Heron May mingle

[grandstanding]

Who: Heron crew and visitors
Broadcast: nope
Action: the Heron
When: all May!

[Birds of a feather mingle together.]

Comments

Charles Xavier | OTA

[axiomed]

[ a - kitchen ]

[ The glamour of being on a spaceship fades very quickly when you realize that all the shelves are too high to do anything with. He briefly thinks about his old chair (magically modified) to give him the rail support that he needs. Until then, like the stubborn man that he is, he pushes himself up on the counter to reach what he needs. ]

[ b - the lab ]

[ Even though for the most part, Charles has appropriated Hank's lab, he still finds himself using the one on the Heron. Mostly to check up on the current research (and a small space to put his books as he would fill up his own far too quickly). For now, he goes through the plant and soil samples intently, making notes as he goes along. ]

[ c - wildcard ]

a

[paraclete]

[Technically, this isn't Kaworu's ship... It's just that he visits so often, and he's tactless enough to make himself entirely at home in a foreign space. So he glides into the kitchen with the grace of someone who is gliding for real — hands in his pockets, calm in expression, Kaworu manages to look like he belongs here. He's very domestic in how he reaches a cupboard, opens it up, and retrieves two mugs, both handles in one hand.

The mugs clack together lightly as he halfway glances over towards Charles.]

Are you near the tea?

[He's so casual and polite that one might wonders if he even notices Charles' position.]

[axiomed]

[ Show off

But Charles doesn't scowl and attempts to look like a man who hasn't been that put out. ]

I believe it's on that shelf, if you don't mind.

[ If Kaworu was going to get it, then Charles might as well ease himself back on the chair. ]

a

[grandstanding]

[Erik comes in while Charles is half-up on the counter, stretching for the shelves above. He knows better than to swoop in and do something for him right this moment, so he just takes a mug from the cupboard, aiming to get some tea.]

I wonder if we'll ever find a place that sells better drinks.

[axiomed]

[ Charles valiantly reaches for the tin and finally grabs it triumphantly, grinning. Carefully he slides off. ]

Do you mean another planet?

Erik Lehnsherr | OTA

[grandstanding]

i. the ship

[Erik's been getting increasingly restless, and while he still goes down to the moon fairly frequently, being cooped up in this box of a ship grates on his nerves at times. His movements have become slightly jerkier, moving around the corridors. He's taken to sitting on the bridge for a while during afternoons near the windows, and winding spare metal around his fingers. He molds it into random shapes, liquefies it, and spins it around in the air. There's a certain artfulness to it, even when it's without form and just winding its way through the air. The intensity in his expression belies the calming effect it has on him.

Otherwise, he works in the engine room, or occasionally in the lab where he's set up chemical baths for the poisoned metal he'd retrieved from the moon. If it's early in the morning, he's often on the treadmill for a while.]

ii. wildcard

[Whatever's on your mind!]

[throwsdown]

[Takeshi is actually here only because he... doesn't bother just sticking to his own ship. How come people go to other ships just to see other crewmembers? Why not wander all over the place? He'll never know. But at any rate, he sees Erik and there's an instant recognition — he knew this guy, knew him from the Tranquility...! He gave him a cooked lizard once. That was nicer than going hungry in a forest.

But he knows, like with Kate, like with Nami... He probably doesn't remember him.

Or fighting alongside him. Which is just an additional inconvenience.

He wanders over, quiet as a mouse, to watch what he's doing in the lab.]

What's that? Are you gonna make a cool invention?

[That's what labs are for, right.]

[grandstanding]

[Erik had been distracted, fishing another clean piece of metal out of the bath to dump into the sink for rinsing. So he starts a little at the voice, hands frozen in midair as the hunk of steel hangs there between them. He glances quickly down and-- a child? Here? There was no one this young on the Heron. He'd hardly thought anyone this young would be in the Fleet.

After a tense pause, he moves to toss the metal swiftly into the sink, lest the chemicals drip everywhere. They would eat through any surface in short order - which was the point. He turns on the tap, glancing back at Takeshi with a frown of mild concern.]

Not at the moment, no. What are you doing in here?

Lab

[reconstitution]

[ Really, he was surprised that Erik asked for his assistance, but he couldn't say no to the endeavor. At the very least, it wasn't for medical assistance, so that helped. Winter is walking by on the way to the bridge when he spots Erik checking over the chemical baths. It's been a few days since they'd spoken on it. ]

How is it coming along?

[grandstanding]

[Erik glances up at the voice, drawing his attention away from the latest piece to undergo the process. The assistance Winter gave had been useful; he may have gotten the laundry list of chemicals from Hank, but being able to do it within his own ship was beneficial.]

Very well. I've already gotten enough to finish what I was working on, so now it's as many extra pieces as I can manage before we leave here. [A small shrug.] I'll find uses for it, I'm certain.

Shinji Ikari | OTA

[astrobleme]

1. SHINJI'S BUNK.

[Shinji still has swaths of leftover fabric from the costumes he made for the moon's masquerade party. He hasn't done anything with it, because he doesn't know what to do with it. Throwing it away would be wasteful. So he tapes up a plain sign in the kitchen that says he's willing to make fabric-based things for people. Commissions, in other words. But for free! There's a list of potential items at the bottom: clothing, curtains, communicator pouches, pillows and blankets, even dolls.

If someone is interested, the sign directs them to visit Shinji at his bunk. He's attempting to make his own communicator pouch right now.] Maybe this stuff is too fancy, [he says to himself, peering at the fabric. It's shimmery gold and honestly kind of garish.] Dark blue might be better...


2. LABORATORY/MEDICAL BAY. (cw: medical stuff, needles, blood, somatic delusion.)

[Shinji isn't the type of person to socialize, but he often observes the other members of the crew, figuring out their unique schedules. He tries to time his latest visit to the medical bay to when absolutely no one else is around. Once inside, he starts pulling open and shoving his way through various drawers and cabinets as quickly as he can. He's looking for a few very important things in order to conduct his own checkup.

He locates the syringes. The needles. Alcohol swabs. Tape. A rubber tourniquet. A Petri dish... Do they have a microscope? God, he hopes so. Lately, especially right after he wakes up, he swears he can feel something swimming around in his blood. It could be a nasty parasite, or a virulent disease, or...

He's so intent on gathering supplies that he doesn't even notice when someone walks in.]

3. WILDCARD.

[Hit Shinji with whatever you want, or leave a blank comment for a random, personalized starter. Shinji will be available throughout the Heron. Feel free to ping me at glowmoss to discuss anything.]

2

[interstices]

[Heading over to the Heron to see Shinji is standard procedure for Asuka at this point, even though he doesn't need her checking up on him the way that he used to. When she doesn't find him in the kitchen, she heads for his bedroom, and when she can't find him there, she turns to wandering around the rest of the ship. She doesn't like messaging him on the communicator prior to showing up, much more accustomed to bursting in unannounced, as if he's a marsupial she's trying to watch in its natural habitat. Or maybe she just doesn't want him preparing himself for her arrival.]

[She can hear the opening and closing of drawers from outside the door of the med bay, so she yanks it open on a whim, not particularly expecting to see him there, or the disarray he's left in his wake. She steps inside without preamble or apology, frowning as she peers at him. It's not exactly her favorite place on her own ship, though obviously, no one's yet tried to run any medical tests on her there. So what's Shinji doing here? She glances at the needles and syringes with a twitch of her lip. God, when will he know what's good for him?]

You're not looking for drugs, are you?

[astrobleme]

[Oh, of course. Of course he couldn't do this without someone--Asuka, of all goddamn people--barging in on him. Shinji's bladder seriously clenches in fear, but he manages to keep himself under control. Exhaling hard, he sets down the box of cotton balls and then glances over his shoulder.]

Hey, Asuka, [he says, and he can taste a nervous sweat on his lips.] I'm not-- Jeez, I'm not looking for drugs. I don't even take those sleeping pills anymore. [Not by choice, to be honest. The medicine just slowly lost its effectiveness after a few weeks of taking it. Now he's back to being unable to sleep, or else being plagued with restless dreams.]

You didn't tell me you were coming over.

[ 2 ]

[axiomed]

[ Well. Not something you see every day. Charles thought he was looking at a younger version of Hank.

He clears his throat. Loudly. ]

[astrobleme]

[Five minutes of privacy. Seriously. Is that too much to ask? Just which deity does Shinji have to beg for a favor from so he can get five minutes to himself to investigate his own potentially infected blood? He looks over his shoulder, bleary-eyed. He has all the symptoms of chronic insomnia and not getting enough sunlight.]

Hello.

[At least he's willing to look sheepish about this trespass.]

I was just, uh... looking for some stuff.

kinda 2, kinda 3

[paraclete]

It smells like alcohol in here, [Kaworu says of the medical bay, with neither pleasure nor displeasure evident in his acknowledgement. He's dressed loudly but casually today — deep pink shirt, dark blue pants, and a bracelet made out of bright orange beads that he'd found on the moon. His demeanor is just as casual, but much quieter: of course, his hands are down inside his pockets, and he leans with his backside against one of the counters. His ankles are even crossed. He's watching Shinji — surprising, right? — and is clearly more opinionated about that than about the alcohol smell. At least, he looks charmed.

The sterility makes him think. Or, remember, maybe. It's enough that he idles for several moments — the way his eyes follow Shinji's movements is all that keeps Kaworu from vacancy. But his smile is present all throughout that, as well as when his head circles back to the reason why he's here in the first place: ] Well, if you have scissors, you can take as much off as you want. [He takes one hand from its pocket and raises it up to ruffle at the back of his hair, in a fluffing action. His hair no longer spikes away from the top of his neck; it's gotten long enough that it flares out at the bottom, now.] I shouldn't let it grow so much, anyway. But I'm not sure how large of a specimen you need?

[astrobleme]

Yeah. Sorry. [Shinji doesn't enjoy the smell of alcohol--of sterility--at all. It reminds him of something he can't quite remember. Whatever it is, it's like a pressure against his face, invading his sinuses.] This shouldn't take too long... and I don't need that much of it, really.

[Wielding the scissors, he only cuts off a small tuft of hair from the back of Kaworu's head. He sprinkles it into the Petri dish he has sitting on the counter. Then he repeats the same process with himself and another dish. On the way over here, he tried to pass off this investigation as a bout of boredom, but the words felt about as transparent as a mouthful of glass. He doesn't even know what he's looking for. He's just looking. Already frustrated, already knowing this won't show him jack shit, he slides the Petri dish with Kaworu's hair onto the stage of the microscope.]

Hey, can I-- [He interrupts himself with an exhale. Then:] Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?

1

[grandstanding]

[At first, Erik only gives the sign a passing glance, thinking it's not something he needs. When he comes back for lunch later and seats himself across from it, though, he finds himself considering what he could use that isn't listed as a suggestion. Eventually he settles on something, and heads down to Shinji's room.

He knocks first, rather than enter unannounced.]

Hello. Too fancy for what, if you don't mind my asking.

2

[stefanged]

[At this point in time, Stefan knows the Heron pretty well. He knows not to head into the med bay, because frankly, he knows his lab better than the Heron's, but his hearing picked up on some rummaging around.

His curiosity's getting the better of him, so he leans by the doorframe and watches this relative stranger stockpile. Doesn't seem like this guy's a medic either.

He waits for a good moment, one that won't startle the kid so much, before he asks,] Do you need help with any of that?

Winter || OTA

[reconstitution]

[ A;; The Bridge ]

[ Winter can be found on the rarest of occasions actually sitting in the captain's seat, a beat up book in his hands. The windows with an open view of the stars isn't quite so oppressive like the rest of the Heron. It also helps that it's at least somewhat warmer here. He seems a little more at ease, focused on the pages instead of constantly monitoring the door and who comes in. ]

[ B;; Kitchen ]

[ The kitchen tends to be quiet enough that Winter doesn't mind sitting at the table in the far corner. Closest to the wall and facing the door, naturally. He's got a leather notebook and pen, pages filled half in neat cursive, and the other in haphazard Cyrillic. Two very different handwritings. Winter has a bowl of protein solid off to one side that he is grazing on. Anyone is more than welcome to bother him and snoop at what he's doing. ]

[ C;; Captain's Quarters ]

[ Winter is still adjusting to not only having a different room, but having space. He's been enjoying the solitude a little bit more. His door remains open so he can at least hear when people are passing by, which acts as an open invitation. He'll either be found reading, or more toward the late evening, he's managed to sneak out the few supplies he's hoarded, the beginnings of a knitted scarf in hand. Judge all you want ]

[ D;; Wildcard ]

[ Come up with your own thing to do! Want to brood in silence? Cool! Want to try and talk feelings? GO FOR IT. Need a boo-boo stitched up? On it. ]

A

[grandstanding]

[Erik's trips to the bridge have become habitual over the last few days; always in the afternoon, always for an hour or so, always to do the same thing. Winter is a new fixture, today, but Erik just offers him a nod of greeting as he moves to his usual chair. People come and go from this area all day long.

He sets a ragged square of steel on the console for a moment, regarding its size and texture. With a short huff, he scoops it up again and begins to work, folding the edges over with his fingers as though it were no less stubborn than clay.]

B

[throwsdown]

[SURPRISE, FRIEND, BET YOU THOUGHT YOU SAW THE LAST OF ME--

No but Takeshi has taken upon himself to go infiltrate people's ships. Mostly because he has absolutely zero concept that people around here usually stick to their own ships unless visiting friends. He's not even here specifically to check up on Winter, but he sees him and feels compelled to.

Behold, the sound of little pitter-pattering feet as he wanders closer.]

Hi, Mr. Winter! What're ya doing??

[ARE YOU DRAWING MANGA, THAT'D BE COOL.]

C

[pain_train]

[Thankfully she's no longer having some kind of crisis, mostly thanks to Winter. Now she's just coming over to visit him. Because visiting Winter makes her happy.

And look at that, he's got brand new quarters! Exciting!

She pauses in the doorway, knocking on it with her knuckles.]

Hello, sir!

[axiomed]

[ After dealing with Raven, Charles had done his best to clean his face and look like a composed person. He felt drained, but not terrible. The deep, dark fear that he had kept close as his protection had already seemed to have drained away.

Everything was new. He was moving forward. He didn't have to treat everything in this place like Kyriakos all over again.

But he can't help the traitorous thought of how Erik would feel if he knew what Charles, what Charles could do. There were no convenient effects, no logical reasons.

There was nothing but Charles laid bare.

Still . . . still he had to do it. He can't dodge the consequences of his actions. ]

[grandstanding]

[Erik was late back today. After his brief if charged conversation with Hank, he'd gone to the Iskaulit to vent his frustrations in the gym. It wasn't even a major slight against him, a traitorous voice inside reminds him. He'd been trying to help. But it keeps sounding sarcastic in his head, and then his ire rises again. As though he couldn't handle the very idea of Moira MacTaggart being in proximity to him. As though he was some mad creature that needed to have every action telegraphed to him first, so he wouldn't be alarmed and lash out.

It bites harder because there's truth in it.

Returning to the ship, he rubs at his face tiredly before heading back to his room.]