This is the reason why no one on the Red Fish should have hobbies outside of punching people...

[blindoptimism]

Who: The motley crew of the SS Redfish
Broadcast: None
Action: Boarding area of the Red Fish
When: Backdated to Part 1 of the June Bug plot

[On tonight's episode, Coil and Zhas return to the Red Fish with a squirmy live bug in tow. Coil intends to perform untold experiments on the living specimen. But it seems like trouble is brewing on the once peaceful ship... Will the other crew members be okay with these morally questionable experiments taking place on board? Tune in tonight to find out!]

Comments

[theboogieman]

[for all of Zhas' maladjustment, he can at least be counted on to speak honestly, or not speak at all. the most deceit he could ever manage is a bluff or exclusion of certain facts--and there's no room for either of those here, with his thoughts already tangled.

he feels like he never quite left the hallway. he glances back at the space, distractedly raising a hand... perhaps to sign, at first, but his fingers wind up pressed lightly against the paint on his face, the tips of them over his cheek.

this seems wrong.] Wait... five minutes. Can you. [he meant it as a question, but.] Sorry.

[blindoptimism]

[She starts a little, at the sudden dialogue breaking the conversation. She begins to nod slowly... then more firmly as she gets over her surprise.]

Of course. [she glances around, almost wondering if something had transpired suddenly in the room that she had missed, but her eyes return to him as she decides to simply wait and see] You don't have to apologize... I'll wait here. [it's half a question, half a statement]

[theboogieman]

[he grumbles in acknowledgement, nodding. whatever had happened in his head, he now thinks it's necessary to walk back down the hallway and disappear into the washrooms all the way on the other side. he doesn't close the door or anything. doesn't make much noise. just a little bit of clattering, some running water. they aren't unfamiliar sounds, on this ship.

a few minutes later, he walks back up the hallway with a renewed sort of calm... and no face paint. he must have scrubbed it off. it still looks a little dark around his eyes, but it's hard to say if that's leftover makeup or just years of exhaustion.

he shucks off his coat, too, taking a second to drop it down the hatch to his room on the way. now he's put the worst of it behind him. he is weak and vulnerable, but he can talk.

he nods to her again, like they're starting all over. he goes back to signing.]

'You talked to others?'