or anything,” she tossed over her shoulder with a quick glance behind her. “I just don’t like not knowing what’s in there.” She gestured with the knife to the water they were wading through. She’d gone maybe a dozen feet with the water above her knees now when there was a splash ahead of her and she stopped suddenly. “Shouldn’t I have the flashlight since I’m leading the way?” She spoke in a whisper, for some reason not wanting to speak too loudly. Another splash and Selina felt a heavy pressure against her left side, pushing her to the right. She could feel the thing moving past her and up against Roman as well and she adjusted her grip on the knife she held. That was definitely something alive. He’d said to alert her to anything she saw but that was kind of the problem; Selina didn’t see anything.
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[info]devise
2020-07-20 04:12 am UTC (link) Track This
He bit back a groan, in his attempt to be quiet, which she boldly ignored. His own moves, not for the sake of helping her see, or keeping her calm, as much as trying to not to push whatever was in the water with them to believing they were any type of threat. And if all else failed, him following her meant he was more likely to be attacked first. The light shining ahead of them, also in hopes of it being thrown off.

Hoping she would catch on, or at least stop asking questions and commenting on everything, he took her free hand from where he stood, and passed off the flashlight to her. Urging her on forward lightly, without a single word.

The pressure was felt and gave him a little pause, waiting to see if there would be a need to strike. Little time was seemingly wasted, as Roman fell into the water. This may have been that one moment where he actually wished it had been some scheme created by Beemo, rushing through with Nui'nui again. But it was far from, and while the struggle lasted for only a second, he was still left with the marks to show for it. Or he could feel them anyway. Stabbing it with the Leatherman and throwing it aside, as he came up for air. Standing back up as fast as he could, and pushing for Selina to run again, wading through the water.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-20 04:31 am UTC (link) Track This
Selina was oblivious to the fact that Roman was willing her to be silent. As far as she was concerned, whatever was in the water with them already knew they were there so it really didn’t matter. Her whispered voice, on the other hand, was more cautionary than anything else. She was genuinely surprised when he handed over the flashlight without argument even though she’d been the one to lose their other one. Meeting his gaze in the dim lighting, she gave a slight nod of her head in thanks before that splash had her freezing, and then she felt, whatever it was.

Where Selina had been quiet in whispering her remarks, when she heard the telltale splash of something even larger, Selina whipped around, flashlight beam bouncing off the walls and the empty space behind her. “Cortez!” she shouted There was no point in being quiet anymore, the creature knew they were there. They were invading its habitat and it was clearly not pleased. Heart racing, Selina started to move her hand with the knife through the water where Cortez had been which might have been stupid but she was just a tiny bit alarmed. No sooner had she done so, however, than he was popping back up out of the water.

This time Selina had no words and not caring about keeping quiet, Selina turned at Cortez’s urging and splashed through the water loudly as it quickly rose to her waist. Spotting a staircase to her left, Selina made a beeline for it but didn’t quite make it. Just feet away from the staircase, Selina felt something wrap around her ankle and yank and it was her turn to go on under. Not unlike Cortez, Selina slashed out with the knife, sending the creature recoiling before she broke the surface with a loud gasp. Once again, she’d dropped the flashlight, but she could make out the beam in the murky water. Without a word of warning, Selina dove for the light, only resurfacing once she had the flashlight in hand. Another splash from behind them had her once again rushing for that staircase as quickly as she could through the waist-deep water.
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[info]devise
2020-07-20 05:34 pm UTC (link) Track This
Sopping wet, likely breathing in mold, waiting to catch a cold, on an alien planet where the only living things are looking to treat you like their very own cat toy, was not the way that Roman envisioned this mission. There wasn't some special idea or belief on it, even though he did have his own cautious tale of how things could go.

Instead, today his mantra was don't look back. And if they get out of this alive, add 'how to treat wild things' to the list of things for Selina to learn. If they didn't, well, he could point out just how wrong she was about anyone dying. A thought that led him to that staircase in the most somber mood. The image of Fletcher propped against a wall.

Quick to reach for Selina and help her up, he questioned his fate with whatever was in the water. If that wouldn't be a better place than what was above, if this played out anything like what it once was. A hand running through his hair, trying to shake out any water there.

"You're making friends all over this damn planet, aren't you?" he asked sarcastically.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-20 05:57 pm UTC (link) Track This
Despite the fact that Roman had been grumbling about mold since they set out that morning, it was the least of Selina's concern. No, she was much more worried about being eaten by whatever was beneath the water, or drowned by the creature or choked by the vines… What the hell was wrong with her? More to the point what was wrong with this planet. She vaguely wondered if the planet had been so inhospitable to its inhabitants and if that was why there didn't seem to be anyone there. Or maybe it had just evolved into the monstrous death trap that it was after the inhabitants had abandoned it. And Selina was convinced that the planet had been abandoned. They hadn't come across the remains of any humanoid looking species. 

Half running and half swimming, Selina made it to the stairs and swiftly climbed halfway up them and out of the water. "Better friends than enemies," she quipped back, even knowing he was being sarcastic. Catching her breath for a moment, Selina passed the flashlight over to Roman with an incline of her head up the staircase. "I'll let you lead this time." As though that were a privilege. Wringing out her clothes, Selina glanced over at him skeptically. "How did everyone die again?" she asked, of the tales half the crew had told of them having already spent the day traversing the planet with some of them dying in the process. Selina didn't believe it but she was humoring him. 
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[info]devise
2020-07-20 06:28 pm UTC (link) Track This
Taking the flashlight, he pocketed the Leatherman, and moved to check weapons. If there were anything hostile up there awaiting them, he would rather be prepared. Wringing himself out along the way, he kept his back to a wall, making sure not to be against the wall. Step by step, he didn't venture a look at Selina as she spoke or even asked the question. Roman didn't have a real answer for much of it. He hadn't seen more than what he assumed Tui went by drowning or lack of air under all that rock. Viewing Fletcher's body and the pieces of Beemo didn't make that any easier. And only with the knowledge that Astrid had also been missing from the group.

Worse yet, everything about this mission felt similar to a more fatal version of all the games they had played together. A more, every man out for themselves, playing with things they didn't know or understand while someone else tried to make sure that no one died. But he didn't want to think that way. He didn't want to think about any of it. His own views didn't make for truths, but it created feelings that were harder and harder to shake in bad situations. The agitation that surfaced from it wasn't a place he cared to be. Nor the guilt at not being able to do more over what had happened.

The worst part being that if the roles had been reversed, he felt like he would have been more open minded to believing anyone that told him such a story. Because things like this didn't feel or sound quite so ludicrous when already outside of what should be the norm. The things that some other races and cultures could do, comparatively, and distinctively, were outside of many a reach. Shaking his head, he continued to move up, reaching for the door at the top and trying to push it open. "Doesn't matter. Are you ready?" he asked, as he pushed.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-20 07:06 pm UTC (link) Track This
Relieved that Cortez didn't argue when she handed him the flashlight, Selina followed behind him without a word. For a moment at least, they had a bit of a breather. Or maybe it was foolish to think that and let her guard down. But Selina was feeling just a little drained from the adrenaline spikes and the subsequent waves of relief that followed and she was going to take that reprieve no matter how brief it might be. As Cotrez led the way, Selina followed, knife still gripped in her hand in case something jumped out to them somehow. The staircase was narrow and the likelihood of something being there was slim. Fortunately, they made it to the top of the stairs without incident and Selina let out the breath she'd been unaware she'd been holding. 

At his dismissal to her question instead of answering it, Selina frowned. She didn't doubt that if there was some insight to be had about the supposed deaths in a previous time (that she couldn't remember), he'd tell her. But still. She'd asked because she wanted to know. And maybe she also wanted reassurance that Cortez wasn't losing his mind. Not that that would be a surefire way to convince her but surely he couldn't dream up vivid deaths of the likes that they were nearly victim to themselves. Selina sighed when he asked if she was ready and gave a nod and gestured for him to go ahead. She was as ready as she was going to be. 

Adjusting her grip on the knife, Selina tensed as Roman pushed on the door…and nothing happened. The door nudged a little bit it quickly became evident that it was stuck shut. Without being asked, Selina moved in beside Cortez and bracing her hands on the door, she nodded to him and together they pushed again...and again. Ever so slowly, the door loosened from the doorframe until it suddenly popped open leaving Selina at least, practically tumbling through the door, feet moving rapidly to keep from falling. Once through the door, Selina stilled and just listened. It was dark but she could see a little bit of light, almost an unnatural glow to their right. It was silent though, aside from a steady drip, drip, drip of what Selina presumed had something to do with the water beneath them. Instantly, her thoughts went to the rest of their team. "Where do you think the others are?" she whispered, again compelled to keep her voice down. 
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[info]devise
2020-07-21 07:20 pm UTC (link) Track This
No matter how tired he was feeling, he kept pressing on. Willing his own muscles not to be so uptight, but also not to relax completely. He needed to keep moving for the sake of more than himself. It was the only thing that tended to keep him going, the belief that there was something more coming next. It could be the team needing backup, it could be for the sake of taking care of survivors and helping them get to safety, it could be for Selina who was there with him, or just the sake of needing to elicit a warning to let someone out there know what happened here.

In through the nose, out the mouth. He kept moving, focusing his attention on anything that could be outside the door. Not only looking for signs of life, including the rest of the team, but anything that looked familiar. With the way his own memories kept playing with him, he didn't want to think about the gruesomeness of having to find another person dead and not having been there to even try and help.

With each step, he found himself thinking back further into the past and how he met Hal and Ronan. The way that things played out through military actions versus the way it did here. Roman found himself more and more out of place. The lack of direction outside of running from things that can kill you. Instead of playing on each person's strengths to get through this mission, it felt like a wild ride of weaknesses, securing just how much of this hiring process led to the feeling of everyone being expendable, and he was no exception to the rule.

"Hopefully, somewhere better than we are," he spoke as he took tentative steps out of the door, nodding for her to go ahead.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-21 10:16 pm UTC (link) Track This
“Well, so far nothing’s jumped out at us?” she pointed out with a raise of her brow as she glanced over her shoulder at him for a moment. Turning back around to survey their immediate area, Selina’s eyes began to adjust to the darkness aside from where Cortez was shining the flashlight. It appeared that they were in a small room without any windows and only the one door where the light was filtering in. The far corner of the room boasted a handful of tall, hulking shadows. Unlike her first time through the ruins of the planet, Selina didn’t immediately head for the shadows to see what they were. Instead, she was much more inclined to just keep going.

Flexing her fingers around the hilt of Cortez’s knife she still held, Selina carefully crossed the room to the doorway where the light filtered through. Her footsteps echoed around them which told her that other than the shadows in the corner, the room was likely empty. The next room, however, was full to the brim of long consoles and chairs, some kind of control room with a dozen or more terminals. The light in the room was from a skylight that was broken, the glass shards all over one of the terminals beneath it. But the eerie glow that had filtered into the other room was coming from yet another doorway. Selina wasn’t concerned with it just yet though. Half of the terminals appeared to be destroyed but there were a few that looked like they might still work and Selina was keen on investigating.

Even if they could get one of the terminals to power up, the likelihood of them gathering any sort of coherent information was slim based on what they’d seen of signages along the way. But they had to try. She thought they should anyway and so she made her way to one of the more promising looking terminals. Pulling out the chair from beneath the desk it sat on, Selina didn’t get the chance to take a seat before a low hiss emitted from beneath the terminal and glowing amber eyes stared out at her. While Selina couldn’t make out what was making the sound outside of its eyes, it was very clearly a warning and one Selina heeded quickly, backing up slowly, eyes still locked on that pair hidden in the depths beneath the terminal. Apparently something had made a nest in there.

“Cortez,” Selina hissed quietly, willing him to join her. She wasn’t sure if he’d heard the noise or not but he had to be clued in that something was amiss based on the way she was moving cautiously. She was tempted to hold up her hands but wasn’t sure she quite believed that whatever was hissing at her would understand a gesture of surrender. Her grip on the knife tightened even as the palms of her hands began to sweat.
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[info]devise
2020-07-22 07:09 pm UTC (link) Track This
Roman didn't care about much else beyond finding the others. A nagging in the back of his mind about the dangers of terminals and how that could turn out. Moving around and checking for their next exit, he was left dead in his tracks the second he did hear that noise. That couldn't have been a terminal, could it? Turning around towards Selina, noting the way she was standing, he eyed the room that much quicker. Moving for her, he grabbed a stick and dug into his own pack along the way.

Growing up the way he had, he knew enough about snakes. Nothing of this sort, given this planet, and he hoped it worked the same. Especially since this was no little garden snake playing nuisance here. Slipping a tiny bottle into her hand, he had a smelling salt placed between his teeth carefully, as he moved into position. Not that he figured she needed the information, he stood a few feet behind her and to her left. "Don't move until it strikes then spray it and get out of the way," he whispered back. The stick moving towards the snake ever so slowly. Roman moved the smelling salt to his free hand, preparing to open it. Not for Selina or himself, he hoped. Because if this backfired, he was out of options.

"Don't stab it unless you have a clear shot. Hopefully what you have will repel it." It wasn't anything but a small, simple solution, much like the smelling salts. Roman's monotone whispers and slow movements with the stick had kept up until after he took a deep breath. Then there was a swift movement, prompting the snake to strike. He hated snakes.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-22 09:22 pm UTC (link) Track This
While their goal was to reach the skyscraper, their ultimate goal was to locate the timesphere, or information on it. With that in mind, Selina didn’t understand why Roman was so adamant that they move as quickly as they could without checking things out along the way. They could potentially learn about the planet and its inhabitants (or former inhabitants) which might enlighten them about other things that might also help in leading them to the timesphere. That was the mission, right? Kind of? It was why they’d split up anyway, otherwise why not work together as the whole crew to reach the skyscraper?

Moving as slowly as she could, Selina wanted to get the hell away from whatever was under the desk. When she heard as much as felt Cortez slide up behind her, Selina felt just a tiny bit relieved. While there was still the animal or creature or whatever under the desk, Cortez was there with her. When she felt something slide into the palm of her hand, Selina reflexively closed her fingers around the bottle, her eyebrows furrowing in puzzlement. “Do you know what it is?!” she hissed back, turning to look at him like he was crazy. Selina just assumed not engage but then she didn’t know if the creature would stand down at that point. It was still emitting a low hiss that had the hairs on Selina’s arms standing on end. Selina got her answer in the next instant.

When Roman moved the stick beneath the desk where those eyes stared out at her, Selina’s own eyes widened. “Cortez!” She started to reach for his arm with the stick to yank it back when the thing beneath the desk moved. Selina didn’t get a good look at it until it was too late and the reptilian creature launched itself at her, mouth open wide. Heart hammering in her chest, Selina fumbled with the bottle Roman had given her and sprayed the damn thing in the face. That only seemed to stun it for a moment but then it was lunging again, clearly pissed off. Selina had backed away but the creature was fast and it struck, sinking its fangs into Selina’s left arm that held the bottle Roman had given her. The pain didn’t register immediately and instead, a rush of adrenaline had Selina stabbing down into the head of the creature, mindful of her arm beneath it.
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[info]devise
2020-07-22 11:17 pm UTC (link) Track This
Where Selina saw things one way, Roman was more worried about the fact that he and her were not who made the team. There were still two more people who were separated from them and may be having just as much trouble or worse than they were. Trying to gain information in a foreign place with unreadable information to use as a form of communication wasn't going to get anyone anywhere. Only caring about what one believed the mission to be, and not looking out for those people who you were supposed to have the back of and the reverse, that was only going to lead to a large string of casualties. Casualties he kept seeing at the forefront of his mind with each familiar moment.

This, however, was far too new for him. And while he tried to help, his hopes were dashed. In the dark shadows, he couldn't see that this had legs. Looking more like it had swallowed a frog and wore the skin of a snake, at least the types he knew of, this creature would make short work as he tried to move back.

The way it had sprung out at her, he didn't have time to register the next moves. There was an outpouring of issues with how the console moved. Leaving it stirring new life to whatever else decided to live in that nest. A sharp sting was felt from his back through to his chest. A bubbling of blood coming up and out of his mouth as he dropped to his knees. Leaving what appeared to be the mate of what had bit into Selina's arm clutching to Roman's jacket, hissing away.
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[info]reinforcement
2020-07-23 12:05 am UTC (link) Track This
Maybe Selina shouldn’t even be worrying about such things as the mission. Her job, after all, was security. She wasn’t an engineer or a scientist and could be no more useful with the timesphere should they locate it, than well, anyone else who hadn’t studied for years at university. Of course, Selina’s excitement about the planet and task (though waned) couldn’t be shaken. As for the rest of their team? Selina just assumed they’d moved on ahead without them. they hadn’t waited for her and Cortez on the other side of those vines and there had been no calls of distress. Selina didn’t think they could have gotten that much ahead of them that any cries of help wouldn’t be heard.

By the time the pain began to register with Selina, the creature with its teeth in her arm no longer moved. She didn’t have time to be relieved though, the movement out of the corner of her eye drawing her attention to Cortez’s form slumping to his knees. If that wasn’t enough to alarm her, the blood around his lips certainly did. Shoving the now-dead creature off of her, Selina turned her attention to Cortez, this time not recoiling for a second when she saw the second creature on his back. Once again, she struck with the knife in the creature’s head and it dropped to the floor. This one wasn’t killed but realizing the threat, it scurried away.

“Cortez,” she whispered urgently, taking his shoulders to try and draw his attention to her. “Cortez!” Carefully, Selina knelt to the floor in front of him and worked to first remove his pack and then his jacket so she could hopefully see what damage had been done. He might have claimed people had died the last time he’d lived this day but Selina was determined not to have any casualties on her watch, especially since she didn’t believe they’d magically rise from the dead and relive the day over again. She’d been through first aid training when she’d joined the Peacekeepers many years ago but then she’d also had a refresher during training for the Endeavor the year before. The only problem was that as soon as she started peeling Cortez’s jacket off, a wave of dizziness washed over her that had her leaning into him even as she tried to help him.

Somehow, Selina knew this was all her fault even if Cortez wasn’t exactly with it enough to point fingers. “I’m sorry; I’m so sorry.” Her words slurred and her movements were increasingly slower as she worked to get first one arm of his jacket off and then the other. By the time she managed to get the jacket off of him, it quickly became obvious that she was holding his body weight up, just barely. “Cortez?” No response. With the creature’s venom now coursing through her veins, Selina didn’t have the strength to hold him up any longer and as carefully as she could, she let his body slump to the floor...and followed.
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Fletcher & Cortez
[info]devise
2020-07-17 02:20 am UTC (link) Track This
There was no adjustment to that sweet smell in the air, as the breeze blowing through only seemed to heighten it. Roman was beginning to only accept that scent as the true scent of death. Some floral aroma he couldn't quite pin down, even if he had wanted to. If only to avoid it. But now wasn't a time for paying attention to that. He was on the lookout for threats, and practically clinging to the path that Fletcher was taking.

However, Roman had fallen behind in his steps. All for the sake of avoiding a few choice vines. There was no trust here, not for anything native to this damn hell planet. "You find anything up there?" Roman called to him, noticing how close he was to the crevasse, but thinking little of it.
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[info]build
2020-07-17 03:22 am UTC (link) Track This
Fletch couldn't remember what to avoid - which was, perhaps, a little blissful, so that he wasn't perpetually on edge. Not like Roman, who worried Fletch, and if all of this time loop talk was real - well, Fletch couldn't exactly blame him. Beemo was further behind them now, with Fletch up ahead, inching along the edge of the crevasse with as much care as he could take. But it wasn't necessarily enough.

"No, nothing!" Fletch called back, poking his head out around the corner and down at Roman. "It just keeps going. But we should probably continue, right?" Fletch didn't notice the rock slowly crumbling underneath the overhang he stood on.
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 04:22 am UTC (link) Track This
It seemed like a fair assessment. Roman hadn't actually seen this side of anything just yet. Not in any of his reset days. Maybe there was a safer route here, maybe everything should turn out better? There had to be some hope somewhere? And if not, there was another day for that too.

"Still?" he groaned. "At this rate we may as well be running." If it were away from something, he might appreciate that. Except in certain cases. Aka this planet. "I guess that makes sense," Roman began, but something felt wrong about this. What was it again?
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[info]build
2020-07-17 06:34 pm UTC (link) Track This
Fletch looked up at the thin winding pass along the crevasse with a furrowed brow, and then back around the corner to Roman and Beemo beyond him. "I'm sure there's something helpful ahead!" He attempted, brightly, not dragged down by the curse of remembering absolutely everything that had gone wrong at every single turn - if that was what was really happening, and the others weren't just collectively losing their minds.

"We'll be alright, we'll just keep go--" Fletch started, and turned, shifted just enough and put too much weight on his back foot that, in little more than a second, he was gone. The path from the cliff had simply given out beneath him, and Fletch disappeared in a drop with little more than an, "Oops!"
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[info]devise
2020-07-17 07:28 pm UTC (link) Track This
The realization came far too late for Roman, just about to call out for Fletcher to move. Then it all happened, much like a whirlwind. Dropping everything he had on him, Roman's speed increased. The words, "Son of a bitch," were muttered along the way.

A full blown sprint came over this loss, not bothering to stop at the edge nor holding a second of hesitation. Never one for the swim team past the first year of tryouts, he still set himself into the position for a dive. As if he were about to go save Fletcher from drowning. Calling out as loud as he could, Roman jumped, "Fletcher!"
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