winddaughter | [El Nysa] IC Contact

[Oh boy, Junpei thinks, another thing he's definitely not equipped to handle. He doesn't say anything at first - what kind of answer is there to a question like this? He doesn't know why he's awake, himself, instead of the much more competent people he's been spending time with lately...

Well, nothing for it. He sighs, sitting down in front of the pods across the aisle from Anemone, only glancing at them for a moment like these frozen strangers might object to him leaning against the pods.]

You think anyone really knows? [Hm, pessimistic - he frowns.] I mean... we're the ones who are awake, and that's... pretty much all we can know for sure.

[In another time, it's two completely different people sitting here having this conversation and Junpei and Anemone are the ones in stasis, but he's skipping that particular quantum nonsense—]

Do you really want to get stuck thinking about all the hows and whys?

I try to stop thinking about them. It works for awhile. [She shifts a little to lean her head back, but her gaze is directed upwards, not at him.] But then it feels like... I'm not thinking of them.

[As if they'd really care. Dominic would probably be mad at her for consistently worrying about him, but he spent so long looking after her and she took it for granted. She has to look after him.]

How many people in this entire Stasis Unit have just been forgotten about?

[...Well, that's certainly a laser-guided direct hit on something Junpei's put a lot of thought into himself. Living here - well, on the ground - for a few weeks now, it's hard to strike a balance between feeling settled in enough to function and not feeling guilty for not trying harder to do... what? Break everyone out of stasis? Supposedly, that's dangerous.

He considers his sneakers instead of looking at Anemone, so they're both doing great in that department.]

Dunno. It's going to sound harsh, but... that's not really our problem. We have lives to live, too. I don't mean forget about them, but, uh... hmm...

[...] If it was me in there, I don't think I could be that mad if everyone had stuff to do without me. As long as they were okay.

[She doesn't answer for a bit. The issue narrows down its focus in her mind. Forgetting about people, whether or not they'd be bothered. She understands that heart of some of her distress. When she does answer, it's shaky at best.] She's going to be mad. [The pods probably partially obscure the people within, but if he happened to look, the two pods she's sandwiched between have a teal-haired girl, and black-haired boy, both around Anemone's age, give or take a year or two.]

She's going to be so mad. I didn't think what I could ask Darma. I just focused on what was most important to me, but what about--what about her? [Anemone isn't crying, but she's... not doing so hot. She's going to be horribly embarrassed about this at a later point, but the emotions were going to spill out one way or another at some point.] I'm sure he's here somewhere, he has to be, but I can't keep him safe--how could I do that to her? After... after everything...

She... whoa, hang on, who? [He jerks a thumb at the girl in the pod behind her.] Her?

[Okay... okay, he doesn't need the whole backstory right when she's freaking out. He shifts a little like he's considering reaching out to her, at least to steady her total panic, but uh - maybe that would be too much?]

None of us asked to be here, okay? You didn't know—how were you supposed to know? Just- send Darma an email!

[Not sure if that's an option, but- why not, right?] ...You didn't do, uh, whatever it is on purpose.

...we're not even friends though. [Which is... odd to say. But how can someone that you've tried to kill so many times look at you and think you're a friend? Sure, Eureka and Renton helped Anemone in the end but... they barely interacted with each other after. She's not sure what Eureka thinks of her, but Eureka is the... closest thing Anemone might have to a sister.

Circumstantially, anyway.]

I don't know what to do. Maybe you're right. Maybe there's... someone I can message. Right? There must be... [Her voice trails off.]

[He's missing some key backstory here, he knows, but - well, he's big on sending Darma an email.]

Yeah... probably. I mean, they told us they'd give us stuff, so why not let people change their minds?

[Otherwise what if they have almost 200 pissed off people with shifting priorities? This moon base can't stay hidden forever if enough people get up in arms about it.]

I, uh... I think it'll be okay.

[Logic is starting to win over her spiral of emotions. She doesn't want to make any risks with Darma's apparent charitably, but maybe just one more addition isn't enough to break bank. Anemone would make up for it! She just... needs that one last assurance. Not for herself, but for Eureka. In case the girl never wakes up.

God, but she really does have friends here, doesn't she? She's somehow made friends despite how she sometimes treats them.

...Her life used to be simpler than this. It was awful, and a constant struggle, and yet...]

...Thank you.

[Breathe.]

[Junpei can't do anything but wait and see how well his... attempts at comforting are going here, but it seems like they're going okay. She doesn't look as freaked out now as she did—so, good job, Junpei?

Great job. Okay job.]

Oh! Oh, uh- yeah. Any- anytime. [...] You wanna get out of here? Maybe hit the mess hall?

...Well, I didn't grab breakfast.

[She should get out of here. How long has it been, anyway? She startles, putting her hands to the floor and looking around her.]

My phone, where did I...

[Oh great, Junpei didn't get his bagel and now he can!! He pauses, then twists around to reach a little bit under one of these pods and fish around for her phone.]

I think it's somewhere under here. I saw something blinking when I got here...

[She unfolds completely and scoots across the floor besides him to peer beneath, reaching around.]

I wonder if they charge you a fee if you lose one and need it replaced.

[She wonders if anyone has tried to crack it open and see how it works.]

Ah! [She gets a hold of it and pulls it out, squinting up at one of the pods.] Sorry about that. [Because the person in the pod probably REALLY CARES. She pockets the phone and forces a wobbly smile.] O-Okay. Breakfast? [And not talking about her kinda-sorta meltdown.]

Maybe...? [He doesn't intend to do anything to lose it, so who needs to know! Maybe someone else will find out. Junpei braces himself on the pod behind him to push himself to his feet, offering his hand to Anemone once he's up.]

Breakfast. C'mon, I'm starving.

[It could be good to know for other people, sheesh. She takes his hand and nearly yanks him over with the strength of it, but she gets to her feet and brushes herself off. She looks back at the faces of Dominic and Eureka and smiles sadly, but she's worlds better than she was when she came in.

She turns.]

Okay. Let's go see if that creepy guy Roman has anything waiting for us already.

[She leads the path to the Mess; this is something she can do with ease.]

[He's not expecting that much, uh, pull from her, so pardon him while he sort of tilts just for a moment before recovering. He's fine, he's good, it's breakfast time. She can lead the way, he's fine with it.]

If he doesn't, I know where the vending machine is. In case you're excited for powdered donuts.

[He says it like it's impressive, but with a healthy twinge of sarcasm thrown in.]

...Does the vending machine have more than powdered donuts? Are there other vending machines of different... types of sugary snacks? [Oh my god, Junpei, this is important information.

She folds her hands together behind her back and buzzes through the halls with a slowly increasing contentment. The pods may be behind her physically, but they're tucked safely in her mind, with thoughts of maybe finding out where Renton is located and if he can be kept safe under Anemone as well.

It's okay. She can do this. She just... has to accept that for once... she has to live.]

I think I want waffles. With strawberries and whipped cream! [Because why come to the station for something as simple as a bagel!! Especially when it's free food. He can ogle her glorious meal.

...which is waiting for her when they get there.]

That's never not gonna be weird.

They've got... alien snacks? I kinda stopped looking once I saw the powdered donuts. It was easier.

[He was hungry and so doomed himself and company to eating vending machine donuts for several days before he could be convinced to actually try the mess hall food. The gloopy zero-gravity food fight put him off—and for something that was barely a month ago, it feels like so much longer. Living on the planet, making a life and a routine, it's still sort of surreal.

And it certainly contrasts being up here, a stone's throw away from the stasis room. Goddamn it, give him a bagel, alien chef. He just wants a bagel and some cream cheese.

But he does ogle that waffle a bit. Next to that, his bagel looks...] I'm not jealous, but holy shit.

[Gotta eat!! Ah-] Hey, do they do takeout up here? I should grab something for Snake...

[Like another bagel.]

[Alien snacks. Alright then.]

Behold, my glorious breakfast! [She holds her hands over it, and then plops down, grabs a fork, and digs in.]

I donno, maybe? You can always try. [om nom nom] Who's Snake? [She's definitely asking with a full mouth.]

I see it, I see it. Show off... [Just kidding, he loves this bagel and he's going to sit down and cover it in a solid inch of cream cheese. A genuine inch. There's enough cream cheese for that.]

Snake's my lazy roommate. He's probably still in bed, and it's not like we have a ton of food at home... [because they are poor and Snake doesn't even pretend to want a job, but,] I'll never hear the end of it if I don't bring him something.

Does anyone have a ton of food at home, really? [She stabs a strawberry and considers flinging it him. She wiggles it as she talks, but ultimately decides that Junpei really helped her out and maybe she won't completely pick on him...

today.]

I don't think laziness is going to win anyone any points in this city. I'd love to just laze around in bed, but I can't.

[Ah, he's free and he doesn't even realize it...]

Tell that to Snake. It took me twenty minutes just to get him to let me leave earlier. Decent chance he'll still be asleep when I get home again.

[Don't get him wrong, being a lazy asshole for a living would be a great time, but at least Junpei can recognize that they have to actually live in the world, and sleeping all the time won't make that happen.]

[Explains the "thing" from earlier than.]

Is he depressed?

[She says it so nonchalant.]

[Wow that's a good question, is he... No, that's Junpei. He's surprised enough by the bluntness of her question to laugh, though.]

As much as anybody would be after the end of the world? He, uh... likes to sleep. [lazy...] It'll be fine either way—he's got me, so...

[He shrugs, like this isn't a really dorky thing to say. Junpei's bagel delivery and moral support is all a person needs, for sure.]

He should get out though.

[She stares at him for just a moment, considering. He's... far too kind. She's already called him too trusting.

She hopes that doesn't get shattered one day.]

But if you say so. [She pushes aside her plate, lighting up.] We should save up some money and take him out to party! Akechi can come out too I guess.

[Well, spoilers......]

To—okay, what kind of party are we talking about here? With two wet blankets? [No offense, dudes who aren't here to defend themselves. It's not you, it's them. Junpei doesn't really party, either...]

[El Nysa] IC Contact

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