002; Some sightseeing and such

[customplates]

Who: Aaron + You!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Iskaulit/Planetside (Bloodsport common room for that broadcast if you wanna)
When: Throughout December (until they leave)

Audio; Broadcast Fleetwide

[Aaron is making his transmission from the common room on the Bloodsport, so if you're around, feel free to stumble upon him.]

Good morning, everyone. At...least I think it's morning. Anyway, I've been all over this ship, a few others, and the Iskaulit and I've found a photography studio, more than one restaurant, a library, two bars, several different times of relaxation and reflection spaces just to name a few, but no place that seems set up to get any firearms practice in. I think it might be important, seeing as a lot of our ship provide crew members with sidearms. Does...anyone know how we go about getting something like that established? Do we just...pick a space and take it?


Iskaulit - Library | OTA

[In his quest to find a place to train with the weapon provided him on the Bloodsport, Aaron finds himself thumbing through the library. If being stuck in outer space has taught him anything, it's that they aren't really pressed for time. Dorian's comments on the selection of the library have him intrigued at any rate, so he takes his times perusing the shelves.

Dorian was right, he thought as he did so. There was a lot of Earth literature here. Some of it was crap (was that really a copy of the 5 Love Languages?) but he stopped at a collection of classic literature and pulled a weathered book from the shelf. Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray brought a lot of memories back, and thoughts of someone he was starting to fear he'd never see again. He couldn't just take it, of course, though he wanted to. Libraries did require their books to be returned eventually, after all.]

...where do they get these books...?

[If he had that answer, maybe he could find his own copy.]


Planetside - In Town | shopping | ota

[It's difficult to visit this winter planet and not realize it's some sort of holiday season. With all the feasts, parades, and gifts, Aaron is first reminded of the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons back on Earth, before the world ended, and that's just fine with him. What he was most interested in, of course, were the shops. Since the world ended, the only way to have new things was to scavenge them. The idea of using what credits he'd been provided to buy things was novel at the very least. His first priority was picking up a new pack, and with it strapped to his back, he's simply wandering the shopping district, looking at windows and waiting for a shop to catch his eye.

And then it does. The camera shop across the way is his destination as he makes his way across the icy road.]

I wonder what kinds of cameras aliens use, even.

[It's murmured out loud, yes, but he's not going to mind if someone wants to join him.]


Planetside - In Town | sightseeing | ota

[Equipped with a new camera and enough digital storage to film the rest of the planet, Aaron, newly excited to explore and document all the unique sights of this place, goes around town, snapping pictures of unique storefronts, trees with particularly intriguing ice formations, and just generally...looking like a tourist. He keeps eyeing that castle in the distance, too. If anyone stops long enough to look over to him, he smiles amicably.]

You want to check out the castle?

Comments

[postocular]

Nobody was safe... [ Carl shakes his head, guilt making his gut twist uncomfortably. ] I..I don't remember most of it.

[customplates]

Safety's pretty tenuous at the best of times.

[But his frown of concern only deepens as he watches Carl. Whatever did happen over there was traumatic enough to affect him this profoundly, and he can't even imagine what that could be, considering what Carl's already endured.]

How about you tell me what you do remember, and we can work it out from there?

[postocular]

[ He stops walking, crossing his arms tightly in front of himself. It's been long enough that it shouldn't hit him the way that it is. Apparently, he didn't bury it deep enough.. ] Getting to the station..calling Maggie.

[customplates]

[Aaron doesn't know what to expect from his next question, but whatever it is, he's prepared, reaching out to place a gentle hand on the younger man's shoulder, reassuring.]

Why did you need to call Maggie?

[postocular]

[ He can't find the words for a long moment, trying, but nothing really coming out. Carl looks anywhere but Aaron, the hand on his shoulder making him want to sink even further into the earth. He can feel his heart hammering against his chest, and he knows it's the right thing to do to tell him... but it's hard. ] I couldn't do it... I was scared. I should've stayed on my ship or-- thrown myself out the airlock. Fucking anything else.

[customplates]

[He moves his other hand to Carl's other shoulder, leaning in slightly, searching, empathetic.]

You couldn't do what, Carl?

[postocular]

[ Instead of verbally admitting it, he lifts his shirt a bit higher than he had before to display the prominent scar over his ribs. The one definite sign to know your number was up. Apparently being away from home hadn't helped. ]

[customplates]

[Aaron swallowed at the display of the wound, scarred now but no less angry...or foreboding. He couldn't say he hadn't expected it, not that he knew how a walker might have gotten hold of him here.

But he's been through so much, endured so many things even in the relatively short time that Aaron has known him. This shouldn't be how he goes down...and he knows full well what he couldn't do.

Instead of speaking, Aaron just pulls him close, wrapping his arms around Carl's narrow shoulders and holding him.]

[postocular]

[ Carl tenses briefly before he relaxes his shoulders and wraps his arms around Aaron, too. He lets out a shaky sigh. It helped a bit, admitting what happened, though it doesn't lessen the guilt any. ]

[customplates]

[He doesn't make any moves to end the embrace, giving Carl the time he needs to sort himself out. Once he seems more at ease, he still doesn't let go, but he does break the silence.]

How did it happen, Carl?

[The bite, he means.]

[postocular]

How it always happens? [ He's quiet for a moment and mutters an apology. ] I went out looking for someone dad scared away. He just needed food and water.

[customplates]

[If Aaron were honest with himself, it sounded like something he would do. Still, it shouldn't have been Carl.]

None of us are safe...sometimes we forget that. We never know when it's going to be the last time we see someone...or hear their voice.

[postocular]

Doesn't really matter now, it's done. But hey, Siddiq is a doctor, he can help Maggie with her baby.

[customplates]

Death doesn't stop mattering, Carl. Ever. We can't let it.

[He shakes his head.]

If we do...then we've already given up.

[postocular]

That's not what I meant. I know what it's going to do to my dad, to Michonne..to Judith. I can't really do anything about it. I made the choice, so it's on me. Just like what happened at the station is on me.

[customplates]

That's the chance we all take whenever we leave, Carl. We all have people relying on us, and they understand the risks. Your dad understands.

[postocular]

Yeah. I hope so.

[customplates]

He does.

[And he just looks so certain of that.]

[postocular]

...Thanks, Aaron.