Heron mingle

[exothermia]

Who: Heron and visitors
Broadcast: N/A
Action: the Heron
When: April

[Hello birdies! We've got new bunks and a quieter engine, and possibly some rumours stuck to the fridge. What are you getting up to this month?]

Comments

[exothermia]

a. engine room

[It's immediately apparent when Erik's augment upgrade is approved. The engine room has expanded, and new equipment has appeared in the space. Erik can be found in there quite a lot for the first few days of April, putting his new knowledge to work in streamlining the engine's operations. The noise levels get steadily quieter over a week.

He's a bit more hesitant about the carpentry bench, so opts for laying his tools on it for now. But a resource is a resource. It can be used later.]

b. kitchen

[The kitchen upgrade from last month was much appreciated. Erik doesn't cook as often as he used to, however he still gets in there every so often to make things. Having stored up a supply of kelp from Mafik, he dries it out in the oven and stores some for later. The rest?

Well, he's putting it into cheese and potato pancakes. Anyone coming into the kitchen is welcome to take some; he regularly shifts the cooked ones from the stovetop to the table.]

c. rumours

[He may not have publicly said anything about it, but Erik hasn't gotten away from the rumour-spree unscathed. In fact, every morning a new note is pinned to the refrigerator:

'Erik is colour-blind to everything but magenta.'

'The only reason Erik cuts his hair short is because of helmet hair.'

'Erik has 23 other children he doesn't know about.'

And every morning, Erik sweeps in and throws the offending piece of paper into the bin. Of course, with its daily appearance, anyone could catch site of one before he gets to it.]

d. wildcard

[Erik often uses the treadmill in the early mornings, and keeps to his room a lot of the time. If you want to catch him elsewhere on the Heron, feel free!]

[ c ]

[axiomed]

[ Charles barely reads them. Some show up in his room ("Charles is bald because of headlice", "Charles has terrible taste in men", "Charles can't walk because he got stabbed in the back") and various other places on the ship. Even his normal sense of curiosity isn't so great that he glances at them.

He works in a school. He's seen worse. So before Erik shows up, he's already tossing them into the bin before looking up. ]

[exothermia]

[After the first couple of rumours, Erik didn't much bother to read them either. If any appear in his personal quarters, he hasn't mentioned it. It's when they appear in the communal kitchen that his irritation flares.

He quirks an eyebrow with faint surprise when he sees Charles has made it into the kitchen ahead of him.]

You're up early.

[Moving as he talks, he pulls another note off the fridge without reading it - 'Erik's real name is Max Eisenhardt' - and starts to pick through the containers inside.]

[axiomed]

[ His expression is bemused as he answers. ]

I couldn't sleep. Had another one of my headaches.

[exothermia]

[Erik makes a considering noise, then pulls a container of kelp out of the fridge. He glances at Charles again as he puts it on the counter, expression softening.]

They haven't been too frequent?

[axiomed]

No. They come on when we shift from planets to the ships. It's like . . . [ He pauses. ] Being used to too much and then adapting back to less.

nancy wheeler. ota.

[perfecting]

( A; water guns! )

[ if you happen upon the cargo bay, you may see nancy digging into a large crate of plastic water guns. she's filing one with water from a little plastic bottle. she really only meant to see if they work or if they have any special features to them but she will shoot at you, just once and not without a smile. ]

I guess they work.


( B; rumors )

[ the water guns came because of a rumor but there's another, hanged on the fridge. it'll take nancy a few hours to see it but when she will, she'll cover her mouth for a moment before tearing it away from the fridge.

she'll look at the little note before staggering back into a chair and letting it fall to the floor. You will find her exactly like that, frozen in her seat, a little note at her feet.

barbara holland's disappearance was nancy wheeler's fault. ]

[exothermia]

Does the reverse happen too?

[axiomed]

Certainly. Changes in volume are always disorienting. But it's never debilitating. I have a headache, but it's gone in a day or so.

[exothermia]

[He nods; if Charles has experienced this before then he would know best.]

Hopefully it passes soon then. Any requests for breakfast?

[axiomed]

[ Reassuringly. ]

I'm sure it will.

[ He smiles. ] I should have headaches more often if it gets me breakfast requests.

[exothermia]

Well, you aren't normally awake to ask.

[axiomed]

That sounds like a jab at my sleeping habits.

[exothermia]

Not a jab - an observation.

[There's amusement in his voice though. Turning to the cupboards, he retrieves some of the rationed supplies.]

[axiomed]

I suppose you would know.

[ He moves his chair around to help. ]

[exothermia]

[Humming his thanks, he divides the goods up and shifts half towards Charles.]

You haven't made a request yet, though.

[axiomed]

Hmm. How about French toast?

[exothermia]

French toast... [He crosses his arms, surveying the supplies on hand.] I should be able to make that. The bread might be closer to a pancake, but if you don't mind that?

[axiomed]

It's fine, Erik, especially since you're indulging me already.

b.

[exothermia]

[The kitchen is one of Erik's regular haunts, a place he can engage in a routine activity that he actually enjoys. Even so, he doesn't spend all hours in here... and not even all days. Lately though he's come through at least once a day, to remove offending rumours from the fridge. This one however he didn't see, until now.

Erik almost doesn't notice Nancy at first when he walks in, lost in thought as he opens up a cupboard to review the supplies. But his spatial awareness doesn't take long to kick in, and he turns to see the girl huddled in a chair, staring at the floor. He frowns, uncertain.]

Is everything all right?

[Her pose reminds him distantly of himself, in times he doesn't want to think of now.]

[exothermia]

The lack of bread just means I need to adapt something else.

[He gestures to the supplies.]

We'll need the flour and egg substitute from those.

[axiomed]

I'm positive we stocked up on flour. Let me take a look. . .

[ He purses his lips, assessing the cabinets before his expression brightens. He raises his chair to open the cabinet, pulling out the sack of flour. ]

[exothermia]

Ah, you're right. [They do tend to hoard basic staples when they can. Erik had forgotten that one particular stash. He goes back into the fridge to retrieve the butter substitute, and then fishes the potato flakes from the cupboard.] If this ends up tasting like French toast at all, I'll consider it very successful.

[axiomed]

[ Charles steadies his chair once more as he lowers it. ]

I imagine any of our culinary work here can be a hit or miss.

[exothermia]

Using alien ingredients does add a larger margin of error than I'm used to.

[He clears the bench, and lays down those new flimsy cutting boards the kitchen now has.]