driftfleet | quack quack

[This moon is the worst moon and why are they still on it. Davesprite isn't affected by the medical conditions that come with the lunar landscape—whether supernatural or pollution inspired—but look. He has been babysitting a teenage werewolf most of their stay and having an above average number of existential crises. It's not a fun time.

Which is clearly why he's on the bridge, in the recreation area, or in his room, a) fucking around with a shitty notebook filled with rap lyrics and doodles, b) focused on consuming his own weight in candy, because he doesn't want to think about his crowish interest in eating maggots, or c) rolling around a few leftover gumballs like marbles (might as well use them for something). Because what better way is there to cope besides straight up ignoring it.

If someone is really unlucky, they might catch him mumbling his rap lyrics to himself. I'm sorry.]

[ Isaac has not had the best of times on this moon either, and this is perhaps the first time he's emerged from his room for any length of time over the past few days. He's feeling more like himself, now that he's gotten rest. But he moon still provides a little bit of irritation, at the back of his mind, but he's hopeful they'll be leaving soon.

Which is why he's popping next door to visit his friend. He doesn't knock (does he ever?), just opens the hatch and half slides, half climbs down the ladder. He's too tall, okay? ]

Uh, dude. [ His voice is a little rough. Lots of growling and lack of speaking will do that. ] Are you seriously eating all of the candy? [ Hi, Davesprite, aren't you glad he's back? ]

What does it look like.

[Davesprite gives him an unimpressed look from where he's chillin'. He doesn't even deign to move and just peels open another candy wrapper.

Please stop him. He doesn't even need to eat.]

[ Isaac moves and plops down beside Davesprite, even attempts to steal the candy bar from him. ]

You're gonna throw up if you eat it all. And when you do, I'll just say I told you so. Maybe hold your wings back for you.

[ Slowly put the candy bar down, Davesprite... ]

Hey.

[It's nothing more than a protest, though, and he begrudgingly lets Isaac have the candy.]

I wasn't going to eat all of it. Just most of it. [...] Probably. Depends how long it took me to get bored.

I mean you've made a huge dent in our stash, dude.

[ Isaac doesn't even care that Davesprite was just eating off the same chocolate, he just takes a bite. Food is food. ]

You were just bored eating like that? I'd be sick for days if I ate that many. You should probably eat something healthier anyway. [ Said ironically, because just after he takes another bite of the chocolate. ]

It's not like I'm gonna gain weight.

[But he sighs and sits up, legs crossed.]

So are you done with the zombie act. I was starting to wonder if I should get you checked for brain fungus.

[ Isaac just rolls his eyes at the comment. Of course ghost birds can't gain weight. That makes sense. ]

No, I'm actually here to eat your brains and bring this space ship down or whatever. [ He flops backward on the bed, his legs still dangling off. He stretches them out. It's a wonder they don't touch the wall opposite the bed. Who knows how big these rooms are. ]

I was exhausted. I felt like I could sleep all day and it'd not be enough. [ He finishes the chocolate bar. ] And guess what? It wasn't.

[It remains hilarious that the guy who doesn't need to sleep has the biggest bed by virtue of being captain.]

Yeah, maybe next time I should just take your advice and knock you out. Not that I can actually comprehend how full moons work when you're literally on a moon. Is it worse when you're sunny side up? Do they have a pill you can take? What the fuck are you even reacting to, is it the planet's phases? Wait, I guess I could've solved that one on my own by looking up if there was a full planet for three fucking days.

[That does come out a little irritated. He was so fucking bored, oh my god.]

Or maybe this is just a bizarre magitech feature that only exists to make your life as miserable as possible. Atroma's stamped this shit as augment approved.

It's never lasted that long, and I usually have control. I'm usually locked up alone somewhere, just in case, okay? But Remus is gone, and I didn't know it was gonna be that bad. That it was gonna last that long. It's usually only over night.

[ Isaac feels guilty, really, that Davesprite stayed and watched over him all three days and nights. He hardly had the energy to do much other than eat and sleep for a few days following, and now he's not even sure how to thank him. He notes the irritation in his friend's voice, though. ]

Sorry.

I'm not mad at you.

[He half waves a dismissive hand, accompanied by an eye roll.]

It's not like you could do anything about it. But I got to question why we're still here. Shitty food, shitty drama—you can't tell me anyone found that entertaining for as long as it dragged on—shitty pollution. What reason could we possibly have for hanging around this long.

You should be.

[ It's a comment that comes out off-hand, like he doesn't even notice he's said it. He's been in uncontrollable situations before and ended up punished all the same. ]

None of it was fun, I still don't feel right, but I feel better. Like it was just building up. Maybe they find this hilarious -- look at the wolf kid and bird kid try not to kill each other, it'll be fun. [ He picks up the emptied chocolate wrappers and tosses them into the air like confetti. ]

[He shoots Isaac a peculiar look. Is Davesprite familiar with feeling like things outside of his control are his fault? Uh, yes. Does that mean he expects it from his friends? Uh, no.

The chocolate wrappers flutter back onto the bed and Davesprite cocks his head, watching them.]

If it makes you feel better, it's not like I was ever in any actual danger. No offense, dude, but you're gonna have to climb way higher up your echeladder if you want to have merit as a real threat.

[He picks up another piece of candy. Please take it away from him.]

At worst I was kind of annoyed by all the growling.

[ Isaac doesn't even think -- his body knee-jerk reacts when he sees the candy in Davesprite's hand. He reaches up and swats it out of his hand. He is the most polite. ]

Yeah, growling is really weird still even for me. But yeah, I wasn't exactly worried if you were gonna hold up, dude. You're probably the only one I'd trust to do it anyway.

[ Sure, there were plenty of people on the fleet who were strong enough to contain him, but he's not sure he would actively let anyone else near. Just in case. ]

Next time, if there is one, I'll make sure to have a stack of boring magazines and maybe a soap opera ready for you to kill time, okay?

Dude.

[Davesprite almost sounds insulted when the candy disappears down the space between the bed and the wall. He peers after it, trying to work out where it landed, before he gives up and phases his arm right through the mattress.]

You could at least eat it yourself. It's almost like you want to invite the space vermin aboard.

[He keeps talking as he fishes blindly for the bar and slightly wigs himself out in exchange. He is reaching into a dark, enclosed space that is possibly home to something with teeth.]

They probably carry diseases, you know.

It is so weird when you do that. You're gonna get stuck in the bed or something.

[ It's so strange, watching his friend's arm disappear into the mattress. ] I'd say I'd still eat it, but you hide weird things under your bed and stuff, so I'll probably let you have that one.

[ Isaac rolls his eyes and slides off the bed to actually look under it from the floor, watching as Davesprite idly fishes for the candy. ] A little to the left. [ A glance up. ] There aren't any space vermin -- except us. Pretty sure bird boy and wolf boy count as space vermin to most aliens here.

And it'll be your fault because you gave a sociopathic fuckhead from above the idea.

[It's sardonic; Davesprite still remembers getting stuck in that door. Can he blame Atroma for it? Probably, he thinks.]

Fine. We probably carry diseases. I guess this is why they quarantine us on the Marsiva upon arrival; they don't want to play no game of epidemic. [He pauses to grimace, even as he obligingly follows Isaac's instructions.] Shit. Pretend I didn't say that. That actually sounds too legit to be funny.

[He swipes the candy bar out from under the bed, towards Isaac's face (sorry, bro), and sits back up.]

I wonder if we can get that game for the ship. Uh, the actual game not... not an epidemic. Uh. Yeah.

[ All they need on board is an actual plague. But the game could be fun, and at least keep them entertained more than hangman does.

He doesn't have long to ponder it, though, when the candy bar is swiped at his face. It hits him. ]

You could have just picked that up, you know. [ And he throws it at Davesprite instead. Adulting. ]

Douche.

[Guess who's too lazy to catch it. It harmlessly bounces off one shoulder.

He doesn't bother elaborating that he can't phase objects that he doesn't think of as "part" of him. Like clothes (fortunately).]

I have no idea what game you're talking about, though.

[It's been six years, ok. He'll only remember the Pandemic flash game, as it is.]

Seriously?

[ He looks at Davesprite skeptically then shrugs. ] You pick what kind of disease you wanna take out the world with and try to make it the best outbreak. Greenland is the hardest to get.

[ He shrugs, and instead of getting back up on the bed, he just leans forward, resting his folded arms on the mattress. ]

[Wait.]

Don't you mean Madagascar.

[He's so confused right now. How did he (subconsciously? haha no, it was totally intentional on my part) stumble over this reference.]

What? No, I mean Greenland. Seriously, the whole world's on death's door and there's Greenland. Icy and healthy.

[ He sighs, frustrated, like he's had to suffer many games of this before. ]

I dunno, it gets boring here.

No, I definitely remember people yelling on the internet because Madagascar shut down everything.

[Davesprite, meanwhile, is operating on a totally different wavelength.]

Man, I forgot that was a thing. [Obviously, dude.]

Yeah well, Greenland was the same way. I think I had the Madagascar thing happen to me, too. I don't really remember.

[ He shrugs, shoulders rising up to his ears and falling, what with the way he's leaning on the bed. ]

It'd be better than hangman, anyway. Maybe we should come up with our own games or something. Pretty sure we've watched every movie the ship has, and I don't like reading, so.

At this point, I'd take a round of 52 Pickup every hour for twenty-four hours, if it meant I didn't have to spend another day orbiting this goddamn moon.

[He props his chin in one hand and picks the candy bar out of the sheets with the other.]

And I don't even get mood swings.

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