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[Daisy's trying to get in contact with anyone from the medical department, and she knows it might take longer than usual because of Newt. She just sends out a text to everyone she can think of, hoping someone will answer.]
I need someone with medical experience to check up on someone for me.
It's pretty urgent.
I need someone with medical experience to check up on someone for me.
It's pretty urgent.
οΌ marta is going to find a little origami figure of a squirrel. no pomp or ceremony, no indication of where it's come from or even who it's for — it's just tacked up on the wall beside her door.
merry... christmas?
(you can thank yelena for this) οΌ
merry... christmas?
(you can thank yelena for this) οΌ
[Early on the morning of the 25th, Clara leaves a present outside Marta's door. She doesn't knock, doesn't let Marta know something is there over the earpiece. She'll just leave it there to be found later.
Inside the box is a bag of sweets that Clara's made, along with a poorly crocheted scarf. She's taken up a lot of hobbies in her downtime here, and unfortunately, this is one she hasn't dedicated enough practice to. So Marta is the first recipient of her art. Things are uneven and there's gaps and knots, but it's been made with love ok.
She's slipped in a couple of books for Marta to read as well, a well loved copy of Journey to the Center of the Earth by Verne and 1984 by Orwell. Enjoy the winter reading, Marta.
There's also a note inside.
Marta,
I know how strange and overwhelming the first weeks here can be. I hope this scarf keeps you warm on the nights you feel cold and alone. If you ever want to talk stars or just sit around and read together, know that I'm here.
- Clara ]
Inside the box is a bag of sweets that Clara's made, along with a poorly crocheted scarf. She's taken up a lot of hobbies in her downtime here, and unfortunately, this is one she hasn't dedicated enough practice to. So Marta is the first recipient of her art. Things are uneven and there's gaps and knots, but it's been made with love ok.
She's slipped in a couple of books for Marta to read as well, a well loved copy of Journey to the Center of the Earth by Verne and 1984 by Orwell. Enjoy the winter reading, Marta.
There's also a note inside.
Marta,
I know how strange and overwhelming the first weeks here can be. I hope this scarf keeps you warm on the nights you feel cold and alone. If you ever want to talk stars or just sit around and read together, know that I'm here.
- Clara ]
[Marta will receive a bottle of wine small note from Hermann that reads:]
Miss Cabrera,
Thank you for all that you have done so far for this station. An uneasy feat being thrust into a crew of strangers with a litany of medical problems and little staff to support you. But you have done an outstanding job given the circumstances.
β Dr. Hermann Gottlieb
Miss Cabrera,
Thank you for all that you have done so far for this station. An uneasy feat being thrust into a crew of strangers with a litany of medical problems and little staff to support you. But you have done an outstanding job given the circumstances.
β Dr. Hermann Gottlieb
[ a few days after christmas, marta will find a small rolled up piece of paper, tied by simple string. it isn't signed with a name, but there's the lingering scent of cigarette smoke, along with the careful scribble of a poem: ]
Each finger holds a story
one bathes in tears
one shudders from its screams
others will crave
the promise of Unknown
by a sail or a dip
to swallow in mystery
But the smallest will find
that it needs
nothing
than to curl with another
a Dear Friend
in the silence of night
for no finger wants a story
that ends with the burden
of Lonely
[ one night or possible afternoon, with time still being a tricky thing to tell sometimes, marta will find a string of words suddenly directed to her mind: ]
marta β hurts like a
ask her to
fuck
bleeding β shit shit β gonna bruise
what
fuck β dying
no time
marta β hurts like a
ask her to
fuck
bleeding β shit shit β gonna bruise
what
fuck β dying
no time
[ all marta knows is it's quiet β that time in the day where there's a strange lull that seems both infinite and fleeting at once. his words come to her during her attempt to fill the space with another book, in such broken pieces that worry is inevitable. ]
Kovacs?
[ whether or not that translates to a text back, she doesn't know. she's already on her feet, blinking away the last few words from his message β dying, no time β hoping neither are true.
there are only two places she can think to look for him, but he couldn't have been in the infirmary where she'd just been. fortunately she remembers the way to his room, busting in with a lot less grace in her haste. ]
Kovacs!
Kovacs?
[ whether or not that translates to a text back, she doesn't know. she's already on her feet, blinking away the last few words from his message β dying, no time β hoping neither are true.
there are only two places she can think to look for him, but he couldn't have been in the infirmary where she'd just been. fortunately she remembers the way to his room, busting in with a lot less grace in her haste. ]
Kovacs!
[ ONE DAY, Marta will get an audio message, Yzak's "voice" (he's thinking the message) is rushed: ]
Doctor I need your help please tell me what you can about hypotension this woman won't leave me alone.
Doctor I need your help please tell me what you can about hypotension this woman won't leave me alone.
οΌ it is after the surgery, when the bandages come off and he can see things clearly for the first time in years that — perhaps ironically — grant him the clarity to recognize how poorly he had treated her.
so, marta will find a small, beautifully ornate tea box outside her door one morning. in it is a particular type of tea from his homeland and a note written in surprisingly elegant english calligraphy, copied meticulously with the sharingan, οΌ
so, marta will find a small, beautifully ornate tea box outside her door one morning. in it is a particular type of tea from his homeland and a note written in surprisingly elegant english calligraphy, copied meticulously with the sharingan, οΌ
Marta,
I apologize for my behaviour in Scorpion's Bend. It was unbecoming of me, and cruel besides. You did not deserve it.
You are under no obligation to forgive me for my behaviour.
Should you require my assistance on the upcoming mission, please do not hesitate to ask.
γγ‘γ―γ€γΏγ.
I apologize for my behaviour in Scorpion's Bend. It was unbecoming of me, and cruel besides. You did not deserve it.
You are under no obligation to forgive me for my behaviour.
Should you require my assistance on the upcoming mission, please do not hesitate to ask.
γγ‘γ―γ€γΏγ.
[ when it becomes clear that the messages aren't going through, he stops sending them, even if there's an ache in the acknowledgement. he attempts a few of the others too β the doctor, clara, alina, andy β though he doesn't make numerous efforts as he'd tried with marta. viveca made it clear if they're on different sides, communication won't come through.
then again, it doesn't stop him completely. a few days in, he sends another: ]
i'm writing like you told me to. it reads even better than the mr. darcy bullshit.
then again, it doesn't stop him completely. a few days in, he sends another: ]
i'm writing like you told me to. it reads even better than the mr. darcy bullshit.
[ It's a bit of a scenery when a body that has been lying still as if sleeping for three months is suddenly just... not there anymore. The young girl, Eleven, is still there, but Sam Wilson? Not so much. Small blessings: He resurfaces on his own, quite some time later, and quite awake, if not entirely steady on his feet. The three months worth of hair and beard growth have been neatly trimmed and cut back again save for the signature goatee. His shirt's folded and set aside, and Sam's in the process of using some of the medbay equipment on himself to run a few tests in the few precious moments that Bucky 'Mother Hen' Barnes has let him out of his sight - clearly knows what he's doing there, too, previous pararescue training combined with his work alongside Bones in the medbay make him feel comfortable in here. Except for the way he's not looking quite steady on his feet, the way his hands are shaking and his eyes have the telltale glassy quality of someone still more groggy than not.
Ask for help though... What is he, a reasonable adult? ]
Ask for help though... What is he, a reasonable adult? ]
[ it's apparently a big ask for the people of this time — relying on others, that is. one would think someone used to the supportive role like sam would know better, but maybe the hero in him supersedes that kind of common sense to instead inject more of that uniquely stubborn self-sufficiency.
in any case, it makes for quite the first impression. walking back into the infirmary after taking a quick break for lunch, marta doesn't expect to wander into someone's self-assessment. especially one that requires so much... exposed skin. ]
Oh — sorry, I.
[ she pauses, hand freezing after finding its way up to her eyes. it drops an inch, just enough for her to furrow her brow over at the man on the bed, recognizing him instantly. she'd read to him by his bedside long enough, after all. ]
...Should you be doing that yourself?
in any case, it makes for quite the first impression. walking back into the infirmary after taking a quick break for lunch, marta doesn't expect to wander into someone's self-assessment. especially one that requires so much... exposed skin. ]
Oh — sorry, I.
[ she pauses, hand freezing after finding its way up to her eyes. it drops an inch, just enough for her to furrow her brow over at the man on the bed, recognizing him instantly. she'd read to him by his bedside long enough, after all. ]
...Should you be doing that yourself?
[It still takes him an hour to find the boar-faced man and the apartment that Marta might be in, the red light that blanket the whole city is disorienting and he's still sore from the drills.
Once he's at the door, he knocks twice, standing back.]
Once he's at the door, he knocks twice, standing back.]
[ it's not more than a second after he steps back that the wooden door swings open, and marta is welcoming him in with sharp eyes. ]
Come on in.
[ she steps to the side, though there is very little "side" to step into; the little space she opens the door to looks like what might have once been an office in this apartment building — less of a room and more of a collection of four corners and a wall. but there's enough room for a cot, a chair, and a small table where several supply kits have been laid out for use. ]
Don't worry, I've cleaned up.
[ it... may not look it, but the space is as sanitized as it can get in a place like sedorum. ]
Come on in.
[ she steps to the side, though there is very little "side" to step into; the little space she opens the door to looks like what might have once been an office in this apartment building — less of a room and more of a collection of four corners and a wall. but there's enough room for a cot, a chair, and a small table where several supply kits have been laid out for use. ]
Don't worry, I've cleaned up.
[ it... may not look it, but the space is as sanitized as it can get in a place like sedorum. ]
Xichen, hi. [ she sounds mildly breathless, but that's more to do with how out of shape she apparently is. all this running around to prepare is really making this quite obvious to her. ] Yes, I've decided to try and offer what help I can here.
[ there's a slightly wry twist to her tone as she continues. ]
I've learned my lesson from Badrock — I know better than to jump into any kind of combat this time around.
[ there's a slightly wry twist to her tone as she continues. ]
I've learned my lesson from Badrock — I know better than to jump into any kind of combat this time around.
[ mostly, it had become his own disputes going in and out of the earpieces, trying to make his own thoughts known about the caution that should take place when making deals with any orbs (considering the consequences of his own change). but then something seems to coax marta to speak up, a surprise that has him turn to watch her as she seems to freeze with uncertainty as she speaks with sabriel.
after a few moments of the exchange, he reaches his arm out from his side of the bed, fingers curling gently around her wrist. ]
Heyβ c'mere. [ he gives a light pull, urging her to lay down and to settle comfortably against his side. ]
after a few moments of the exchange, he reaches his arm out from his side of the bed, fingers curling gently around her wrist. ]
Heyβ c'mere. [ he gives a light pull, urging her to lay down and to settle comfortably against his side. ]
[ she tenses at his touch β a testament to how shaken she is considering its rarity. it takes a few steadying breaths before she eventually turns, her expression revealing it all. ]
I haven't told you yet, have I? What the orbs asked of me this time.
[ her conversation with sabriel is still vivid in her mind, magnified by the storm of uncertainty clouding her mind. though the young woman had tried to be reassuring, marta couldn't avoid feeling shaken as a daunting realization begins to grab hold of her.
the flimsy mattress they're on dips as she shifts, reclaiming her spot on the bed. curling up into the warmth of his arms has become a welcome routine by now, even if some days she wakes still marveling she can. ]
They told me to betray a friend. [ she hasn't, yet. she wonders if she even will. ] What will they ask next? What if they're never satisfied?
I haven't told you yet, have I? What the orbs asked of me this time.
[ her conversation with sabriel is still vivid in her mind, magnified by the storm of uncertainty clouding her mind. though the young woman had tried to be reassuring, marta couldn't avoid feeling shaken as a daunting realization begins to grab hold of her.
the flimsy mattress they're on dips as she shifts, reclaiming her spot on the bed. curling up into the warmth of his arms has become a welcome routine by now, even if some days she wakes still marveling she can. ]
They told me to betray a friend. [ she hasn't, yet. she wonders if she even will. ] What will they ask next? What if they're never satisfied?
[All this hectic discussion between the members of their crew about what to do with the orb has Rosinante's full attention. He's distracted while supposed to be working, and distracted afterward too as he heads toward the outer circles to keep an eye on the city and the people in it he's come to care about.
It's like he said to one of the newer folks - there are so many of them with different experiences in life that color their wishes and actions here. And Marta, whatever her experience may be, it's clear as he reads her comments over that she's been particularly struck by what might happen as a result of the deal she made - and she's not alone.
He's been questioning, too. For months. Trying to explain it to Law when he arrived only made it worse, because it made him question even harder. What if they do all of this work to please these orbs and fulfill a terrible deal, only for the orbs to turn it around on them? Just like Welford Branson, what if the things they ask for aren't at all the things they receive?
So this is why, as he walks the outer circles, he comes to where Marta so often has set herself up to help those in need. And without greeting or explanation, when he spots her he walks on over, crouches down, and throws his arms around her in a tight hug.]
It's like he said to one of the newer folks - there are so many of them with different experiences in life that color their wishes and actions here. And Marta, whatever her experience may be, it's clear as he reads her comments over that she's been particularly struck by what might happen as a result of the deal she made - and she's not alone.
He's been questioning, too. For months. Trying to explain it to Law when he arrived only made it worse, because it made him question even harder. What if they do all of this work to please these orbs and fulfill a terrible deal, only for the orbs to turn it around on them? Just like Welford Branson, what if the things they ask for aren't at all the things they receive?
So this is why, as he walks the outer circles, he comes to where Marta so often has set herself up to help those in need. And without greeting or explanation, when he spots her he walks on over, crouches down, and throws his arms around her in a tight hug.]
[ all morning she'd been distracted, half-aware of her surroundings as she picks through the routine she'd settled into after another month on a new planet. her sleep had been fitful, despite kovacs' best efforts to comfort her, and so she goes about the day half-robot, half-ghost.
she barely realizes what's happening until it does, and she's seized in a bear hug that threatens to overwhelm her in both grip and size. disoriented as she is, she knows only one man this size β and she's been the viewing party of a hug like this before. ]
βRosinante. [ her arms come up, resting around his shoulders. in the moment, it's easy to shake off the cloud of dismaying thoughts that'd been hovering over her, replaced instead by an instant concern. ] Is everything alright...?
she barely realizes what's happening until it does, and she's seized in a bear hug that threatens to overwhelm her in both grip and size. disoriented as she is, she knows only one man this size β and she's been the viewing party of a hug like this before. ]
βRosinante. [ her arms come up, resting around his shoulders. in the moment, it's easy to shake off the cloud of dismaying thoughts that'd been hovering over her, replaced instead by an instant concern. ] Is everything alright...?
[ he'd found out before the coup that there was someone else not leaving to fight, and had entertained himself (and her, hopefully) by sending her messages throughout it all, pointing out what they could see on the network, telling her that he'd been in contact with wei wuxian and he seemed to be raising the dead so really, everything was fine!
and other helpful things.
but upon the return, weeks later, near midnight, he sends her another message. ]
Guniang? May I ask you a question? From one non-combatant to another.
and other helpful things.
but upon the return, weeks later, near midnight, he sends her another message. ]
Guniang? May I ask you a question? From one non-combatant to another.
[ the thing about the earpieces β sometimes the thoughts filter through without meaning to. most days, kovacs has a good handle on it; some days, when he stirs in bed and his hand brushes the space beside him to find the mattress no longer warm from where marta had left it empty for an early shift at the infirmary, he doesn't have much room for being careful about what's in his head, still half groggy from sleep: ]
miss you
miss you
[ she's fallen victim to the advanced tech of the earpieces on more than a few occasions. funnily enough, one of her first experiences with that had been with kovacs himself. it's not actually been that long ago that he'd questioned her about her lonely stars, but some nights can make it feel like almost another lifetime ago. ]
Sorry.
You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't have the heart to wake you.
Sorry.
You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't have the heart to wake you.
[ 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. ]
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