driftfleet | Eleventh Blight

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Eleventh Blight

Who: Riona and you folk
Broadcast: A very brief one
Action: On the Blue Fish. At your own risk
When: After everyone's back on their ships

[Emotionally wrought from the calibrations, Riona sets out to find Leliana and unload a bit. Between what everyone saw of her, and what she saw in others' minds, her head's spinning and she's not sure where to go with it all. There's so much to process and sort through, and her best friend's always been good for that.

But Riona can't find her anywhere. Even Kiter aids in the search as they tear through the hauntingly empty ship, but when they come up with nothing, she finally tries her room. And it's empty.]

No. No no no...

[She pulls out her communicator and looks for her in the directory. Her name's missing, like she'd never been there. First Beverly, then the Starks, and now Leliana.

Riona's officially hit her breaking point.

She screams, agony and rage all coiled into one verbal assault. Kiter runs for the hills (or probably the cargo bay to hide) as Riona pounds her fist against the wall. Obscenities and pleas are hurled as she stumbles to her room, not bothering to stop the tears and the sobs that follow behind. She slams her bedroom door behind her and collapses onto her bed.]

[What seems like an age later, she finally regains enough control of her emotions to send out one text to the fleet.]

To those who knew her, Leliana has gone home.

[That's all she sends. It's all that's needed. And with that heavy burden done with, Riona breaks out that champagne and the rest of her alcohol stash. She's been crying so much that the alcohol is mixed with salt from her tears. Vaguely she realizes she shouldn't be doing this, not when she's still so upset, but she doesn't care. What's the worst than can happen? Frankly, at this point, she doesn't care. She just wants it to stop, and that's gonna be found at the bottom of a bottle.

Those on the ship or who want to stop by can approach her, though don't expect a sunny welcome. Bringing booze might help gain entry.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yup.

[He pops that last P with his lips, moving to sit down and opening Allen's champagne. ]

I went to check on him and he was flat out. I dragged him into the clinic so at least he's somewhere safe, but it's not like any of us can do anything given that he's our clinic guy.

[Riona runs her hands over her face. And then she just, hangs in her head in her hands.]

Normally, a coma doesn't worry me, but after what happened with Robb...

[He lets out a shaky exhale, rubbing the back of his neck. He takes a swig of the bottle, then offers it over to her. ]

Yeah, it's not...been a great thing for us recently. And we're running really low on people to lose anyone else.

[She takes the bottle and takes a looong drink from it.]

I guess our luck ran out. Or Atroma decided things had been going too nice for us for too long. [Beverly's departure just set off a cascade, it feels like.] Half the damn ship in a few months. And me the only woman left.

Yeah, it's really concerning. I mean, I knew it couldn't last forever, but the fact it's all gone downhill so fast- it's not good.

Sorry you're the only lady. I wish I could help, but the closest I can do is rock a skirt. Long story.

[It does at least get a smile out of her.]

As entertaining as it'd be, it's okay. I'll manage. Just not sure what's going to happen after this. [She looks at the bottle in her hand.] Guess I'm terrified I'll be the last one left and have no one here.

[A smile! Victory!!! At her confession, he exhales, closing his eyes/]

I wish I could promise you that will never happen, but none of us can do that. But I do promise if Atroma come to try and take me out of here before you get out, I'll fight them. Tooth and nail, if I have to.

I know. It's just a matter of time, and Atroma's whim.

[Helplessness never suited her. But she has no choice here.]

And if I were taken first? I would hate to leave you behind.

[He opens his eyes again, offering a sad, tired smile. ]

I wouldn't want to be left behind, either. But I'll survive. I have to find a way to beat them, after all.

[Unless they both somehow get sent home at the same time, one of them will end up being left behind.

...she probably shouldn't dwell on that too much. Riona's in a bad enough of a state.]

Let's hope that day comes sooner rather than later. Obviously, something is happening with them, given the way Beau and Diamond were... well, you know.

[Unless of course they overthrow Atroma and all go together, because that's Sokka's plan. It's a good plan. ]

Yeaaah. Things are falling apart there. Eventually, they'll show a weakness we can exploit. It's just a matter of time.

[It's such a hopeful plan. Something Riona's a bit short on right now.]

I wonder if our new hosts will reveal something. But they seem even more cautious than the last two were. Given what happened to their predecessors, I suppose I can't entirely blame them. [Beau and Diamond were awful, but they didn't deserve what happened to them.]

Me either. That was not a happy end. I can't blame them for playing their cards close to their chests. I mean, Diamond and Beau had nothing to do with what went down, but they were still punished for it. Can you imagine what Atroma would do to one of their own if they actively rebelled?

I wish I lacked the imagination to wonder what they would do that's worse than shoving a drill into someone. [She's just. Gonna take. A loooong drink at the thought.] Fear works well to keep people in line. And that's not easy to go up against.

Me too, but I can think of a good dozen ways to go that's worse right off the top of my head now.

[Thanks for that, life experience. Thanks. ]

Hm. They might not be as willing to be so lenient- not that Beau and Diamond were that much. Regardless, I can see them closing ranks and closing their mouths.

Oh, you and I both. But I'm keeping my mouth shut, lest on the off chance I give Atroma ideas. It's bad enough I can still hear that drilling sound so plainly.

[That one's gonna haunt her for awhile.]

Which is going to make difficult to turn up information. They're already paranoid enough as is.

Ugh, don't remind me. And yeah, they're going to be playing all their cards close to their chests.

Because they were such open books to begin with. [In the driest of tones.] Are you still collecting star charts? That was you, right, or am I thinking of someone else?

[A smile crosses his face a little, as he nods. ]

That's me! And I sure am. Every time I can.

I take it they haven't given you any useful information?

Nooope. Noe one recognises the systems at all, they seem to big a big load of nothing. But eventually, we'll have to come across something familiar, or at least helpful.

It still just boggles me no one recognizes Atroma. The name or anything.

Yeah, it's really strange. Given they're supposed to be just a huge company who can drag people from other worlds, you'd expect there to be something out there about them.

And who's watching our show? No one around anywhere we've been so far, this is the first starsystem we've hit where anyone even recognises the name.

[Now that surprises her.] Wait, someone on this planet recognized it?

Yeah! The people who lovingly brought us Floot Loops are here. They know about the show, but the show they know about is...real old. Like early cycles old. Like thirteen thousand years old

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...so i may have deleted the notif by accident. whoops

oopsie doodle

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