(no subject)

[exothermia]

Who: Heron crew + visitors
Broadcast: no
Action: the SS Heron
When: November

[Those spooky scary skeletons are back in the cupboard for another year, but the ship cruises onward. Whether the crew is taking a break from the planetary mystery and waystations, or just generally hanging around the ship mingling, the Heron is here for you.]

Comments

[exothermia]

a. shuttle bay

[Erik has spent a lot of time in here of late. First setting up some steel boxes atop a dedicated table that he got from somewhere. One day it just appeared in the shuttle bay. He could have made it himself; he hasn't bothered to say. After his sojourns to the planet, the three boxes are now filled with soil and some small plants.

Erik can often be found checking on these a couple of times a day, or rigging up a set of UV lights around them.]

b. kitchen

[Some spoils of a more edible kind have also been dumped onto the kitchen bench. Pumpkins, berries, and tuber-like vegetables can be found in a basket on the table for anyone to take. Towards the end of the week, crew members could run into Erik muttering to himself as he considers what to do with the leftovers.]

c. around the ship

[While Erik's routine is far less regular and visible than it used to be, he can still be encountered eating the odd meal in the kitchen, or fixing pieces of the ship around the corridors. He looks tired most of the time, and tends to tense up if taken by surprise. He'll still spare a moment to talk, though, and relaxes soon enough.]

b.

[reconstitution]

[ It's been a while since he's seen Erik, between the planet, apparently being asleep, and Erik's avoidance since his and Charles' glitches. Bucky happens to be going to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, and is surprised to find Erik already present. He takes him in, grumbling over the kitchen bench filled with produce and makes it a point to make some sort of noise as he enters the kitchen.

Erik probably notices him, anyway, but he knows how it is being caught off guard. ]

Planning something special?

[exothermia]

[He stiffens slightly at the sound, and turns to see-- Winter. Winter's been out for a long time. Erik had started to think he may never wake. There's a moment of clear surprise before he steps forward. He forgets to answer the question in his haste to address the other, more important fact.]

You're up.

[reconstitution]

I am, yeah.

[ Not that he ever intended to be out for so long in the first place, but who the fuck expects it? Guess it's good to know his absence was noted, at least? It looks like Charles and Erik managed to keep things running in the interim. As if he had any doubts. ]

Did everything go okay?

[exothermia]

[Thankfully, the Heron tends to run itself rather well. Erik wouldn't claim to have done much direction or organisation on the ship these days. Those chores he did do were much devolved from ten years ago. Cooking in particular has completely slid by the wayside. He rests his hand back on the table, moving into a looser pose.]

Yes... everything's been fine. We're still in the same system, and nothing too eventful has happened. We did locate the source of the SOS beacon - I have video and photos on my communicator from the location.

[therewillbeorder]

[It's been a rough month so he's decided to keep busy with various projects after Barriss and Phasma left so suddenly. There have been various ship parts left outside his door over the last few weeks to keep him occupied lately at least. Late at night he's often at the table in the kitchen with them, drawing out diagrams and making notes as he inspects the parts.

Want to find him somewhere else? He still goes down to the cargo hold for a run on the treadmill in the morning or is up in the middle of the night around the ship as he's still unable to sleep for long periods of time at a time.

Other times he's at the bridge, idly playing with the bouncy ball he painted to look like the Death Star for the Halloween party as he works on improvements he wants to make to the weapon system if he had a chance. At least it keeps him busy.]

[reconstitution]

[ It's not long after he wakes up and starts moving around again that he happens to come across Hux. He's doing his rounds, and spots him in the halls. It's got to be three or four in the morning, but most of the crew keeps odd hours.

Things didn't go so great the last time they talked, but he doesn't want a fight right now. All Bucky wants is to get up to speed with his crew, even the ones he doesn't see eye-to-eye with. ]

[therewillbeorder]

[Hux frowned when he saw Bucky, he remembered their last talk clearly. But the ship was only so big and he really wasn't inclined to start hiding from anyone.

He shifted the cup of tea in his hand, raising his eyebrows.]

Is there something I can help you with?

[reconstitution]

It's a possibility.

[ He doesn't hold stock in whether Hux will actually do it. If he doesn't, it's not like there aren't other sources. Bucky leans against the wall, leaving him enough room to walk by if he chooses to. ]

Has anything notable happened in the last month, in your opinion?

[therewillbeorder]

[Hux didn't answer right away, looking at Bucky thoughtfully. Now that he had thought about it, he hadn't seen the captain some time before now. Then again, last month had been rather strange to begin with, he really hadn't been keeping track of anyone during the glitch.]

Depends on what you define as 'notable'. We've arrived in another system, if that's what you mean. There really isn't much of note, however, unless you like forests or scavenging for old ship parts.

[reconstitution]

Kitchen
[ Check it out, Heron, your absent Captain is back. He's been trying to acclimate himself with the ship now that he's awake, and it feels like so much has changed. It probably has, there were definitely more crew members before he fell asleep, but the fleet is always changing. He can be found sitting at the table with a mug of coffee, reviewing the network for things in his absence, or fiddling with a deck of cards. ]

Halls
[ Back into business, Bucky can be found through the halls at various times of the day, and all hours of the night. Like most of the crew, he keeps an odd sleep schedule, patrolling the halls or standing watch in the cargo bay. ]

Quarters
[ On the off chance that you can't find him either of those places, he may be in his room, reading a book or flipping through one of his journals. It's not often he relaxes enough to do so, but maybe it's time to start again. ]

[ kitchen ]

[axiomed]

[ Charles can't help his elated grin when he spots him. ]

You're awake!

[ kitchen ]

[reconstitution]

[ Bucky's absorbed in his communicator when he hears Charles' voice. He looks up and oh no, that smile. Don't do that! ]

For a few hours now. Hope I didn't make you worry too much.

Re: [ kitchen ]

[axiomed]

No more than usual. How do you feel?

[ Surely it wasn't another update. ]

[ kitchen ]

[reconstitution]

A little sore, but it'll go away. Not as disoriented as I was. It's still weird waking up and not knowing how much time has passed.

closed to charles

[exothermia]

[A text comes in around midday, a couple of days after they have left the Lagan system.]

You should come out to the waystation if you aren't busy. Nice view from the park.

[axiomed]

I'll be right over.

[exothermia]

[It doesn't take long, considering the Heron is docked at the station already. The waystation, as always, is mostly nondescript besides the rudimentary store and the artificial 'park'. It amounts to benches and a fake tree or two.

Erik is seated on one of the few benches, pen and notepad in his lap, but with his attention turned instead to the vista of stars and nearby nebula that arches overhead.]

[axiomed]

[ His breath catches at the sight before it softens. He wheels his chair closer, keeping his eyes on the view. ]

My, that is a sight for sore eyes.

[exothermia]

[Erik tilts his head back down to look at Charles, faintly amused.]

I find it looks better from here than through the ship windows.

closed to Kaworu.

[astrobleme]

[Shinji has been agonizing over this stupid charm bracelet for weeks now.

He's sitting on his bed, surrounded by dozens upon dozens of different charms. There's at least a hundred of them, some in sterling silver, others in resin. The designs range from food to animals to flowers to symbols... Shinji picks up and puts down each charm, so indecisive to the point of absurdity. It isn't like he has too many days left to figure this out.

Piecing together a charm bracelet seemed amazing to him when he found this do-it-yourself kit on one of the waystations. It's just, you know, every charm has to be perfect, or else he'll be letting Asuka down. And he won't know what to do if Asuka ends up getting an even better gift from...

...]

Hey.

What are you getting her?

[He mentioned Asuka's birthday to Kaworu, yeah, but he was so preoccupied with his own gift that he never thought to ask about Kaworu's.]

[paraclete]

[In general, Kaworu's texts to Shinji are immediate. It takes zero effort to manipulate his communicator, in the interest of reading messages or sending them, and Kaworu doesn't have the sort of shame that would make him fear looking desperate by texting back right away.

However, this particular message from Shinji requires a special moment of thought. Deep thought. Brow-furrowing thought.

...]

What am I getting for whom? I am getting something?

[There are only so many applicable hers, and he is aware that Asuka's birthday is very soon, but the connection doesn't occur to him; Kaworu doesn't deal well with questions that catch him off guard. Slow to react and slower to deduce, he can only cast about with a flimsy net.]

[astrobleme]

[Shinji, too deep into an assumption, answers the questions easily enough:]

Asuka. Asuka's birthday. I know we talked about making a cake, but what else are you getting her?

[It's probably going to be something really enjoyable. Like the electronic keyboard Kaworu got for him, except it's tailored to Asuka and her preferences. Shinji doesn't know what that might be--a book of fairy tales?--scented candles?--but it shouldn't take much to outclass a stupid charm bracelet. That's what he deserves for choosing poorly.]

[paraclete]

[Kaworu is grateful that the startled raise of his shoulders isn't on display, but this text does come quickly:]

I don't know?

I didn't know I was going to get her something.

[astrobleme]

[...]

You didn't know?

[Four days to Asuka's birthday, and he didn't know?]

I thought you knew how birthdays worked!

[If Asuka and Kaworu were still estranged, maybe this wouldn't be a big deal. Maybe. But now they're something that isn't estranged, whatever that is, and... and this is a bad situation to be in. Very bad. Like, catastrophically bad. Like, Asuka is going to be pissed if Kaworu doesn't get her anything.]