( reverie terminal ) inbox

[contorta]

TEXT / AUDIO / VIDEO / ACTION

Comments

un:castiglione

[oorah]

you're never gonna believe what i found in my shower this morning

un: botanist

[contorta]

What did you find?

( please let this be appropriate and not weird. the shower bit has him on edge a bit. )

[oorah]

[ yeah no prax this isn't that kind of text. he'll leave those to amos. ]

plants
a bunch of em

[contorta]

( that's — probably a good thing. )

Really? What kind? Are they healthy?

[oorah]

one's aloe i think
can't tell with the others they're just buds
wanna come check it out?

[contorta]

Of course I do. Where are they?

[oorah]

i haven't moved em
i'm in 619

action; after fight with alex

[tumang]

[ Amos is... still angry. Well, he isn't sure if that's exactly the right feeling. He is feeling something, that's for sure, deep in the center of his chest, moving down to his stomach, eating away at him. It's not painful, it's just persistent, nagging.

He has to force himself down to the gym after his fight with Alex. He can't face anyone, knowing he was liable to just throw punches without rhyme or reason, just for the sake of it, just to feel bones crunch under his knuckles. But -

He thinks that Naomi wouldn't like that. That Prax wouldn't like that. And so he goes down to the gym and punches a sandbag instead, repeatedly, mercilessly, until he's sweating profusely and his bruised hand refuses to throw anymore, aching too badly. He doesn't feel any better, but he doesn't feel like he's as volatile as he was earlier, breathing slightly easier now.

Considers his options.

Goes to Prax. Knocks on the door with his less bruised hand, cradling the other against his chest. Tries to breathe slow. ]

[contorta]

( prax has overheard some of the fight. his quarters are next to alex's, the walls aren't that well insulated — no words, no, but he's heard the angry tones. he's not surprised, exactly, when the knock comes, when it's amos in front of his door. not surprised, but still a little worried no matter what alex might have said. )

Hey. Come in.

( the greeting is quiet, but his forehead creases up when he spots the way amos is holding himself, the way he cradles one hand against his chest. ) Are you okay? ( dumb question, probably. )

[tumang]

[ Amos steps in, looking down at the floor rather than at Prax, which is not usual for him. He feels - tired, to his core. Still, he nods, flexing his fingers a little just to show they're not broken. ]

I'm fine. Overdid it, need to ice pack it.

[ He's not okay. ]

Got into a fight with Alex. Punched a wall. It's fine.

[contorta]

( amos nods, but he doesn't really look okay to prax. he looks — he looks like he did a lot more than punch a wall. )

I heard. ( prax admits after a moment, softly. he points toward the single chair by the small desk in his quarters. ) Do you want to sit down? I'll just- get something for your hand.

( not an ice pack, but a towel soaked with cold water will be a start, at least? )

[tumang]

[ Amos, jaw clenched, body tense, sits down, still cradling his hand. He's glad that Prax isn't asking him to talk about it. He doesn't want to. There's nothing to say, is there?

There's plenty to say. Amos just has no idea where to start. ]

Thanks. How's your head? Feeling free without the staples?

[contorta]

( prax wishes he could do something to make the tension go away. he just reaches out to wrap the towel around amos' hand before letting go of his hand again, letting amos go back to cradling it if he wants to. he's careful in the motions. gentle.

if mei was like this, he'd hug her. hold her, tell her it'll be all right. somehow, he doesn't think that would work with amos. )

Yeah, it's good. ( he almost reaches up to touch the scar, but he aborts the movement halfway, letting his hand drop down again. ) What else did you punch besides the wall? ( one wall wouldn't have that effect on amos' hand, surely. )

action;

[tekimetexeng]

[ Late on what passes for evening the day Ashford arrives, Prax will hear an almost desperate sounding knock on his door. If he was resting it's probably enough to wake him, and when he opens it he'll see Naomi standing there looking perhaps more upset than he's ever seen her -- worse even than when they were discussing the possibility of their children dying in the past. Her eyes are glossy like she's been crying, shoulders slumped miserably. ]

Can I come in?

[contorta]

( he was resting, so he opens the door a little bleary-eyed after a long day of working in the hydroponic area, trying to get things set up, all that. at least he made it to his own bed?

he blinks, then steps back, taking in her appearance and just how bad she looks. ) Of course. What's wrong?

[tekimetexeng]

[ Naomi slips inside, waits for him to close the door before she says anything. It's bad, Prax. If they were closer, she might step in to seek out contact, but they're not so she holds herself still and miserable. ]

Did you see -- hear? Captain Ashford, of the OPA Behemoth has joined us. He says... I'm their engineer.

[ Tears start to spill down her cheeks again, and she wipes them away almost angrily. Because she doesn't have any right to be upset, she deserves it, but. ]

They must have kicked me off the Roci. That's it, right? I tell them, and they don't forgive me, and I have nowhere to go but back to the OPA.

I can't hide it anymore, Prax.

[contorta]

( she's crying. they're not close and prax doesn't reach out to touch her, to hug her, but he does gesture toward the bed, even though it's unmade. if she sits, he'll sit down next to her, closer than he usually might. trying to be a comfort that way. his brain is still a little muddled, but he's nodding as she speaks, as he puts two and two together. )

I saw.

( their engineer. huh. that explains why ashford had seemed so familiar with naomi's name. )

I don't know if that's what happens. I know you tell them and they're angry. Especially Amos. I think they're - feeling betrayed. But I don't know if they'd kick you off.

( he has no idea. but after a moment, he does reach out after all to put a hand on her shoulder. )

[tekimetexeng]

[ She doesn't sit on the edge of the bed so much as collapse conveniently in the right spot, her knees buckling. It doesn't matter that it's unmade -- all the easier to fist her hands in the sheets as Prax comes over to sit beside her.

He's less fatalistic, but the words are unconvincing. Maybe he's right, and they didn't specifically kick her off, but she can't see herself leaving them unless it was still bad. Irreparable. The hand on her shoulder is more comfort than she expected to get, and she does her best to compose herself and look at Prax instead of staring at the floor. To steady her voice as she speaks again. ]

I'm sorry you've had to keep this too. I'm telling them, but I hope it doesn't come back at you at all.

[contorta]

[ he can't really assess the situation. he doesn't know whether she'd leave of her own accord. he could imagine it, but he isn't in her head. he can't really tell. ]

It was my choice not to say anything.

[pampa]

[ miller strolls in, late afternoon, about the same time he always does really. he feels responsible for this place since he cracked the code, but also for prax . the botanist has been slaving away in here ever since, working, teaching. between himself and amos it's any wonder the guy doesn't just collapse.

as is customary, a protein bar goes flying for prax's head. think fast! ]

Status report, beratna? [ oh yeah, they're on beratna terms now. ]

[contorta]

[ prax does not, in fact, think fast. he doesn't, and so the protein bar bumps against the side of his head and then he has to scramble to catch it before he hits the ground. he manages, at least, but miller, pls. greet him before you throw stuff at him so he can at least look up first!

anyway. protein bar. that's a good idea. ]

Thanks. [ he mutters, unwrapping the bar and taking a bite. he realises, as he does, just how hungry he is. it's something he keeps forgetting.

and then beratna sinks in and he smiles a little. he doesn't speak beltalowda, but he does understand this much at least. ]

We're making progress.

[pampa]

[ miller doesn't apologize or otherwise show that he understands it's immature to throw things at people who aren't looking. HE DID HIS GOOD DEED GET OVER IT. ]

Okay. Can you tell me how much progress without all the science mumbo-jumbo?

[contorta]

[ it's fine. prax is counting the protein bar as apology and offering at once and munching it, not minding the assault on his person. as far as assaults are concerned, it was a very harmless one, after all. ]

The viability test is looking good.

[pampa]

Good. So what are we lookin' at for a timetable, you think? [ he glances around idly. ] Hey... where's your shadow? You know, the one in the shape of a bearded gorilla.

[contorta]

I want to keep the test going for another day or two. Then we can plant.

[ prax glances around, too, like he expects to see amos in a corner of the room cleaning a gun and is surprised to find that he isn't there. ]

I haven't seen Amos. [ also "bearded gorilla", really, miller? ]