driftfleet | 04 | action & video

Who: Stefan Salvatore~~-Alesci~~ and you!!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: SS Paisley
When: Backdated to May 6th

[action; closed to crew & close CR]
[Around mid-afternoon, Stefan stirs from his slumber, entangling himself in blankets before he slowly pulls himself up and glances around. This isn't home. No big wooden panels or creaking wooden floors, and more importantly, no stench of bourbon in the hallway. His face falls as he listens to the steady heartbeats of his crew. His amazing, awesome, but still Damon-free crew.

Resigning himself to the inevitable, he murmurs,] So I'm still here.

[Pulling those covers closer, he allows himself those few seconds of grief before rubbing his temples and managing the thinnest of smiles. No sense in worrying everyone else right off the bat.

Stefan'll also be in the kitchen later with his usual mug of tea and- and wait. Did his stash of chocolate chips shrink while he was gone?? Stefan might be peering at his baking supplies like he's trying to puzzle out a mystery. Or maybe he's on the verge of falling asleep again. Hard to tell.]

[video;]
[Sometime after the initial confusion wears off, Stefan puts the video feed on and manages a weak wave at the camera. The Paisley's lab can clearly be seen in the background, along with a stack of (dusty, untouched) files behind him. Despite sleeping for at least five weeks, he looks (and feels) as exhausted as ever.]

Hey. Sorry if I've worried anyone for being out this long, but uh, I should be back to my usual stuff soon. So if you've missed my interfaith talks for some strange reason, they'll pick back up next week. [...] Jumu'ah too, if we've gained any other Muslims since I was last around.

Speaking of "last around," I know more than a few of us have experienced hypersleep. If you're willing to talk about it, I have a few questions for you. Nothing big, I promise, and the informed consent forms are right here. [He hasn't uploaded them to the network yet, so he'll hold one up to the camera.]

If this seems like your kind of thing, drop by the Paisley. I should be around for a while. [A small, nervous smile, one that actually reaches his eyes.] Oh, and uh - I'm Stefan Salvatore. It's good to be back.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Probably. I didn't really change, but I know others've grown older while they were sleeping.

[Which is important because uh, no one in the Fleet's aging anymore.]

[ This time Obi-Wan can't hide his expression. ]

How?

No idea. My best guess is that the augments release growth hormones or something.

[Wait. He's not gonna get all scientific on Obi Wan here.]

If we get to talk to Atroma again, I know that's my first question.

It's whether they'll answer that matters.

[ Growth hormones isn't impossible, though certainly far beyond anything Obi-Wan has seen at work. ]

Diamond and Beau used to answer questions a long time ago. Haven't gotten direct answers since... last fall?

[Wow, that's a long time when Stefan thinks about it.]

With our luck, we won't hear from them until then.

Honestly, I had no idea they could . . . perhaps they'll do a repeat performance.

I hope so. I meant to ask them real questions, but totally got distracted with something stupid instead.

[ He chuckles. He has a hard time picturing Stefan doing that. ]

Like what?

Well... [Stefan presses his lips together.] Back when I talked to Diamond, we were stuck on the Marsiva, and there were a ton of books from home.

So instead of asking her about the important things, I got sidetracked and instead asked her about keeping the Qur'an - my sacred text. She said yes, but that wasn't what I meant to ask.

Edited 2016-06-23 08:39 (UTC)

Well, hopefully we'll get a second chance.

I think so. What would you ask them if you got the chance?

[ He rubs his beard, thoughtful. ]

Probably about how much memory we're allowed to remember once we leave. That's my primary concern.

It's an important one. I hope you get to ask them, but in the meantime...

You could check with those of us who were on the Marsiva. I only asked about the Qur'an, but I know Clay and a few others got more pressing ones answered.

[ He nods. ]

I'll ask around.

Good luck. I'm sure someone's asked it, or at least something similar enough.

[A pause,] For what it's worth, while we're in these deep sleeps, we don't remember this place.

Edited (icon fail) 2016-06-24 20:59 (UTC)

Not at all?

[ That's . . . a less positive sign. ]

Nope. If I did, I'm sure I would've acted differently back home.

That doesn't sound like good news to me, I'm afraid.

It's really not, but I'm not sure if it's the same for everyone.

[Nothing here ever IS, after all.]

Maybe you'll be the exception, whenever you get to go,

[ With some brief good humour. ]

I suppose that's been known to happen.

Hey, in this case? It's a good thing.

[a long pause,] Also uh... I should thank you and Misty for looking after the Center. I'm sorry I didn't leave more detailed instructions.

[Who's he kidding? There were whole notebooks left behind.]

[ He grins slightly. ]

It's the least we could do. You need not worry. Your legacy is quite well preserved.

[His legacy..... Stefan blinks back surprise.]

Our legacy, you mean. I might've looked at the big picture stuff, but there's no way I could've done it without you.

I'm not so sure I'm a large part of it.

Of course you are. [Headtilt.] A multifaith space is only as good as the people using it.

(no subject)

beardstrokes - 2016-07-27 04:23 (UTC) - Expand

stefanged - 2016-07-27 04:31 (UTC) - Expand

beardstrokes - 2016-07-27 05:14 (UTC) - Expand