Missing Home

[itsyagirl]

Who: open to all
Broadcast: no
Action: Iskaulit
When: Jan 12 or whenever...time doesn't matter

Veronica has been rather absent this holiday season. While she's made an appearance at the festivities, she hasn't really seemed all there, and has left early from most of them without talking much. For a girl whose life has changed so much so fast, even before the Fleet, one might think it would be easy for her to roll with the punches, but eventually, Veronica tires out, and she's hit that point.

She misses home. She's lonely. Sure, she has Lance here, but much of his time is dedicated to Keith and his team, and Veronica isn't about to take that away from him. He's happy. She isn't going to get in the way of that. While she's befriended people here, it just isn't the same, and she finds herself growing homesick and depressed.

She's spending a lot of time these days just sitting by the bay windows of the Iskaulit, looking out into the deep abyss of space. It's beautiful, and she really does love it, but...it's so cold and isolating. It makes her think of everything that she's lost, all the people who have died for a war that they were never even meant to be a part of... Veronica hugs her knees to her chest and just watches.

Comments

[the_tailor]

[Busy as Lance might get sometimes with his life aboard the fleet, Veronica has never left his mind. She's his family, and he's never stopped loving her for an instant. But he's noticed lately that she's been withdrawing, something that seemed so uncharacteristic of her.

(Three years, he reminded himself. Three years...of not being there for her. Of war on Earth. Lance wasn't the only one who changed.)

He finds her on the Iskaulit, giving a little sigh of relief, but at the same time, the look on her face saddens him.]

Hermana...?

[itsyagirl]

[She's lost in thought, and it takes her a moment to register that someone's even there and talking to her. Veronica blinks, stirring from her reverie, and looks up at her brother with a small, if a bit forced, smile.]

Lance, hi. I didn't expect to see you.

[the_tailor]

I'm not always training. ...Jeez, I sound like Keith.

[He heads over, sitting down next to her.]

Penny for your thoughts?

around lunch time then!

[axi]

[It's a time when Kaname doesn't have anything planned, so she's taken to wandering the large ship. Spotting the lone figure isn't difficult. She's got nothing going on, so why not see what's up. It's only when she's closer that she realizes this is Lance's sister... who she's never properly introduced herself to.]

Are you all right? [She keeps her voice soft so she doesn't startle the other woman.]

[itsyagirl]

Hm?

[Veronica looks up at the sound, a bit surprised, before relaxing into what she hopes is a reassuring smile.]

Oh, me? I...well. I'm alright.

[axi]

[The corner of her lips twitch in a sort of amusement at the obvious attempt to seem okay. Because of this, Kaname will give her an option.]

Please tell me if you'd like me to try and believe that.

[tempredmental]

[Since returning home, Keith understood better about Veronica's attitude. He didn't know her before everything went sideways back home, but living through a Galra occupation wasn't exactly something that someone just moved past... especially when that occupation was designed specifically to hurt five people that just happened to have ended up in a war that wasn't theirs to begin with.

He spotted her by the window, gazing out into space. Sure, that view was exactly what the Garrison had been training them to see... to go out and explore. But training for it and actually being there were two different things, especially when it wasn't just fascinating anymore... it was dangerous.

He paused for a moment, looking out at the same view before finally saying something.]

It's really something, huh?

[itsyagirl]

[They hadn't really talked much, Veronica and Keith, not since before he went back home. Honestly, she feels like she's been a bad future sister-in-law to him. She should be trying harder to get to know him, but she's been caught up in herself a bit lately and trying to come to terms with...well...everything.

Veronica glanced up at him when he spoke, giving a small nod in agreement.]

It is. [Her voice was soft.] Beautiful and alluring, but...deadly.

[tempredmental]

We really had no idea what was out there, did we?

[He sighed a little.]

Are you doing okay?

[They hadn't talked much between her arrival and the little impromptu 'nap' he ended up taking with Lance for a week, but that was okay. This way, she didn't have to feel like she needed to hide anything from him anymore.]

[ultima_mortis]

[A small-ish cat in a walking harness and leash wanders up to her and stands up against the seat by the window. She meows loudly and stares up at the woman. On the other end of the leash Death is approaching in his usual silence and nods his skull in greetings.]

DO FORGIVE HER, SHE CAN BE A BIT... ERM... [He still has a hard time recognizing emotions, but he knows that one all too well.] ARE YOU ALL RIGHT, MADAME?

[itsyagirl]

[Veronica is a bit startled by the cat, blinking out of her reverie to pet the sweet little animal gently. Upon seeing the cat's owner, however, Veronica freezes, staring up at him for what feels like an eternity.

Realizing she's being rude, she clears her throat awkwardly.] Oh, I um...yeah. I'm fine.

[ultima_mortis]

[Death is a bastion of patience. He really doesn't mind. Once he started paying attention to how humans process emotions of the stronger varieties, it's gotten easier, bit by bit, to recognize them.]

I HAVE BECOME FAMILIAR WITH SIGNS OF DISTRESS IN PEOPLE. YOU SEEMED LOST IN YOUR THOUGHTS. [Poppy likes the petting and bats at her hand when it stops all of the sudden.] YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE AFRAID. I'M ONLY THE DEATH OF ONE PLANET.

[tiedonastring]

Everything alright?

[Hux hesitantly questioned the young woman. He noted her sitting by the bay windows appearing lost in though. He had seen her the last few days in the same spot, but this time finally decided to approach her. She appeared to not be the young energetic person he had originally met and had become concerned by the change.

He stood near by her, but didn't move to sit near her. He didn't know her well enough to intrude on her space.]

[itsyagirl]

[Veronica glances over when he speaks, managing a tired little smile at the familiar face.]

Hux, hi. [She rubs the back of her head, looking a tad sheepish.]

This is my first time in space, you know. I always wanted to go, but um...

[tiedonastring]

[Hux gave a nod in understanding. He could understand the longing for home and the familiarity it brings.]

You seem to have adjusted pretty well. Is there anyway I can help out? Do you have people from home here?

[tough_love]

[There's a series of loud, lumbering footsteps approaching before the source becomes apparent. Some of them belong to Looma, of course- it's nearly impossible for someone her size to move quietly without a lot of effort. But also contributing to the noise is the juvenile ziboson she'd found several systems ago. While still young and certainly much smaller than it should be, by now it was already the size of a large hog. And even more inquisitive.

So while Looma was happy to keep her distance, it wouldn't be long before Veronica's on the receiving end of an inquisitive headbutt from the beast. Thankfully it wouldn't be making any attempt to climb up onto her- to say nothing of how fortunate it is that the beast's horns are little more than stubby, rounded lumps- but there's still an insistent guttural bleating from the creature as it demands attention.

For her part, Looma at least resorts to something closer to conversation. Unfortunately, she's about as capable at reading human emotions as the beast subjecting Veronica to a series of gentle nudges with its armored head.]

Sometimes I forget most of you humans have yet to travel off-world. Does the novelty of it ever pass?

[itsyagirl]

[She mostly ignores the footsteps. So far, nothing has really tried to attack her on the ship, so she figures that the other passengers are mostly safe. At least, she hopes so, and has no reason to believe otherwise.

The apparently friendly beast demands attention, however, and Veronica starts in surprise, then smiles when she realizes it means no harm. It seems to want something, probably just attention, she thinks, so she picks a spot behind its nubby horns and rubs gently, unable to resist a smile.

The little headbutts push her slightly, but not enough to fall over or to move, so she stays where she is, curious. Looma's voice gets her attention, and she looks up at the stranger. It's a good thing she had gotten used to the idea of aliens before the Fleet abducted her, or she might be having a harder time of it right now.]

I don't know. [She answers simply, honestly, with a small shrug.] I suppose I'm still new to it.

[tough_love]

[Frankly the young ziboson doesn't really know what to make of the head rubs. If only because it has such a ridiculously thick hide that it can barely register any of it, so it does what comes naturally- and tries to gobble up any hand it can reach.

It's an attempt at a curious mouthing more than any serious bite, so at least there's little chance for injury... but it's enough for Looma to wander over and give the beast a quick flick to the head. No harder than necessary, just aimed at the top of its head at the base of the armored frill circling its head.

There's a few whines of protest, but it's at least enough to make it stop trying to gobble up the human's hands. Instead it just tries in vain to climb up to where Veronica is sitting, but after several failed attempts it gives up and just plops its head and front legs down at her feet and stays there.]

It should be more underwhelming with time. Usually if the trip is exciting it means something has gone wrong. But I do not understand why you have come here to sightsee. Surely you could have a better view from one of your ship's shuttles.

[Still just completely oblivious, this one. But at least attentive enough to make sure Veronica makes it back to her ship without a ziboson hanging off her arm, so, small victories.]

[universal_charm]

<sub>[ Kirk has seen Veronica on his trips between the ships. He has largely left her alone, as she seems to be deep in thought most of the time, but today he decides to make a change. She seems - sad. He doesn't know her well enough to say much more, but it seems that way. No one hugs their knees to their chest, after all, because they're feeling warm and fuzzy.

He walked over, tapping a book on his shoulder. ]</sub>

Amazing, isn't it? You never really quite understand the term 'star sea' until you're out here.

[itsyagirl]

[Veronica is vaguely aware of his approach, but she doesn't give any indication of it right away. Her focus is drawn away from her thoughts, however, and when Kirk speaks, she turns her head to look up at him. There's dark shadows under her eyes, and a heaviness in the lines of her face that is more pronounced now than before, but she does smile tiredly.]

Yeah... I understand now why it was so hard for other people to describe being out here. There's really no words for it.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He takes a set close to her on the window, not missing the dark circles and the heaviness that seems to surround her. ]}

You look like you could use a nap instead of star gazing.

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

[Tim has been spending a lot of time on the Iskaulit since his arrival and he has seen Veronica sitting at the bay windows a couple of times but hadn't thought to intervene but well it's been a while and she still seems to be there every day so eventually he gives in, coming to stand beside her]

Penny for your thoughts?

[itsyagirl]

[She's noticed Tim too, in passing, though frankly Veronica hasn't put much thought to it. The Iskaulit has much more to do and see than the other ships on the Fleet, after all, so it's hardly surprising that other people would choose to spend more time here like she has.

Veronica rubs at her eyes and gives him a weak smile, looking up at him.]

When I imagined space, I knew, mathematically, that there was...well, emptiness. Being out here though? It's...really empty.

[epistemically]

There's much to explore on the Iskaulit. Between the empty spaces and those occupied by the rest of the fleet-- it will take some time to truly have an understanding of how everyone handles the suddenness of being in space. She's taken to writing, scratching things down in her native tongue, trying to catalogue every space she can.

It'd be useful later, she tells herself.

The bay windows looking out into space catch her by surprise. She hadn't been down this particular wing yet but it's almost mesmerizing. The black abyss scattered with distant stars-- it's a lot to take in. Krolia nearly misses Veronica seated by the window, gazing outward, but she cautiously walks over, not wanting to startle her out of her thoughts.

"Are you all right?"

[itsyagirl]

Veronica is certainly lost in her thoughts, and despite Krolia's caution, she is a touch taken aback to hear another voice. Her eyes move from the stars to the newcomer, and it takes her a moment to take in what has even been asked.

Oh. Right.

Veronica manages a sheepish smile. She doesn't really like being caught like this, but it seems to keep happening.

"I think I will be, eventually." She's quiet for a moment, then pats the bench beside her for Krolia to sit. "You're Keith's mother, aren't you? We sort of met, briefly. I'm not sure if you remember."