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]

[Erik smiles back when Charles approaches, glad to see the other man had made it. He shakes his head, gesturing to the busy kitchen behind them.]

No - only a few minutes. They've only just started their dinner menu for tonight.

[axiomed]

Ah, excellent. I wasn't sure I'd be too late or not.

Have you looked through it yet? Seeing as you're the adventurous sort lately.

[exothermia]

[Shrugging, he hands Charles the second menu. Lateness had not really been on his mind; they would arrive when they did. The comment about adventure does prompt a twitch of his lips.]

I wouldn't oversell it too much. And yes, I have, at least the entrees.

[axiomed]

Perhaps I'm just trying to be encouraging.

[ But he dutifully takes the menu from Erik, flipping it over. ]

[exothermia]

[Turning his attention to the menu, Erik just hums. 'Adventurous' isn't what he would call what he's doing. 'Challenging' is closer to the mark. This isn't a time to be having melancholy thoughts, however.]

It's mostly seafood, I think. It follows the theme of the beach area... mostly.

[There are still at least seven nebula-themed items on here too.]

[axiomed]

Mmm. Well. It's a start.

[ And Charles needed to remember that. He had forgotten. ]

[exothermia]

[He pauses, glancing up at Charles for a moment before returning to the menu. It was a start; so much was. In a way, he was starting from the ground up again, and it was something he had come to recognise over the past couple of months. Still, one thing at a time.

When the waiter comes around, Erik orders a wine and his meal, before gesturing to Charles to do his own and whatever entree he might want.]

[axiomed]

[ He orders politely, before placing the menu down. Charles isn't sure what to make of that look, but at least in this, he no longer is plagued by doubts. He fiddles with something in his pocket before he huffs, placing his hands on the table. ]

How are you?

[exothermia]

All right, I suppose. [He'd had a bad spell a couple of days ago, but talking to Tempest had eased it.] It's strange to think it's January here.

[The time of the year had been roughly the same for them at home when they arrived back, only he knows it won't be passing there like it does in the Fleet. It would likely still be August whenever they go back.]

[axiomed]

It is, isn't it. Time moves so fast here, it feels normal. I'm not sure if it's something I like or dislike about it.

Just . . . a fact, I suppose.

[exothermia]

It's different.

[Nothing inherently likeable or unlikable. Only a different state of being.]

People ask me how long I've been here, and I have to do the sum in my head, lest I give an answer that's entirely too long to be real.

[axiomed]

What do you mean by that?

[exothermia]

The gap. [The ten year gap.] It made it difficult to remember the exact number of months, for a while.

[axiomed]

Ah . . .

[ His mood slips, a little. ] It would do that.

[exothermia]

[Erik runs his finger down the length of a fork, considering.]

But... I think you're right, that time feels normal here. Even if other things aren't. People celebrate birthdays, holidays. New years.

[In a way, it helps to have that normalcy of a calendar to fall back on. A week passes. A date arrives. A year ticks over, even if they don't know which year it is. It's scaffolding for living.]

[axiomed]

[ Charles sighs. ]

I suppose a couple of celebrations helps with the monotony. It just bothers me to know so much time passes in a place like this.

[exothermia]

Mm. I feel the same way, sometimes.

[axiomed]

Only sometimes?

[ But Charles lets him off. ]

I've made the most of it before. But these days - it feels harder.

[exothermia]

[He just nods. Erik doesn't have the same responsibilities waiting for him at home that Charles does.]

I wouldn't make it an obligation, to get the most out of your time here.

[axiomed]

I don't believe you're guilty of that. But I wouldn't blame anyone either for it. I think it just frightens me.

[ He pauses. ]

I do, however, owe you an apology.

[exothermia]

[He had meant it more for Charles, to say that he shouldn't feel the need to fill every day with something meaningful. But he blinks at his next few words, faintly confused.]

For what?

[axiomed]

[ He hesitates. ]

I realized that, while on the surface I seemed very helpful, I wasn't doing so wholeheartedly. You probably had noticed that.

[ Again a long pause. Confessions of any kind tend to cost him, but Charles would always see it through. ]

I'm sorry. I said I would have hope, but in my heart, I didn't believe myself.

[exothermia]

[Erik stares at Charles for a long moment, knowing how difficult this must be to say. To admit. The truth was that Erik had noticed a chill in Charles's earnestness, and had attributed it to exhaustion with Erik, compounding further and further with the hideous mess their relationship had become. It hadn't surprised him, though maybe it had bothered him quietly, when he could stand to admit it to himself. Why should Charles have to deal with every single one of Erik's problems? From that had been borne the worry that it was mere obligation that kept Charles in his orbit at all.

It wasn't a failing. It was normal. No one can give constantly. No one can hold hope without wavering. Especially not with circumstances being what they were.

Erik clasps his hands together on the table.]

You don't have to apologise. You had a lot to deal with yourself, without adding more to your plate. None of this has been easy.

[axiomed]

No.

But I made it harder. The things that I - [ blamed ] - took issue with were the mistakes I was also making. I forgot what my promises really meant.

So I do have to apologize for it.

[exothermia]

[He knows this kind of confession, from his own experience only a month ago. Erik may not fully understand the meaning behind it, but he does understand how important Charles feels it is to say.]

All right. I accept your apology.