driftfleet | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Anyone who wants to hang on the Iskaulit
Broadcast: nah
Action: Iskaulit mingle, darlings
When: All day every day (at least for the month)

[We're drifting, so it's a perfect time to make use of the many fine establishments on our common ship.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This can wait. I'd rather get to spend time with you anyway. [Because Hank is awesome.] So let's take a walk.

Because I'm so exciting. [but he says it with a smile, joking] Through the gardens, maybe?

Of course, you're my friend. [Not a trace of irony.] Sure! I like the gardens. Reminds me a little of district two.

[joke failed, but her response makes him smile]

You're my friend too. I can't say I've gone through them very often - not . . . ah, not before, at least. But lately I have been.

The gardens are super cute. Misty and Beverly do stuff in them, so I like to check those out. And plants are really neat.

Plants are pretty neat. [his smile briefly widens] They're pretty peaceful. It's a nice place to walk through to clear your head a little.

[which he's been doing a lot lately. All things considered, it isn't surprising]

I do better clearing my head with combat exercise stuff, but that totally makes sense.

I've done that, too. [he sighs, looking a little sheepish] Sometimes it works.

When it doesn't work I go pick a fight. I used to get drunk but I can't any more. Or I go hang out with Winter.

I usually hang out with Charles, but that isn't exactly an option when it comes to this. [he shrugs a shoulder with a wry smile] But I've been managing. I'm good at that much.

Ah, yeah. Charles needs to be okay having his own feelings.

I'm glad you're doing okay, though, Hank.

Mmm. And he needs to take time for himself, too. He's bad at it.

[he huffs a little bit] I have to be.

Yeah. I just try to remind him that he's Charles the Scrublord.

[She rolls her eyes up to look at him.] Well that's a fucking stupid thing to say when we're talking shit like this about Charles. Come on, Hank.

I'm glad you do.

[he glances down at her, blinking a bit widely] What?

If you're not totally okay, it's fine. "I have to be" normally means "I'm really not but I don't think I have a choice" or "I'm not and I've been going balls to the wall so long I feel like a wimp saying I'm not."

[ah . . . he huffs out a noise, and his shoulders slump a little]

It's neither of those.

Okay, then what is it?

[he purses his lips, almost like he isn't going to answer, before he sighs and reaches up to take off his glasses. The other hand comes up to rub at his eyes]

It's . . . I know I'm not entirely okay, and I know I won't be for a while, but when it comes to Charles, Erik and Raven - I can put my problems aside to be okay for them.

It isn't - I don't want to make it sound like it's some sort of competition of who had it worst. But when these things happen - they're the ones in the middle of it all. Sure, I'm there, and I'm involved, but - not like they are.

Charles has said that to me before, that it's not a contest. But then he doesn't listen to himself. But I get what you mean. You gotta stand for the people you care about.

[he can't help but huff a little, rolling his eyes]

Charles is great when it comes to giving advice he doesn't take himself. [but he nods, softening] They do it too, but I'm sure their reasons are different. If you can even get them to speak about it.

You just have to be really stubborn.

[Sigh.]

So what happened that's got everyone so shook?

Mm, sometimes.

[he reaches up to rub at the side of his neck, sighing] Did Charles tell you anything?

I know that a bad person tried to possess him or something? And that... I think, the same bad person did something to Erik. And some bad shit happened to Erik before that.

[of course they explained it to her in the vaguest way possible]

A powerful mutant, yes. En Sabah Nur - or Apocalypse. He - mm, he manipulated Erik at a difficult time. [which is oversimplifying it, but doesn't really feel like he can speak of the details. It was Erik's part to tell] And he kidnapped Charles to - essentially possess him. He wanted his power.

You have to understand, though - it's more difficult, because a lot of - what we spoke about here, it didn't go home with us. Things we had planned out or promised to do. Before all of this, Charles and I hadn't seen Erik or Raven in ten years. So all of this happening was sudden, and then - coming back here sort of made it even more complicated.

I know that people are different at home than they are here. I told Erik that I don't know the Erik he is at home. Just the Erik here, and that's the Erik who matters to me. [Shrug.]