driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Coil Lenn and any innocent bystander
Broadcast: Audio and video - Fleetwide
Action: Aboard the SS Red Fish
When: Shortly after the Shuffle

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[there were too many new people on his ship; too many unfamiliar faces were making him feel anxious within the halls of what was supposed to be his home. he has been deflating under the pressure of trying to meet them all and keep track of them, wondering where they all fit and wishing that Zhas would just step up and take over like he's supposed to. he just wants to be able to stop worrying about it and get back to work. so, when the skullfaced man continues to make himself suspiciously scarce, Coil finally goes to seek him out... and his search ends in what is supposed to be Zhas' bunk.

for a minute, there is that awful sense of vertigo that comes with wondering if he's somehow gone into the wrong room. but the minutiae left behind--all of the little things that he couldn't possibly care about because none of it adds up to him--is familiar. it's the random remnant of Zhas' things, and a desperate search of the Network quickly confirms his fears.

when it does, something inside of him that still feels recently healed simply breaks apart without effort, and the rest of his crew manages to miss most of what immediately follows. the pacing and clawing and breathing so fast that he almost makes himself sick is quiet enough to go unnoticed. but anyone who happens to be home at the time might notice the eventual banging on the empty bunk walls, and the yell of voice that has never been heard on the ship before.]

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[and, since there is supposedly an eager audience somewhere, hungry for drama, of course the communicator turns on when it crashes into the wall.

so, after the image on the screen bounces around crazily until the device comes to rest in some corner of the room, anyone tuned into this particular frequency can catch the sounds of someone more or less losing their shit. the sobbing sounds of sheer, heartbroken frustration are muffled through something... probably clenched teeth and buried in arms or a pillow... but they're definitely very public.

someone is having the worst day of his recent life.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[regarding the communicator a little more directly then, he focuses and shoots her a questioning look, brow furrowed. he almost seems suspicious about the whole thing... since he can't imagine why in the world she would want to visit this ship.]

I still need to thank you for watching over Nux.

[She'd learned from her own world that people could be surprising if you gave them half a chance. The Wives being as tough as they were, a Warboy being as compassionate ... Furiosa herself is still relearning to live after so much time as an Imperator; this was just as much a step for her as it was a chance to check in with her Warboy's friend.]

[he still doesn't understand--that much is clear. but his mind is full and arguing sounds pointless, so he just... shrugs and nods without conviction.

if she wants to visit, fine. he can't bring himself to care.]

[It's that sort of reaction that settles her on visiting. Giving up in the face of a struggle ... it's not something she can tolerate.]

[So, when it's convenient, she'll take a shuttle over. She's not even sure if there's anything she can do, but she wants to at least try.]

[as the now acting captain, he's given the autopilot instructions to open the door for anyone who wants to board. if someone wants to show up on the ship, so be it. he doesn't care.

he isn't planning on leaving Zhas' empty room any time soon.]

[Wandering around a strange ship, looking for Coil, trying not to intrude on anyone else too much ... she checks the bridge and the social areas first, before peeking her head into personal quarters.]

[Which is why it takes her some time to locate him. When she does, she lets herself into the room and sits on the nearest available surface. She waits and watches him for a moment, trying to fully understand just what he was upset about.]

[the bunk he's in isn't locked, and he doesn't lift his head to look over right away when he hears the hatch open and someone descend the short stairs into the room. normally his territorial instincts are set to a hair-trigger, but there's nothing here left to protect.

the room is one of those empty shells with only scattered, meaningless items left behind from when a passenger disappears.

at least he's not crying anymore. though, he's not doing much of anything else, either--just drained and shut up in his own head.]

[It's happened before on the First Breath; passengers leaving, quietly, without pomp or circumstance. Furiosa takes a moment to take in the sparse nature of the room, and it settles in the gravity of the situation.]

It's never easy, losing people we care about. [She remembers her mother with those words; as long ago as that was, it still pierces her with a certain sadness she will never shake.] Be glad you have the luxury of mourning, but don't let your heart corrode with it.

[someone else would probably take comfort in those words. another person would probably have the capacity to at least open themselves up enough to listen.

but, if there is someone who has already slid pretty far down that 'heart corroding' path, it's this kid.

when he finally looks over, it's to stab a look at her that inexplicably borders on hate.]