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

[exothermia]

All right. I'll pay for this and be up soon.

[axiomed]

[ He nods before turning away. Once he collects his set, Charles heads over next door. He keeps an eye to the people moving around before he knocks on the door. ]

[exothermia]

[Erik opens the door in short order, having only gotten back a few minutes behind Charles. He lets Charles in; the place smells a lot less of flowers than it did before.]

[axiomed]

You weren't joking.

[ Charles politely moves forward. ]

It certainly is not as . . . powerful as it was before.

[exothermia]

There's no way to air it out, since... [He waves a hand at the windows, which show the nebulas in space beyond.] So it's taking a while.

[axiomed]

[ He starts setting up the board on the table. ]

I'm sure it'll improve soon enough. White or black?

[exothermia]

Black.

[He takes his seat opposite, in the ornate armchair.]

It's much better without it, I can say that much. I'm going to try the air conditioning later, see if there's a setting for cycling the air out.

[axiomed]

[ He hums as he considers his move. ]

Good luck.

[exothermia]

[He snorts lightly, then settles in to survey the board.]

[axiomed]

[ Charles moves his knight forward. ]

It feels like a long time.

[exothermia]

[Erik glances back up, fingers poised above a rook.]

What does?

[axiomed]

Playing chess.

[exothermia]

Mm. [He moves his piece finally, musing on their time spent here.] We don't really play as often.

[axiomed]

[ Not surprising by any means. There's little he can add to that. What should he say? "Let's do it more often?". In light of his outburst, Charles just isn't sure anymore. Erik may not have taken it badly.

Instead he moves a piece forward. ]

I guess I miss it.

[exothermia]

[He's quite for a moment, capturing a pawn.]

I do too.

[axiomed]

[ He shrugs. ]

If you want, we can do it more often.

[exothermia]

...I'd like that.

[axiomed]

[ He nods quietly. ]

[exothermia]

[Erik lets out a breath, keeping his eyes on the board. There are so many things that could be said, should be said, and yet he's only ever able to scrape a few together and jumble them into a sentence. It's frustrating, but it's the tangle he lives in now. Hard to think there was a time when he could talk across the distance between them like it was nothing.

He purses his lips and moves his bishop. One step at a time.]

[axiomed]

You could try with your thoughts.

[ It's not hard sensing Erik's turmoil, especially since Charles has left his telepathy open since the attack. He doesn't look up. ]

[exothermia]

[Erik glances briefly at Charles, a little surprised. He looks away again, as the other man wasn't looking at him either. He doesn't know that his thoughts are any more orderly... and typically, his mind throws up nothing when given a blank cheque to cash.

He focuses on the game for a few moments instead, letting the thoughts come naturally instead.]

I suppose I've spent more time looking backwards, rather than forwards. Until recently.

[axiomed]

[ Charles hums quietly. It's a good sign, though he imagines Erik has trouble with that. Guilt, most likely. ]

I imagine it's a difficult thing to come to terms with.

[exothermia]

Yes. [It's one word, but with years of weight behind it. Erik shifts a pawn across the board, resting his knuckles against the table.]

And I won't pretend otherwise.

[axiomed]

No one would ask that of you.

[exothermia]

[Erik looks up, meeting Charles's eyes.]

It took me a while to realise that. [There's no accusation against anyone in his mind, other than a faint trace for himself. It was an anxiety he'd borne for months, and it still flares up from time to time.]