reverielogs | (no subject)

» WHO? The Roci Crew and whoever else wants in on this mess
» WHEN? after the gravity is back
» WHERE? A few different places
» WHAT? A few different prompts as well as a catch-all for any roci crew or related logs for the month of june
» WARNINGS? these are all just terrible people what do you want from me

001: Alex, Bobbie and Amos are Judging You

The Martians and the Earther are sitting at a table in the Mess Hall, and they've started a game. That game? To rate everyone else on the ship in order of attractiveness. Want to be rated? Find the comment header below, drop a picture in of your character, and watch the comments fly. Feel free to overhear them and give them hell.

002: Closed, Alex >> Frank

Going on the morning walk-about to search for Holden was ritual, at this point, and Alex was very used to Frank coming over first thing before they headed out. So the door was already open, waiting for him. Alex was fishing through his drawers, trying to find where he'd stashed that singular glove that he'd found, to show him for a laugh. But instead his fingers found something else - a thin sheet of plastic, creased and bent a hundred thousand times, and Alex's heart nearly stopped.

He pulled it out of the drawer like it was made of plutonium, careful not to touch the edges of the drawer with it.

Christ. Oh, Christ.

003: Open, Alex >> Anyone who wants to find this wrecked man.

He goes straight to the bar.

It's not that he isn't a fairly regular fixture there, anyway, but especially right now, all he really wants is to drink until he numbs everything. So hi, have a depressed Martian with a bottle of who knows what, sitting at the bar and just staring at a picture of a woman and a child smiling lovingly at the camera. He keeps stroking his thumb over it, then looking wrecked and saying something like 'god damn it' under his breath before he pours himself another drink. One of his arms is still wrapped up in a sling against his chest.

If he recognizes you, he might look up when you get close, and sigh. "Hey, partner. Everythin' alright?" Because it's a lot easier to worry about other people, than to keep being miserable about yourself.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Please.

[ He looks down at his hands after the request, holding them out, palms up, and they're shaking. But he's not looking for the shake. He's looking at the muscles, trying to see if they're all still there, make sure they aren't withering away.

He turns them back over and the slight flex of his fingers makes his tendons stand out for a half a second and a stab of panic grips him, but then they're back to normal.

He lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding, and it's shaky. ]

I got it.

( he amends, a moment later, hoping that it won't turn into a lie: ) I got you, Alex. ( he'll be right back with that water. he'll just let go where he's still holding on to alex's arm for a moment to walk to the bathroom to get some water for alex. )

[ He waits, and he tries to get his hands to stop shaking, and he tries not to look at the salt crust on his clothes.

He stands up abruptly and follows Prax to the bathroom instead. Sorry, Plant guy. He can't deal with sitting still, right now. ]

You're okay, right? [ He knows he's already asked, but it doesn't matter. ] The others - are they okay?

( it's not a big bathroom, so the space gets kind of crowded with alex and prax both in there, but prax just hunches his shoulders a little to make himself smaller and turns back to alex. )

Yeah. I'm okay. You're okay, too. And so are the others.

( his voice is soft. gentle. the way he talks to mei after she's had a bad dream. this close, in a small space, the smell of alex's clothing is almost overwhelming. )

Do you — ( should he even ask? ) Want to take a shower? It might make you feel better.

[ Sorry, Doc, he is just paranoid about empty rooms right now. He looks at Prax a little nervously at the question. ]

If I-- if I take one, it ain't just gonna speed it up, right? Just take all the water right out of my body with it? Can you dehydrate in a shower?

( it's such an odd thing to be concerned about, but after a second of incomprehension, the pieces form a picture that makes sense, for all that it seems wildly implausible.

still, he has to ask: ) Is that what happened to you? Dehydration. ( it shouldn't be possible, but the limits of the possible have already been stretched beyond all measure.

firmly: ) No. You won't. I'll stay and make sure of it.

I don't know. But it - it was like every cell in my body just - pushed all the water right outta me. [ He didn't quite shudder, but he did look very green.

Then he looked up at Prax, incredibly grateful. ]

... Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it.

( alex looks green and with sudden and startling clarity, prax gets why. he'd be panicked, too, if something like that happened to him. )

I'm not going anywhere. ( he promises, more firmly even than before. )

[ It means a lot, and it's obvious that it does, before Alex just nods.

The actual shower is a slightly awkward affair - less because of stripping naked and more just because every time he looks at his hands he has to check that they aren't disintegrating. Ten minutes later, though, with a towel wrapped around him, he's breathing is a little more stabilized and he no longer smells like death. (Literally.) ]

I've got a - another jumpsuit. In my room.

( alex looks fine.

not in a sexual sense, though he's not an ugly guy of course, but prax checks for any signs of what happened, for the dehydration while alex is naked and under the shower because after that revelation, how can he not? he figures alex won't mind if he keeps a close eye, either, given that alex keeps looking at his hands like they might fall off. )

Do you want to get it? You can also have my spare, if you want.

[ He swallows, nervous, and the act of swallowing makes him suddenly and paranoidly thirsty - so before he actually answers he takes the few steps back to the sink, turns it on, and gulps down a few handfuls. Okay. Better.

He looks sheepish when he turns back. ]

I - I'd rather not go in there by myself, Doc. But maybe - maybe if you took a look, anyway--

We can go together.

( it's an easy offer to make, something in alex's demeanour prompting prax to take a step closer to him. the nervous swallow, maybe, or the sheepishness. )

... Yeah. Alright. Thanks.

[ And he was thankful - that much was clear in the way he looked at Prax, tightening the towel around him. It was a short walk back to the room, since it was right next door, but Alex felt the panic rise as soon as he stepped closer, his heart rate picking up immediately. He swallowed it down and reached out to the console, hand shaking, before the door slid open. ]

( prax knows how to take care of a child. he raised mei. he knows what it is to be needed, to prioritise someone else over yourself. he's done it gladly for mei. this feels a little bit like that, too. he doesn't mind; he feels that owes alex a lot, so if this is helping alex, he's happy to do it.

besides, it's just the right thing to do.

so when alex's hands shake and his breathing comes a little shorter again, there's prax, voice soft and low. ) Hey. It's all right.

[ He took a deep breath, let it out again, but it didn't seem to stop the shaking. Calmed it, a little, maybe, but it didn't stop. Regardless, he shot Prax a very grateful look. ]

Sorry, Doc. I uh -

[ He paused, because there on the floor was a very large stain, right where he'd been lying, and he went green. ]

That's- that's it. Right there.

( prax reaches out to set a hand against alex's back, near his shoulder blade. trying to calm him. trying to let him know that he's there as well. )

Okay. Okay, let's just. Get your jumpsuit and go back to my quarters.

[ It helps. The muscles in his back relax, a fraction, and the next breath comes out easier. ]

Yeah. Yeah, let's- let's do that.

[ He tries not to look at the stain as he passes it, bee-lining for his drawers and pulling out his other jumpsuit - the only clean clothes he had, before holding them against his chest and quickly leaving the room. He didn't want to be in there a damn second longer than he had to. ]

[ prax moves with alex, for the most part, keeping his hand where it is. once they're out of the room again, he pats alex's back a little. ]

You're all right.

[ He doesn't feel alright. He feels pretty damn far from it, but he's slowly relaxing. He just sort of nods, grateful, before he pulls on his clothes, finally feeling a little more human.

He gives Prax an apologetic look. ]

... Thanks, Doc.