groove slam work it back

[noctiphile]

Who: the good and merry folk of the S. S. Starstruck
Broadcast: it's a mystery! you decide!
Action: S. S. Starstruck
When: until we make a new one

[Wow! Look at that! This ship sucks! Discontent is abundant! No one likes each other! Everyone's grumpy! I'm using too many exclamation points! Looks like it's just the first of many exciting episodes aboard the S.S. Starstruck*.]

*property possibly inherited from lady gaga

Comments

to anybody else, no. to aaron? probably

[mysterzie]

[ Aaron backs off for a moment, eyes wide before he disappears again. He comes back relatively quickly with an entire first aid kit. Where did it come from? Probably better not to ask. He starts to rifle through it for what looks like sharp implements paired with thread and pulls it out. ]

This is going to help, right?

he knew you were a pal

[noctiphile]

Yes, goddess. Let's hope you can stitch better than you can recognize a needle.

[It's the pain talking. It's worsened since he left, hopelessness running abundant. Despair smothers like a blanket and longing is crushed under the heel of inability over and over. It's every sensation of loss he's felt manifested in a single compounded pain.

Uncovering the wound on his neck, he forced himself still, hands clenching into the fabric of his pants.] Fix me, would you?

bestest pal even if he takes your face sometimes

[mysterzie]

[ Aaron scowls, but this is like some kind of really twisted challenge and he's not going to back down. He works with the thread on the needle and gets some gauze to soak up the blood so he gets a look at what he's working on. This is easy. It'll be easy! They do this kind of thing on TV all the time and how hard can sewing be?

He places his hand, as gentle as he can be when he's trying so damn hard to not freak out, on the side of the wound and inserts the needle at the bottom where he intends to start. Blood is still everywhere but at least now he's got a mental image of where he's working. ]

You'd better hold still.

crashes this thread

[pocketpal]

What are you doing?

[ - squawks the tiny indignant voice of a tiny indignant person, standing in the doorway. ]

Put that needle down immediately.

What is going on?

makes it worse

[lord_wizard]

[There is far too much shouting for this tiny little ship, which leads Felix to come investigate, probably almost stepping on their captain in the process]

I see the madness is spreading already.

still counts as bonding!!

[noctiphile]

Hello, Captain. Not-Captain. I've got a hole in my neck.

[There. Everyone's caught up. He fixes Aaron with a sharp look.] Not to inspire mutiny, but do not put that needle down.

[mysterzie]

[ It is only superhuman reflexes that keeps Aaron's startled jump from ripping a further hole in the wound when ELN barges in. Felix is just another straw in the pile and Aaron has to take a few cleansing breaths before he's looking in all directions at once without moving. ]

I'm trying to fix this! He's hurt, idiot. Do you not see all the blood?

[pocketpal]

Look where you're going!

[ She stomps inward. ]

Of course I see it. My augment is medical knowledge. You should have called me immediately.

[ And don't mind her, she's just going to start climbing up to where the needle is. Quick and efficient movements. ]

...is this even sterilized?

[lord_wizard]

Have you perhaps considered carrying around some kind of bright object?

[He watches her go, though, still trying to process her general existence]

Well, that does answer my second question...

[And he turns his gaze on Mattias]

What possessed you?

[noctiphile]

Captain, I understand the precaution, but right now is not the time!

[The pain is only increasing and Mattias' expression only becomes more agitated. His annoyed glare moves freely between the three of them, resting finally on Felix.] I wished to see the color of my blood. The augment, idiot! What else?

[mysterzie]

[ Aaron glares at ELN for the comment. How should he have known? ]

It was in the kit! What do you want me to do?

ELN, the gentlest, kindest soul

[pocketpal]

Just give it to me.

And you, quiet. If you couldn't take a bit of pain, you shouldn't have tried to carve your own neck out.

[ She lifts (with difficulty) a bottle of antiseptic, soaking it into a sterile bandage. And, nudging Aaron's hand to the side, she withdraws the needle and begins to clean the wound. None too gently. Good thing it's very hard to shake her off. ]

I will stitch this up properly, and you will feel better. [ She says this like it's an order. ]

compared to the rest of this crew, sure

[lord_wizard]

[Nevermind the surreal qualities of this situation, because he's going to keep arguing with Mattias. How dare the man who injured himself call him an idiot]

I'm sorry? Me? Weren't your thoughts on the augment veering towards the positive when we first spoke? When then did you decide the next step was to try to carve it out yourself?!

[noctiphile]

[Asking Mattias to be quiet is like asking a river to stop flowing. He'll keep doing it, especially when there's an argument to be had.]

I never said I was trying to remove it! I wanted a look at it. Curiosity is a dangerous mistress! [He grunts, but never flinches. In fact, he's eerily still the entire time she treats the wound. With the exception of his mouth.]

[mysterzie]

[ Aaron only lets go of the needle once he's sure ELN will be able to handle it. That done, he backs up and kind of... sits there. His hands twitch and he's drawn to notice how much... blood there is. That's a lot of blood, and a lot of it's gotten on him since he's been poking at Mattias. ]

How would you even look at it? [ It's a murmur, distracted. His fingers still move even with all this blood? ] It's behind your ear, dumbass.

[pocketpal]

[ Now given a task, ELN-1470 is efficient and crisp about the whole endeavor. She goes about it one step at a time, accomplishing each with quick and exact movements. It's not long before she has the needle ready, and starts to sew it up.

Everyone else seems to be doing a good job berating Mattias. She'll stay quiet for now. ]

[lord_wizard]

[Curiosity is a concept which Felix is well acquainted, so it goes a long way in explaining this situation, and his tone softens by a fraction]

Even so, it was hardly urgent. You could have asked for assistance.

[noctiphile]

Mirrors, shapeshifter, are something even you should be familiar with.

[Despite the comment, his tone isn't sharp. Lightly scolding, perhaps, but that's it. Perhaps he's pleased that everyone stopped calling him stupid.]

Yes, I suppose I could have. [He offers a shaky grin.] But then we wouldn't be having such a marvelous time together now, would we?

[mysterzie]

My name's Aaron.

[ There's less of a bite than usual because he's still staring at his hands. This isn't something he's encountered before and nothing really prepares you for having someone else's blood all over you. ]

[pocketpal]

Yes, this is such a delight. [ Muttered. ]

[lord_wizard]

[Mattias' comment actually draws a short bark of laughter out of him, flavored with just a tiny bit of mocking]

Oh, absolutely. My life was so without thrills before now.

[And then to ELN]

Is it serious?

[noctiphile]

It shouldn't be. It was just a slice.

[But he'll let ELN make the final diagnosis. His attention turning back to Aaron and disliking what he finds.

He knows that look. His voice softens.]

Aaron, then. Forgive me. You should probably go wash that off.

[mysterzie]

[ Finally, Aaron looks up but only just to check something for himself. ]

No way. You're still bleeding.

[ Washing up now just means the blood will come back, right? He looks over to ELN briefly, his attention drawn back to his hands mere moments later. They're still wet, just starting to dry and get sticky. ]

When is he going to stop bleeding? Fix it faster.

[pocketpal]

No, it's not serious, and I'm fixing it better, not faster. If you want to help, hold the edges of the wound together.

Do all captains have crews like this?

[lord_wizard]

I haven't the faintest, but something tells me your expectations for normalcy are far too high...

[He thins his lips at Aaron, realizing for the first time that he's not holding together all that well.]

Powers. Go wash. I can handle this. [As he speaks, he moves further into the room, tossing off his coat and begins rolling back his sleeves as he tries to insinuate himself between the bleeding mess that is Mattias and Aaron. He doesn't care so much if he gets blood on himself, just not on his clothes]