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.

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.]

[the_tailor]

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

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

Penny for your thoughts?

[itsyagirl]

[Veronica chuckles softly, giving him a small smile before looking out into space.]

More than just a penny, I think. Lots of pennies.

[the_tailor]

Okay, so...dollar for it? C'mon, don't make me barter to get you to talk to me.

[He pokes her arm.]

[itsyagirl]

[Veronica rolls her eyes half-heartedly and pokes him back. She pats the ground beside her, gesturing for Lance to join her.]

It's nothing, really. I think I'm just tired.

[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.

[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?

[the_tailor]

I know you when you're tired, Vero. It's more than that, isn't it?

[He frowns a little. She may be able to read him like a book, but he's not too shabby at it the other way around after growing up with her.]

[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.

[itsyagirl]

[Dammit. She should know better than try to pull one past Lance. She gives him a sheepish smile, caught in her half-truth, and lets out a soft sigh, looking back into space.

She's quiet for a few moments, searching for words.]

...I miss Mama. And everyone.

[Just saying it makes her words stick in her throat, her eyes burning a bit. Keep it together, Veronica she tells herself sternly.]

[the_tailor]

[There's a few moments pause before he reaches out and takes her hand.]

I miss her too. Her, and all the others...more than anything. Sure, it helps to know everyone's fine--

[Except their grandparents, he realizes with a pang of sorrow, but this isn't the time to dwell on that loss.]

--but even if I saw them again, it doesn't make up for all these years.

[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?

[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.]

[itsyagirl]

[Veronica swallows hard, squeezing his hand gently. She shifts closer to him, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder and doing her best to keep calm. Taking a long, deep breath, she nods against him.]

I...I'm sorry, Lance.

[She's trying to verbalize how she's feeling, but it isn't really something she knows how to say, and she frowns.]

I feel like...I should have been there for you. Taking care of you is my job.

[itsyagirl]

[No. They'd known so little, been so hopeful to explore the universe. But that had all changed, and it just...wasn't fair.

She took a deep breath, and finally just shook her head, not looking at Keith this time. She stares out into the blackness there, both loving it and hating it at the same time. This is what has taken her home from her, destroyed almost everything she knew, and yet, and yet...]

No, Keith. I don't think I am. But I'm trying.

[the_tailor]

No apologies, Veronica. You did everything you could. It wasn't your fault that I got launched into space, way far away from where you could reach me. If anything, it's mine for activating Blue to begin with.

[He bites his lip.]

You've done so much since I've been gone, too. I heard from the rest of the family, and from the MFE pilots. I'm proud of you.

[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.]

[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?

[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.

[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]

[Veronica sighs softly, leaning against Lance and holding his hand with both of hers. She squeezes gently and manages a weak smile at his words, finally looking back up at him.

She really does look like she hasn't slept. There are lines on her face that aren't usually there.]

...Really?

[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.

[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...