Autopilot

[mikangirl]

Who: Everyone
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Space Bar mostly, elsewhere if you like
When: Now

[She's put this off for weeks now in the vain hope that Fenris would suddenly turn back up one day, grumpy as usual.  Some people only vanish briefly, don't they?  But there's only so many double shifts she can pull, and while they've been welcome in the order of not thinking about various things (this place, all those deaths, her death, and oh Luceti, that's an interesting one) there comes a point where you both (a) have to acknowledge you're in denial and (b) fall asleep in the shuttle bay before you ever leave the Iskaulit. 

Damn you, Fenris.  It's not going to be the same without you.  This is your friend's bar.]

I guess it's that time of year again.  The Space Bar needs new staff!   I'm looking for someone with decent bartending experience or just someone who's really fast at learning.  Pay's good, so if you'd like an extra source of credits for work you choose to be doing, hit me up.  I'm also looking for one or two people who'd be willing to act as relief staff, because this place does a number on reliability at the best of times.

[Like when its proprietor vanishes completely for a month, that was fun.]

....

....also, tell me if you've found a favourite food or drink on this planet.  I'm restocking, it benefits everyone if I can have on hand what people enjoy the most.

[Catch her at the bar on shift.  Or catching a nap in inconvenient places.  Or just on the Bloodsport.  Wherever.]

Comments

[mikangirl]

You sure..?

[But hey, it's a soft murmur, and she's already closing her eyes. Katara is good people.]

Not gonna complain. It's not usually like this.

[watermarks]

[ Katara wants to ask 'What's not usually like this?' except that's not exactly conducive to Nami falling asleep.

So she just: Mmmms lightly and continues to pilot the ship toward the Bloodsport.

Assuming Nami doesn't volunteer any further conversation, Katara will quietly say Nami's name once they're parked safely in the ship. ]

[mikangirl]

[She didn't actually intend to fall asleep, just sort of rest her eyes a little. But dozing off happens, even if it's light; her reaction to Katara calling her name is some disoriented blinking.]

I'm awake.

[She'll be coherent again in like five seconds. Yawn.]

[watermarks]

Okay, good. [She unbuckles and swivels around in her chair so that she can wait for Nami to fully regain consciousness.] Let's get you into your room and I'll... borrow the shuttle and leave it on the Iskaulit.

[Something about thinking through her 'helping people' plans is not a skill she has yet fully learned. But they probably had a few other shuttles and Nami could likely hitch a ride on one to get this shuttle back later, right?]

[mikangirl]

[She laughs softly at that.] We can probably find someone to drop you home. Got a few night owls on board.

[Nami stretches out, then blinks a few times, a little more awake again after a catnap. Well... it'll give her a few minutes not to make an idiot of herself, anyway.]

Have you been to the Bloodsport before? It's not as terrifying as it sounds, at least.

[watermarks]

[ She shakes her head. ]

No. I don't really go visiting on the other ships, aside from Aang's. It feels a little like stepping into someone else's house without invitation.

[mikangirl]

That's fair. Who's Aang? [The name is vaguely familiar.] Someone else from home?

[watermarks]

[ She nods. ]

He showed up here a little while after I did. He's [- from a really horrible place in between too -] a really good person.

[mikangirl]

[She could relate. Luffy turned up here from some hellish place for a hot second.]

Is he a water bender, too?

[watermarks]

He's -- kind of. He's the avatar. He's the only one one on our world who can bend all four elements, but he's actually an Airbender. He was raised in the Southern temple.

[mikangirl]

[That's where she's heard the name. Her fist thumps into her palm.]

I can't remember if it was Zuko or Toph. One of them explained this before. [...years ago, god, she's been here too long.]

[watermarks]

[ Oh. Hearing those names is like a sharp shake. She exhales lightly through her teeth. ]

Yeah, that makes sense. [ A light smile. ] Who the Avatar is is kind of intrinsic to our world, so I guess it comes up.

[ Even though she's not sure if Aang is... okay with that right now. ]

[mikangirl]

You'll have to introduce us one day.

[She yawns, climbing out the shuttle finally, only to get lightly buffed by Biri and his softer warber of welcome. Hey, duck.]

I'm probably gonna make myself a hot drink before bed. You want one? I have space cocoa.

[watermarks]

I'd be happy to. [Katara follows along.] Is space cocoa different than regular cocoa?

[mikangirl]

Slightly. I mean, it's not literally called that, but when you find something that reminds you of home it's just habit, I guess.

[Welcome to our kitchen. Well-stocked, there's even a bowl of fruit on the table. She shuffles behind the counter and pulls out some mugs.]

[watermarks]

[ Nice kitchen and the fruit looks good. Katara's glance follows Nami because she's not sure if she should be doing this or if she should be going straight to bed, but... she supposes they'll wait and see. ]

It's a nice kitchen. Do you guys have a cook on board?

[mikangirl]

[It won't keep her up any later. For Nami, it's comfort cocoa and hospitality besides.]

There's Aerith-- I mean we've got a cook-by-augment, if that's what you mean. But I don't think any one person does all the cooking on board. Sam does a fair amount, too. It depends on who's around. [Nami has breakfast and lunch here, but that's generally fruit and she has dinner on the Iskaulit.] You?

[watermarks]

[ A wry little half-smile, half wince. ] Yeah, me.

[ She reaches up to tap over her augment. ] I'm the cook.

[mikangirl]

[Oh. Man. She gives a wry smile in return.]

At least in my case they gave me pilot. If it's not your thing, don't let yourself get forced into it.

[watermarks]

I don't mind. [ She shrugs a little. Much. ] I've been doing stuff like this for a long time. And I know how important a cook is on a ship.

[mikangirl]

[She's too tired for all her filters to be working properly; at that statement something in Nami's expression twists, just a little, but the smile she turns down at the mugs while she waits for the water to heat is fond.]

Yeah, they are.

[watermarks]

[ You can't just avoid speaking of the people that you know, or how they have impacted you, but Katara does regret causing that twist in Nami's expression. ]

I think I'd like being a pilot, though, or at least learning how to fly properly. I don't like the idea of just being stuck on one of these ships.

[mikangirl]

[It's probably not for the reasons Katara is thinking. Life has sucked at home lately.]

Mm, I do enjoy it. But we still don't have that much freedom; we still can't get out of the Marsiva's orbit, no matter what we try.

...though even if we could, I think that'd be a bad idea.

[watermarks]

[She thinks about that for a moment.]

Because they're the ones that brought us here?

[And how will they get answers without going through them?]

[mikangirl]

In all the worlds we've been to, nobody has ever heard of the places that any of us come from. If it's possible to take off... we'd have to risk being lost out here forever. But if we stay put, there's at least a small chance we go home eventually.

[This isn't entirely true. Nami has a suspicion none of them will ever see home again, but that isn't the sort of crap you lay on someone so new to the Fleet. And she hopes she's wrong.]

Did Sokka ever tell you about the Interceptors?