Total Eclipse of the Tourist

[takingkarabusiness]

Who: Touristos and friends
Broadcast: as needed
Action: Tourist/wherever friends are found
When: August

[ One may have noticed the mood around The Universe's Most Hospitable Ship has been somber and quiet as of late, despite the super swank new system. Feel free to drop by unannounced, call in, or just drop a line! ]

Comments

[takingkarabusiness]

I don't know, my first one was pretty unnoticeable.

[candothat]

You have been in a coma? ...Multiple times?

[takingkarabusiness]

Oh, yeah. The first one was my journey to Earth, and then once here.

[candothat]

Please don't make being in comas a continuing habit.

[takingkarabusiness]

I'll try my best. It's just one of those things I don't really have control over.

[candothat]

As long as you try, I'll be content.

I have never been in a coma, but I did die once. I suppose that was a similar experience in some ways.

[takingkarabusiness]

You did?

[candothat]

Only briefly--a day, maybe, so not as long as most comas.

[takingkarabusiness]

That is entirely too long.

[candothat]

I was not in a position to notice. [He regrets saying anything about it. Maybe if he jokes aggressively enough she'll forget it.] Anyway, I did get better.

[takingkarabusiness]

I guess you weren't...

But I'm so glad you got better. It was at the other place, wasn't it?

[candothat]

As am I, and yes. It wasn't MarinaNova, it was the one before that--the City. That was several years ago.

[takingkarabusiness]

Oh, wow. I don't think I remembered there had been two places...

[candothat]

I maybe didn't tell you. I try not to intimidate anyone with my vast amounts of experience with prison universes.

[takingkarabusiness]

You could be mentoring people.

[candothat]

Or I could begin offering a class. I could draft a syllabus right now.

[He is not going to do that.]

[takingkarabusiness]

I think "Professor Chekov" has a good ring to it.

[candothat]

That settles it. I need to teach a class now so I can use that title.

[He bumps her shoulder with his.]

One of the more important lessons that I have learned is that losing people--losing them in any sense, even in the sense of them falling into a coma for no sensible reason--doesn't become easier, not even after years and years.

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she sighs and leans her head against his ]

No, it doesn't.

[candothat]

I'm sorry. [That it inevitably sucks. People weren't made to deal with the emotional stress of losing people they care about with such frequency.] ...If you need to not be fine, I promise not to think that you are being too dramatic. Or you can be fine. That's acceptable also.

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she doesn't look at him, and she pauses before speaking softly ]

It's just a lot.

[candothat]

[He hesitates, looking for something comforting to say. There's nothing.]

It is.

[takingkarabusiness]

Is it ever possible to lose too many people?

[candothat]

I think so. Losing enough to make you consider never being close to anyone else... that is too many.

[takingkarabusiness]

Sometimes I wonder...

[ she stops herself ]

No, I don't want to sound ungrateful.