April System Mingle

[thespaceopera]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: Possibly!
Action: April System
When: Month of April!


[Welcome to the Belt, a huge asteroid belt that's been terraformed for life. Here you can explore the different asteroids, become a rock star, race on some ATVs, enjoy not being underwater.

In other words, it's a mingle! Get in everyone!

> System Info ]

Comments

[exothermia]

[His eyebrows go up. Reading, of all things? He rubs at his chin in thought.]

I'd heard they had some absurd laws in this place, but reading in public? Even I've only been told off for walking on the road instead of the footpath.

[It's possible the man had shouted something about fines at him. Erik simply hadn't listened past his initial incredulity.]

[brainiest]

[ It's obvious that she's just frustrated, her hair a frizzed mess around her face. ]

I can't believe you're being better behaved than I am. [ She scoffs. ] I just wanted to read in peace - this is nonsense, honestly. How do they expect to keep people if they're being so utterly ridiculous?

[exothermia]

Well. [His tone is serious.] I do all my reading in my secret hideout.

[brainiest]

... Your secret hideout. [ She raises an eyebrow. ] That can't be real.

[exothermia]

I found an uninhabited asteroid and decided to use it as an illegal book-reading facility.

[Of course it's real, Hermione, how dare you.]

I also pay no attention to pedestrian lights there.

[brainiest]

I'm not surprised that you found an asteroid to use, honestly.

[ But it makes her laugh, and she shakes her head. ]

You're so rebellious.

[exothermia]

Yes... don't tell anyone, though. They would be too concerned.

[He tilts his head slightly, looking Hermione over.]

How have you been, law-breaking aside?

[brainiest]

It's our little secret, I swear.

[ She blinks, looking down at herself before she softens. ]

I'm doing well, thank you. It's been quite quiet recently, so I don't have much to report. I hope it's the same for you.

[exothermia]

It is, for the most part. Things are... going well.

[It's still a little surprising that he can say that and mean it.]

[brainiest]

You sound surprised by it. It's not a bad thing, you know.

[exothermia]

I know. But it still takes me by surprise, all things considered.

[brainiest]

Do you think we'll ever get used to it?

[exothermia]

[He's quiet for a moment, turning the question over in his head.]

I think I won't. Something else is bound to happen sooner or later. But I can learn to enjoy it in the moment.

[brainiest]

I think that's a good outlook to have. If you're constantly thinking that things are just going to get worse then you'll never enjoy the good times when they come.

[exothermia]

[It also makes it harder to find reasons to keep going, knowing it will all collapse again soon enough.]

And what do you think? About getting used to it.

[brainiest]

I didn't think I would, not really. It was something I thought about in the Drabwurld - that things were always going to be awful, that... I'd never feel the kind of easy happiness I did before. You do get used to the happiness you make for yourself, though, I think. Either that or you just learn to find it in different ways.

[exothermia]

[Easy happiness. Erik had never anticipated finding any such thing, and it was a belated realisation to him those rare times he had. Those moments had evaporated under the heat of the world, of course, yet the memory of them lingered. And what is he doing now, if not trying to make his own happiness? At least he's trying to build a sense of stability.]

It sounds rather "one door closes, another one opens". But you're not wrong.

[brainiest]

I suppose it's something like that. So many terrible things happened that... I think I was a little bit desperate to make sure I could cling to anything good that did happen.

[exothermia]

I've found that there's plenty to appreciate about what lies in between as well. Neither good nor bad. Just the mundane.

[brainiest]

Sometimes the mundane is better. [ For real. ] It's... Wonderful, actually.

[exothermia]

It is.

[He'd put a lot of value in it, especially in retrospect.]