You can check out anytime you'd like.. [Hotel Corona Mingle]

[thespaceopera]

Who: The Fleet!
Broadcast: If you want
Action: Hotel Corona or Planet Ikke
When: December 7th onward



[After the mystery and isolation of their last destination, the Marsiva seems determined to head to brighter, busier territory. After a long journey through remote, nebula-painted space, speeding along at a brisk pace for the Host ship, the Marsiva brings her Fleet to a sudden and prominent point of traffic.

It seems that the Fleet has happened upon some sort of vacation destination! Maybe Atroma thinks that the passengers deserve some rest and relaxation... or just wants to distract them with something huge and shiny.

Welcome to Hotel Corona! Feel free to enjoy yourselves and enjoy the sites! If a hotel resort isn't your thing, you can head on over to the nearby planet and explore it's icy wonders.

In order words: it's a mingle!! Everyone get in! ]

[>> Plot Post]

Comments

[axiomed]

[ He blinks, surprised. ]

For me? What for?

[exothermia]

It's a thank you.

[He pulls out a thin, rectangular item from his bag, wrapped in plain paper. When he hands it over to Charles, it feels heavy.]

Originally... I was going to give it to you with that letter. [His lips twitch a bit.] But things didn't quite work out that way.

[axiomed]

[ Charles frowns, confused. Glancing at Erik from the corner of his eyes, he tentatively opens it up. ]

[exothermia]

[Erik merely waits, no longer feeling much worry about the result. The act of giving it was enough for him.

Inside the paper is a piece of metal, about the same size and shape as a sheet of paper. Both sides are engraved with etching work, covering the whole face of the metal. The side Charles opens first is the facade of the Xavier Institute, a stretch of driveway leading up to the doors. The lines are precise and strong, similar to any of the architectural plans they used to rebuild the school after its destruction, just softened with the surrounding hedges and ivy.

The reverse is a different image; the tree from the Hand-Holding Planet which gave gifts to those who visited. Here the etching is less assured, lines a bit thinner and more likely to overlap in places. It still bears a clear resemblance to the tree, as distinctive as it was.]

[axiomed]

[ His fingers trace over the lines and Charles feels a great pang in his chest for his school, his students, the one who kept him afloat. Looking over the tree evoked similar feelings. ]

It's - It's lovely.

[exothermia]

[Erik smiles slightly, watching Charles's face.]

The school I could do from memory, but I had to get Wrath's help for the tree. I'm not really an artist.

[axiomed]

It's impressive all the same.

[ He lays his hand against the metal, lost in his thoughts. ]

You didn't have to.

[exothermia]

I know. I wanted to.

[axiomed]

Erik, I — [ He cuts himself off. ]

. . . Thank you.

[exothermia]

[Erik just nods, taking up his coffee again. He doesn't know how differently this might have gone, if it had been given to Charles with his original letter. It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is the act.]

[axiomed]

[ Charles isn't sure how he feels about the act. He's not sure about anything when it comes to Erik sometimes. It's a constant push and pull between his own feelings.

So he changes the subject. ]

I miss the school.

[exothermia]

[He glances at Charles.]

It's been a long time.

[axiomed]

No. But I imagine it will be.

[exothermia]

[Erik knows Charles, and he also knows that any number of months away from the school is a long time. Because Charles rarely leaves it for more than a few days. He doesn't retort, however.]

Yes. It could be.

[axiomed]

[ He drums his fingers against the metal. ]

Was this present all this is? Just a thank you?

[exothermia]

[Erik blinks, looking briefly at Charles's fingers tapping against the plate.]

It's... I made it as a thank you, for my birthday. And in general. [He glances back to Charles, meeting his eyes.] I thought of it as a starting point.

[axiomed]

A starting point to what?

[exothermia]

[Erik lets out a breath, fingers tensing around his mug before he relaxes them. He's worked on this for a long time, but time and circumstances have changed around him. Now he has to remember what his purpose was, when even he wasn't entirely sure of it at the time.]

Moving forward. Because I hadn't been... for a long time. We hadn't been either. [At least it had felt that way to Erik, and he became all the more aware that he wasn't contributing. To whatever they were.] Everything felt stuck. So I decided to take a step.

[axiomed]

[ That's a feeling Charles certainly has. It's why he wrestles with himself to have these conversations, to ask the questions he's afraid to have answers for. ]

You needed time. We all did.

[ He sighs. ] Not that either of us know where we're going.

[exothermia]

[He merely nods. He hadn't been in any condition to do these kinds of things before last month. And he wouldn't pretend otherwise. He still feels incapable a lot of the time.]

Maybe not. But it's somewhere. [And it's not backwards.]

[axiomed]

Yes, but - you need to know where you're going. I'm not saying to have the answers or even the certainty of knowing answers will come.

[ He stops himself abruptly, the sinking feeling of annoyance and shame coming back and his fingers tighten around the metal. ]

I'm sorry. That was rude of me.

[exothermia]

[Erik had stilled when Charles words burst out, and places his hands flat on the table when he's done.]

It's fine.

[He picks at a chip in the table for a moment, before he keeps talking, feeling out the words as he says them.]

I know what you mean. And... I've felt that way too. About this, and so much else. But there's a reason why they say just starting is the hardest step.

[axiomed]

[ That is an understatement. He can't belittle that and he doesn't want to. He turns to look at the beach instead. ]

[exothermia]

[Erik watches Charles in silence for a while, in the wake of that emotive burst. It seems to be the way of things, at the moment. They'll navigate the turns and twists, before there's a sudden burst of speed and they have to take control of the wheel again. Lest they careen somewhere they aren't ready for.

After a few long moments, Erik reaches across the table and lays his hand lightly on top of Charles's. He looks out on the beach, listening to the 'surf' crash below.]

[axiomed]

[ He looks up, surprised before smiling. ]

You shouldn't indulge me so much.