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ximilia inbox
// mal
TEXT โข AUDIO โข VIDEO
XIMILIA
[It would not be a stretch to say that Rey's adjustment to this places has not been the most smooth. Better than expected, but there are some things that she's still having trouble getting used to.
She's better about crowds these days, about how it feels to have hundreds of people clustered close and going about their lives, but after a lifetime of living alone on Jakku it can get to be a bit much at times. Add to that the fact that the bed she had found in one of the unoccupied rooms had been too soft to be comfortable and it's led her to the sun room early, early in the morning. She's been happy to see that most of the people aboard this ship are not morning people and that that gives her the chance to stop by the kitchen for something to eat, to stop again at the armory where she creates for herself two practice swords with no hand guards to speak of and one very hefty looking staff. Fully aware that she looks like she's heading off to fight a war on her own, she wanders the sunlight room searching out where she knows the stream is.
What she finds, though, is a man who looks very much like he's sleeping right in the middle of her path. Is he sleeping? Has someone knocked him out and left him? She very nearly passes right by him but something tugs on her, reminds her not to be an absolutely awful person who operates on the motto everyone for themselves.
So she shifts the swords and the basket with her food into one hand, slings the staff off her shoulder with the other, and uses the end of it to carefully poke him in the shoulder.]
Please be alive, I haven't been here long enough to learn the process of reporting dead bodies yet.
She's better about crowds these days, about how it feels to have hundreds of people clustered close and going about their lives, but after a lifetime of living alone on Jakku it can get to be a bit much at times. Add to that the fact that the bed she had found in one of the unoccupied rooms had been too soft to be comfortable and it's led her to the sun room early, early in the morning. She's been happy to see that most of the people aboard this ship are not morning people and that that gives her the chance to stop by the kitchen for something to eat, to stop again at the armory where she creates for herself two practice swords with no hand guards to speak of and one very hefty looking staff. Fully aware that she looks like she's heading off to fight a war on her own, she wanders the sunlight room searching out where she knows the stream is.
What she finds, though, is a man who looks very much like he's sleeping right in the middle of her path. Is he sleeping? Has someone knocked him out and left him? She very nearly passes right by him but something tugs on her, reminds her not to be an absolutely awful person who operates on the motto everyone for themselves.
So she shifts the swords and the basket with her food into one hand, slings the staff off her shoulder with the other, and uses the end of it to carefully poke him in the shoulder.]
Please be alive, I haven't been here long enough to learn the process of reporting dead bodies yet.
[ the sunlit room's more like home than anywhere else on the ship. mal's used to forests, to sleeping on the cold ground bundled up in his military issued coat and scarves to keep him warm.
the wool is itchy but he sort of misses it now.
or he would, really, were he thinking about it. since he's arrived, he's spent little time in the room that's supposedly assigned to him. instead he sleeps tucked against the illusion of a tree, near the stream.
near the stream is where he's sprawled out today, stretched on his back with one arm tucked underneath his head as a pillow. he hears someone approaching, lets himself be drawn to full consciousness then but doesn't open his eyes. maybe they'll move on.
but they don't. instead the footsteps stop near him and mal feels something poke his shoulder. he opens one eye, swats at the offending object. ] Pretty alive. [ at least while he's here, that is. ] It's pretty dangerous to jab people like that. I could have had a knife on me. [ and he does, actually. four at the moment, tucked away in places no one can see. ]
the wool is itchy but he sort of misses it now.
or he would, really, were he thinking about it. since he's arrived, he's spent little time in the room that's supposedly assigned to him. instead he sleeps tucked against the illusion of a tree, near the stream.
near the stream is where he's sprawled out today, stretched on his back with one arm tucked underneath his head as a pillow. he hears someone approaching, lets himself be drawn to full consciousness then but doesn't open his eyes. maybe they'll move on.
but they don't. instead the footsteps stop near him and mal feels something poke his shoulder. he opens one eye, swats at the offending object. ] Pretty alive. [ at least while he's here, that is. ] It's pretty dangerous to jab people like that. I could have had a knife on me. [ and he does, actually. four at the moment, tucked away in places no one can see. ]
How did you make out after the train exploded?
[ perhaps others would consider passing a sword to a child (a young man, but also he is a baby) to be a poor choice, but joe could see mal was going to go after the monster with or without a weapon and it would be better to do so armed. after 900 years he has rarely regretted handing a weapon to someone determined to protect others.
still, there is a tinge of guilt in his big doe eyes when he stops at the end of mal's bed. ]
I heard it's called a kaiju, that thing you killed.
[ he drops a bunch of snacks on mal's blankets. ]
still, there is a tinge of guilt in his big doe eyes when he stops at the end of mal's bed. ]
I heard it's called a kaiju, that thing you killed.
[ he drops a bunch of snacks on mal's blankets. ]
[ mal's pretty beat up from that fight with the kaiju, middle wrapped in bandages and others around his arms. he's used to it, after all he doesn't have magic or any sort of special armor to save him from bruises and bullets.
or kaiju attacks either.
he nods as joe speaks, offers a smile in greeting too. ] I heard that. After.
It was pretty hard to kill. [ but he had andy, a disintegration gun and then joe's sword. ] Your sword came in handy. [ but really, that holds mal attention for sos long. there are snacks at the end of the bed and he hisses as he bends forward to reach them. so far away, why so far away? ] What'd you bring?
or kaiju attacks either.
he nods as joe speaks, offers a smile in greeting too. ] I heard that. After.
It was pretty hard to kill. [ but he had andy, a disintegration gun and then joe's sword. ] Your sword came in handy. [ but really, that holds mal attention for sos long. there are snacks at the end of the bed and he hisses as he bends forward to reach them. so far away, why so far away? ] What'd you bring?
What do you mean bad? How did she get hurt? [ 'who was with her?' mal thinks.
his voice is strained over the ear piece and between words he's panting. they're in luck, or maybe not, that mal is already heading to the infirmary for injuries of his own.
one does not face a monster -- a kaiju he's learned -- without injury. mal's breathing his ragged but the knowledge alina is hurt leaves him more determined, so it's not long before he's bursting into the infirmary. a quick look over has him spotting rhysand, making his way over. along the way he's trailing both kaiju blood and his own behind for the poor cleaning robots to deal with later. ] What happened? [ gruff, out of breath and to the point. mal has an arm tucked around his own waist. ]
his voice is strained over the ear piece and between words he's panting. they're in luck, or maybe not, that mal is already heading to the infirmary for injuries of his own.
one does not face a monster -- a kaiju he's learned -- without injury. mal's breathing his ragged but the knowledge alina is hurt leaves him more determined, so it's not long before he's bursting into the infirmary. a quick look over has him spotting rhysand, making his way over. along the way he's trailing both kaiju blood and his own behind for the poor cleaning robots to deal with later. ] What happened? [ gruff, out of breath and to the point. mal has an arm tucked around his own waist. ]
Hey, nerd! You still alive after slaying the dreaded beast?
[This is just her trying to be a good teammate, don't mind her.]
[This is just her trying to be a good teammate, don't mind her.]
๏ผ whenever mal enters the training room, itachi is pulling down a series of knives from a wide variety of targets. the targets are in odd places, some behind obstacles or at unusual angles, but no matter where it is, the knives are almost unerringly at their centres, with one exception.
the exception gets a considering look, but nevertheless he removes the knife. the knives seem to disappear somewhere on his person without identifiable motion of stowing them, and when he is finished he glances to mal. he is familiar enough that he knows the man is not a newcomer to the ximilia, but he does not have a name to put to the face — this does not necessarily mean they have not spoken, only that if they have it has been over the network alone. ๏ผ
I apologize for the mess. ๏ผ 'the mess', of two dozen targets all neatly arranged in one corner of the training room. ๏ผ I plan to remove them before I leave, should you require the entire room.
the exception gets a considering look, but nevertheless he removes the knife. the knives seem to disappear somewhere on his person without identifiable motion of stowing them, and when he is finished he glances to mal. he is familiar enough that he knows the man is not a newcomer to the ximilia, but he does not have a name to put to the face — this does not necessarily mean they have not spoken, only that if they have it has been over the network alone. ๏ผ
I apologize for the mess. ๏ผ 'the mess', of two dozen targets all neatly arranged in one corner of the training room. ๏ผ I plan to remove them before I leave, should you require the entire room.
[ mal's come to the training room to take out frustrations on a punching bag. there's no fighting club here for him to earn extra wages, so a sand stuffed bag will do for keeping up with fighting and also putting his fist to something that isn't the heretic's face.
he takes in the scene before him, the targets and the accuracy of each knife throw. nearly. everyone misses sometimes. mal's a pretty good shot with rifle and arrows, but he misses too.
the knives disappearing is curious but then again, mal's fought a giant lizard and a cybertronian. so what's disappearing knives? he cannot tell if it's magic or if itachi's tucking them away. he appreciates it though, since he has a few tucked into his clothes normally but not today.
he shakes his head as the other speaks. ] I don't need much space if you were still training. Just a corner with a punching bag. [ he's come without weapons. ] Just don't throw anything my way.
he takes in the scene before him, the targets and the accuracy of each knife throw. nearly. everyone misses sometimes. mal's a pretty good shot with rifle and arrows, but he misses too.
the knives disappearing is curious but then again, mal's fought a giant lizard and a cybertronian. so what's disappearing knives? he cannot tell if it's magic or if itachi's tucking them away. he appreciates it though, since he has a few tucked into his clothes normally but not today.
he shakes his head as the other speaks. ] I don't need much space if you were still training. Just a corner with a punching bag. [ he's come without weapons. ] Just don't throw anything my way.
gotta say, food is food
but i'd take a blob of noodles over this tablet stuff any day
but i'd take a blob of noodles over this tablet stuff any day
[ it's clear enough that kovacs has had his share of disappointments, evident by how vocal he'd been all those weeks ago on the network when dispute after dispute seemed to rise up amongst the team. it's the only time he really finds reason to "step up", banishing his more isolated habits to try to advise from all of his experiences in taking part in missions long before he ever ended up on the ximilia. it's especially hard to keep quiet when certain faces appear on the network making so-called proclamations on decisions made on behalf of the group.
he hadn't made it much of a secret where his trust lies with kirigan, but he wonders just how much people are paying attention, whether their own guards will continue to be let down. a part of him remains concerned; the other part decides he wants nothing to do with it, crouching down in a quiet corner of the sunlight room, back pressed up against the trunk of a tree as he digs the pink bag between his legs to pull out a small paper-wrapped stick a little different from the typical cigarettes he chain smokes.
lighting up the joint, he brings it to his lips to breathe deeply, holding it in for a long moment as he leans his head back, closing his eyes. when he finally exhales, smoke blowing from his lips, his shoulders sink as he tries to let the tension from them wither away. ]
he hadn't made it much of a secret where his trust lies with kirigan, but he wonders just how much people are paying attention, whether their own guards will continue to be let down. a part of him remains concerned; the other part decides he wants nothing to do with it, crouching down in a quiet corner of the sunlight room, back pressed up against the trunk of a tree as he digs the pink bag between his legs to pull out a small paper-wrapped stick a little different from the typical cigarettes he chain smokes.
lighting up the joint, he brings it to his lips to breathe deeply, holding it in for a long moment as he leans his head back, closing his eyes. when he finally exhales, smoke blowing from his lips, his shoulders sink as he tries to let the tension from them wither away. ]
[ being back on the station after their time on e-23b feels different than when they're returned from their poorly concluded train ride. mal almost misses the kaiju, really.
the thing about revolutions and wars is that they're not easy. they're not made better by people who aren't from that world sticking their noses in it either, he thinks. but he's coming off the tail of wei wuxian asking him if he'd want the orb used in his own world and kirigan--- kirigan existing in the same space mal breathes.
the trouble there, mal knows, is he can pepper in hints to people that the man cannot be trusted but he understands that time builds bonds. kirigan has more people who trust him and mal screaming that the man's lying through his teeth won't change that quickly. actions show more than words, after all.
the sunlit's room's still mal's place to go when he needs to calm down, unwind. he works himself up being annoyed at kirigan, at the others, at the fact they stayed instead of leaving with the orb. at how it all went down. but that's not the thing he wants to concentrate on as he takes a moment to enjoy the sunsshine on his face. fake or not, he's missed it. it's a certain smell that draws his attention, has him finding kovacs seated smoking under a tree.]
What sort of tobacco's that? [ he asks, head tilted because it doesn't smell like any he knows. he feels comfortable enough asking kovacs, the two of them have shared enough moments exasperated before the team finally returned to the station. ]
the thing about revolutions and wars is that they're not easy. they're not made better by people who aren't from that world sticking their noses in it either, he thinks. but he's coming off the tail of wei wuxian asking him if he'd want the orb used in his own world and kirigan--- kirigan existing in the same space mal breathes.
the trouble there, mal knows, is he can pepper in hints to people that the man cannot be trusted but he understands that time builds bonds. kirigan has more people who trust him and mal screaming that the man's lying through his teeth won't change that quickly. actions show more than words, after all.
the sunlit's room's still mal's place to go when he needs to calm down, unwind. he works himself up being annoyed at kirigan, at the others, at the fact they stayed instead of leaving with the orb. at how it all went down. but that's not the thing he wants to concentrate on as he takes a moment to enjoy the sunsshine on his face. fake or not, he's missed it. it's a certain smell that draws his attention, has him finding kovacs seated smoking under a tree.]
What sort of tobacco's that? [ he asks, head tilted because it doesn't smell like any he knows. he feels comfortable enough asking kovacs, the two of them have shared enough moments exasperated before the team finally returned to the station. ]
[ one morning on the station, on each orber's door, the following hand-written note (in fancy calligraphy) will be taped:
the orber can choose to attend or simply listen in to the meeting when it occurs, or they may ignore it altogether. ]
the orber can choose to attend or simply listen in to the meeting when it occurs, or they may ignore it altogether. ]
hey, do you have a few minutes?
[ yet another flyer ends up on every orber's door, evidently by the same culprit as last time, except now it's a more colorful display:
the back of the flyer features more details about the play and its characters, and soon enough, an announcement from rita herself goes public, giving more context about the event, which all can sign up for. ]
the back of the flyer features more details about the play and its characters, and soon enough, an announcement from rita herself goes public, giving more context about the event, which all can sign up for. ]
[ it is pretty obvious what mal's present is, leaning against the door to his room. it's hard to wrap something like this and not make it obvious and joe didn't try.
a note on the tag reads โ
a note on the tag reads โ
don't shoot yourself with itit's a bow and arrow. he carved and strung and fletched a bow and arrow for his boy. the feathers on the arrows are deep red and will no doubt come off in pieces because he used feathers from the art supply room from the small town he was art teacher in, but the wood for the bow is strong as hell so the weapon itself should last for some time. carved into the bow are trails of ivy for fidelity, sprigs of holly flowers for defense and protection, irises for freedom (and for mal's best friend), tiny carved orange blossom petals for good luck. ]
with love, yusuf
[ kovacs hasn't been to the sunlight room in months. not since he had turned into something else entirely, ending up at the end of his destruction tour right here, only after he'd caused plenty of damage to both the station and the people in it. but he's finally out of his phase of seclusion, having been convinced for a time that he might be too dangerous to keep around. but with the team needing to work harder than ever and some faces vanishing from their group, he knows that sticking around and keeping tabs on the ones that are left would be a more valuable use of his time.
mal's someone he hasn't been able to check in with for a while, conveniently finding him here tending to his own weapons. kovacs is unarmed for now, save the familiar pink bag he occasionally carries around with him, its contents hardly a mystery at this point. ]
You gonna keep at that or you wanna join?
[ he calls out, giving a pat to his bag to suggest what he's talking about. it wouldn't be their first time. ]
mal's someone he hasn't been able to check in with for a while, conveniently finding him here tending to his own weapons. kovacs is unarmed for now, save the familiar pink bag he occasionally carries around with him, its contents hardly a mystery at this point. ]
You gonna keep at that or you wanna join?
[ he calls out, giving a pat to his bag to suggest what he's talking about. it wouldn't be their first time. ]
[ coming back to the station this time was a lot harder than any pervious times. perhaps it's talking so much about the friends he's lost, thinking about them, only to realize the other half of his room is empty.
drift's gone, so are plenty of others.
mal' should be used to losing friends but it's never easier, so he hides out in the sunlight room more often than normal and sneaks away when he sees someone approaching. he's tempted to not follow kovacs, he is, but he'd be lying if he said he doesn't need a distraction.
he sets the unloaded gun down in his lap and then nods before moving to put everything away quickly. ] I'd be foolish to say no.
Everyone could use something in that backpack after this one. [ after every mission but-- well. yeah. ]
drift's gone, so are plenty of others.
mal' should be used to losing friends but it's never easier, so he hides out in the sunlight room more often than normal and sneaks away when he sees someone approaching. he's tempted to not follow kovacs, he is, but he'd be lying if he said he doesn't need a distraction.
he sets the unloaded gun down in his lap and then nods before moving to put everything away quickly. ] I'd be foolish to say no.
Everyone could use something in that backpack after this one. [ after every mission but-- well. yeah. ]
Alina came back a queen. Where does that leave you, Oretsev? Curled at the base of her throne?
[ excuse that it's the middle of the night, his shit-talk-o-meter just inexplicably went off and he can't stop sneezing. amaryllis grove is a hellscape, truly. ]
oretsev.
say you pissed someone off by doing something they told you not to do, and now they will hardly spare a glance in your direction. what would you do to get back into their good graces? say it's a friend that grew up similar to how you did, eating moldy cheeses or whatnot. i don't know if grand gestures will work.
oretsev.
say you pissed someone off by doing something they told you not to do, and now they will hardly spare a glance in your direction. what would you do to get back into their good graces? say it's a friend that grew up similar to how you did, eating moldy cheeses or whatnot. i don't know if grand gestures will work.
( he jumps when that one comes through. does nikolai have a 6th sense for him? how does this happen. )
depends on what you did.
( there's a threat in that text and hopefully it's read with an edge. he and alina may be in a strange place themselves, but he finds himself unable to squash the protective urge even though he knows she can stand find without him at her side.
he knows he won't resist the urge to reach out, to check in. )
grand gestures look empty if there's nothing personal about them.
depends on what you did.
( there's a threat in that text and hopefully it's read with an edge. he and alina may be in a strange place themselves, but he finds himself unable to squash the protective urge even though he knows she can stand find without him at her side.
he knows he won't resist the urge to reach out, to check in. )
grand gestures look empty if there's nothing personal about them.
[ having the run of the station before everyone returned was enjoyable for approximately twenty minutes โ just long enough for joe to fuck with andy's stuff because he is a good brother actually. (and a few other people because he is a good surrogate brother too actually.) he grew bored and lonely quickly, but now everyone has returned and joe is totally casually roaming the halls for his former shipmates.
he finds one as he turns the corner and beams, the laugh lines around his eyes seeming to be carved a little more deeply and what must be the station lighting probably threading some silver through his dark curls. ] Mishka! How lucky to find you outside the infirmary.
[ it only happened twice but that's still enough for joe to tease him about it. ]
he finds one as he turns the corner and beams, the laugh lines around his eyes seeming to be carved a little more deeply and what must be the station lighting probably threading some silver through his dark curls. ] Mishka! How lucky to find you outside the infirmary.
[ it only happened twice but that's still enough for joe to tease him about it. ]
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