video/optional action

[dontthinkaboutelephants]

Who: Arthur
Broadcast: Video, fleetwide
Action: Optional; Red fish
When: Now is good

Hey! [Arthur waves at the camera, he's wearing some of his new clothes that are more utilitarian than his usual style (Yes, he keeps blowing his money on clothes. Hush.)] So I have all the preliminary sketches done. If you asked me to draw you something, you should come on over to the Red Fish to see them and tell me if I need to change anything.

I'm also working on a research project with Ms. Carter. If you could answer with some of these preliminary questions I threw together, I'd be most appreciative. Keep in mind that you don't have to answer all of them, especially if they make you uncomfortable, and that these results may be available to anyone on the ship.

attachement: surveypt1.docx

We may have some more questions in the future.

[He picks up and fiddles with a pencil, needing to do something with his hands.]

Has anyone here... lost someone close to them? How do you deal with that, especially if you maybe could have stopped them dying, if you had known something was wrong?

Comments

[namisan]

[One survey. Mostly true answers. She can understand the merit of doing something like this.

...that last question, though. Hits close to the bone.]

Don't focus on the bad. Don't sit there blaming yourself or playing "if things had been different" games-- it's in the past and you can't fix it. You did what you could at the time, right?

My mother died a long time ago. I focus on all the good things about our life, and I remember her advice and I follow it, and I try to do her proud. If you can go to bed at night and imagine them smiling at you, it helps. A lot.

[dontthinkaboutelephants]

[YAY for the survey!

He hesitates.] I'm sorry. About your mother.

And... yeah, that's right. It just felt... like I should have been there.

[He takes a breath, trying to remember Mal's smile, and the ache in his chest hurts a little less.] Maybe you're right.

[namisan]

It's okay. It was a long time ago now. [Nami smiles a little. She recognises Arthur from the Red Fish, given her comings and goings to see Sam or Cas on a regular basis.]

It's hard. And sometimes you could be there and nothing would change anyway. You'll kind of... eat yourself alive if you think about it too much.