Meanwhile on the less violent fish ship....

[save_the_souls]

Who: The Blue Fish Crew & Any Visitors
Broadcast: MAYBE
Action: SS Blue Fish
When: Beginning of July

[So in the past month, Aang & Katara may or may not have become an item, Sokka finished off all of puberty in under a week, Allen remained stuck in the puberty still, Toph won strangest pilot award briefly before she had to give it up to a pony, Hawke sassed everything and finally itemized with Anders, Beverly acquired a Starfleet issued puppy, and it turned out the cook is a flipping disney princess. Quite a time for the Blue Fish crew!]

[Well, it's time to check in with them again: AKA IT'S A MINGLE EVERYONE]

Comments

[dancingmd]

[A couple of sympathetic chuckles escape her at that and she lets go of him in order to fetch him some tissues, surreptitiously wiping her own eyes first. After handing him the box, she sits in her chair again, still next to him, but giving him some space if he wants it.]

Better?

[catamite]

[balancing the box on his knees, hunkered over it with his shoulders still shrugged up in that way that makes him seem smaller, he just squishes a couple of tissues onto his eyes.

and he silently shrugs. he doesn't know if he'd use the word better.]

[dancingmd]

[She reaches over and pats his hand. That's okay. Having a good cry is important, but it's not always enough.]

What do you want to do now?

[catamite]

I want a drink.

[and he laughs pathetically, a little bit. but he still means it.]

[dancingmd]

[She smiles sadly at that.]

I promise, I will get started on the synthehol as soon as I can.

[catamite]

[he wads up the tissues in his hands and straightens up, taking a deep breath to try and pull himself together.] Okay.

[his eyes are still a little leaky and his nose is red, but he's trying.]

How long... do you think it will take?

[dancingmd]

[And she'll politely pretend not to notice the leaky eyes and red nose.]

I can't give you an exact timeline yet. I think I have most of the necessary ingredients, but I'll need some different equipment before I can start.

[A slight frown appears as she stops and debates with herself. She really should not offer this, but seeing as there is no way she is giving him any sleeping pills right now anyway and he certainly can't keep going with no sleep while she takes the time to build what she needs...]

Have you ever had a hot milk toddy?

[catamite]

[the despair is just beginning to sink in again, because when you're dangling on the precarious end of a chemical rope, any little bit of waiting feels impossible.

but the question sounds enough like an offer of something presumably helpful, that it buoys him just enough.

looking tentatively hopeful, he shakes his head.]

[dancingmd]

[Oh god, he's so heartbreaking.]

It's a drink that I've used it in the past to help me get to sleep. I could make you some, before you go try to go to bed...

[catamite]

Oh yeah? ...What's in it?

[dancingmd]

Milk and some honey and nutmeg and a little bit of brandy. Admittedly it probably won't taste exactly right with the ingredients we have here, but if it helps you get to sleep... well, we can try it, even if it won't be a permanent solution.

[catamite]

Oh...

[he gets quiet for a second, as he thinks about it.

and when he does finally smile a little bit, it's of the embarrassed, painfully wistful kind.]

...My mom used to make us something like that, I think.

[dancingmd]

[How many times can a space mom's heart break, I ask you?

This heartbreak is personally familiar to her, however, as she lost both her parents at a young age. Oftentimes it's the little reminders that hit you the hardest.]

My Nana did too. I've always found it comforting, when I'm stressed or far away from home.

[catamite]

[he nods a little--still looking exhausted and mentally wrung-out, but having some parting thing to look forward to helps.]

...That sounds nice. I'd like that.

[dancingmd]

[She reaches out again and rests her hand gently on his.]

Good. I have a few things I need to finish up first, but you can wait in here if you want, and then we'll go back to the kitchen. Sound like a plan?

[catamite]

Okay.

[he looks down at her hand, as it's one more thing that catches him a little off guard. it's not a bad thing, just... different.]

...Should I be doing anything? Do you want help?

[dancingmd]

Ah...

[She is about to refuse, but thinks better of it. Maybe it'll make him feel better to have something to do. She smiles.]

Thank you. You could wash those beakers over there, if you don't mind.

[catamite]

[as long as she is willing to practically hold his hand through anything she asks him to do. at least as far as speed goes, it would probably be quicker to do it all herself.

but he'll still try.]

Oh... sure.

What should I wash them with?

[dancingmd]

Just soap and water is fine! They didn't have anything toxic in them.

[Otherwise she would be doing it herself.]

[catamite]

Okay...

[and picking himself up, he'll scoot off the chair and head over there to do as instructed... but it is mostly going to consist of him delicately picking them up one by one to inspect them, and looking a little lost.]

--Just in the sink, or...?

[dancingmd]

[Nel... this is frustrating but also a little pitiful. She crosses over and picks up one of the beakers herself.]

Here, let me show you...