[Video]

[helladoomed]

[Chloe is curled up somewhere in front of a viewport, looking out at space. There's a blanket in her lap, covered with what looks like polaroid photos. There's a half-empty bottle of something brown and viscous tucked into the space between her leg and the window. The first few seconds of the video are just her looking like she wants to say something, then sighing and instead she tugs a cigarette from her pocket, lights it, and takes a drag before looking at the camera.]

I've been here for a fuckin' year.

[It's said in a 'can you seriously believe this shit?' tone, and after she says it she takes another drag of her cigarette. Clearly trying to calm her nerves.]

It kinda snuck up on me, with the attack and everything. Didn't realize it till suddenly...bang. A year. A year.

It doesn't feel that long. [She added.] No idea if that's a good thing or not, you know? Guess it's good. Beats the alternative.

But it's all so like...different.

[Another drag.]

When I got here, Max was here. And Alex and...shit. A lot of people that aren't now. Try not to spend time thinkin' about it but I guess anniversaries are hard to avoid. I-

[She trails off, turning to look out the window for probably longer than she realizes. Her reflection is...subdued, really?]

Just...you ever think how something that's good can actually be really fuckin' awful? I mean I Shit!

[She shifts as she turns back, which disrupts the blanket in her lap and sends a half the pictures scattering out of view, with her making desperate attempts at grabbing them that fail. Once they finish falling she just slumps back against the glass.] Fucking hell.

Uh. I don't- [She groans.] Don't even know why I did this never mind.

[She grabs the communicator and turns it off before she can say anything else.]

[Welcome to yet another episode of angry slightly drunk and actually really sad Chloe Price. Feel free to try and cheer her up, it might work!]


[And then hours later, voice only.]

Anybody have any glue?

Comments

voice;

[monolike]

I have some. Want me to bring it over?

voice;

[helladoomed]

Oh, thanks.

I'm on the Iskaulit.

voice;

[monolike]

Can I ask what it's for? Is ceramic glue okay?

voice;

[helladoomed]

A couple of my pots broke during the attack. Trying to piece them back together.

Uh...probably? It's this...plasticy stuff.

Re: voice;

[monolike]

[Ah yes, plastic. That weird futuristic shit.]

I'm sure it'll probably be fine. I'll meet you at the docks?

voice;

[helladoomed]

Yeah, sure. Thanks man.

[A bit later, Chloe is leaning against the wall near the docks, arms crossed, toying with her communicator.]

action;

[monolike]

[Sorey waits for the landing bay to pressurize, passes through the airlock to see Chloe there and he jogs up, holding out the glue.] Here you go! I'm Sorey, by the way. Forgot to introduce myself.

[action.]

[edwinjarvis]

[Wow, this is very depressing.

He recognizes Chloe, of course, from his time bouncing around the Tourist — mostly, he's kept busy, but he can make time for someone who's clearly upset by the events of their time on the fleet. It's not easy to be whisked from home. He still feels quite an empty space on his bed when he sleeps, despite it only being big enough for himself.

A little while later (after some intense baking) he approaches Miss Slightly Drunk Angry Price, placing a cheesecake he'd prepared for the ship on the table, as well as a mug of sodapop. If you're wondering how he voodoo'd together a cheesecake, well, don't worry. He's been very creative as of late with the space food provided in The Space Bar's kitchen.]

Miss Price, if I may — I need your assistance.

[Operation help the drunk lady in action.

This is totally just by chance and not at all because you're depressed, nope.]

[action.]

[helladoomed]

Hm? [Chloe had her headphones in, an she glanced up at the sound of...Jarvis? Huh. She shifted a bit, trying to decide if she wanted to just ignore him, but then...]

...Is that a cheesecake?

[What.]

[action.]

[edwinjarvis]

Why yes, it absolutely is. I am usually more partial to plain cheesecake, but I thought since we had cherry substitute available -- well, I simply needed to test it.

[He clearly takes her question as a yes please make me some and proceeds to cut a very lovely cut out, like you'd find in a magazine picture. His granny would make the finest cakes and biscuits to ease his little mind when he was troubled as a boy; he only hoped she would approve of his baking now.

He converses as he prepares said slice:]

If you can brave waking up at seven, I also make waffles or scrambled eggs for the Tourist; though I wouldn't complain if you arrived later, nothing is more disheartening than a cold waffle.

[Am I overwhelming you GOOD here have a plate and a fork.]

[action.]

[helladoomed]

[He is something of a whirlwind of gentlemanly manners and cheesecake, isn't he? Before she knows it she's holding a plate and a fork and a piece of really good looking cake. Damn.]

[She considered it for a long moment, then sighed, the sound somewhere between amused and resigned.]

Why the fuck not.

[This was said mostly to herself as she gave in adn took a bit. A bit hesitantly, honestly, because her own attempts at baking with the supplies on the ship had not gone well. But this was...good? Pretty good, honestly. Chew chew chew.]

...S'not bad. [She finally said, offering him as much of a smile as she could muster.] Thanks man.

[action.]

[edwinjarvis]

[He will just ignore that curse word young lady. Besides, he's completely content with himself when she seems to enjoy the cake. What good is a butler if he can't make someone feel better with baked goods?]

I'm glad to hear that; it's not much since our ingredients aren't... the usual.

But I had hoped I could make due with what I had. [He glances at the photos sparingly, and then to the bottle.] Having a difficult night?

[action.]

[helladoomed]

[He's going to be ignoring a lot of curse words if he hangs around Chloe.]

Yeah, it sucks huh? I try to cook but it's like making a house of legos or something.

[She trails off at his other question, and doesn't answer until she's had another bite of cake.]

That's one way to look at it.

[video]

[passingthrough]

I guess you were on the Marsiva for awhile before I got there. [Opposite ends of a week basically. Sascha was there too. He didn't make it this far. But she knew she was coming up on her year. It's been strange to think about. Sure, this whole place is a second chance...third chance? So it's mostly good, but it's still hard to be someone's entertainment for a year.]

Want some company?

[video]

[helladoomed]

Few days, yeah.

[Chloe just shrugs.]

Sure, whatever.

[video]

[passingthrough]

Okay. I'm almost to the Tourist now. [She'll just send Winn a text letting him know she's meeting up with Chloe for awhile.] In your room?

[video]

[helladoomed]

Nah I'm [some random place with a nice viewport].

[Which is where she is when Kitty gets there, just looking outside.]

[video]

[passingthrough]

Hey. [She comes up near Chloe and looks out the window too.] Winn doesn't like this part of the ship. Fear of heights tends to expand out into a fear of the vastness and floorlessness of space I think.

[video]

[helladoomed]

[Chloe smirked.]

Really? I like it. I mean, how many times we gonna get the chance to look out at stars from a fuckin' window, right?

action;

[winn]

[ like he could watch this and not come. he may not be as close to chloe as he is to the rest of the tourist crew, but he considers the tourist his family.

he's not going to bring glue, but he is going to bring a small bottle of her favorite and a deck of cards. ]

Hey - [ he approaches her gently. ] this seat taken? [ he nods to the space next to her. if she refuses him, he'll sit on the floor. ]

action;

[helladoomed]

[Chloe needed to stop keeping to herself so much, was the problem.]

[She had her headphones in when he approached, but tugged one ear out just before he started talking.]

Uh. [She shrugged and pulled out her other earphone.] Sure, whatever.

action;

[winn]

[ and he needs to stop being so busy all the time. ]

Thanks - [ he smiles and sits next to her. he pulls out the deck of cards from his pocket. ] How about a game? [ the last time they tried talking he already made it clear he'll listen if she wants to speak. this time, he decides to try a different approach. he can always redirect if it doesn't work out, right? ]

action;

[helladoomed]

[She shifted a bit, careful this time so her pictures slipped in between the window and her instead of onto the floor.]

...What're we playin'?

action;

[winn]

What d'you feel like?

[ he takes that as a good sign. ]

action;

[helladoomed]

[Chloe hesitated before reachign out to grab the cards.]

Poker. Something fast and distracting.