ataraxion | 006 video; aren't you tired of these psa

[ Nathan here, Tranquility, looking more tired and strained than he's ever been. No more fog world, no more New York City, but it seems to have taken a lot of his bluster with it. If anything he just looks as ill as he was a couple of months back, when the stasis sickness was in full swing. His words have a shaky effort at strength to them. ]

You know, growing up I was always taught that in times of crisis it takes an extraordinary person to encourage people to stand up and carry on. That even in the worst of times there's still hope for the future. Doesn't matter what you've seen, or what you've done, cause you do right by nobody by giving up.

[ Deep breath. ]

I'd like to remind everyone on board that there's a jump in a few days, and to make sure they report to the medical bay on time. Edgeworth's buddy system is still in place, and I recommend it for the people on board who don't have anyone to make sure they don't get turned into intergalactic cow patties when we... you know.

Day before we Jump we're gonna call together the first meeting of our impromptu council, try and work out how we want to do this in the future. If anyone still wants to speak who hasn't got a formal invite, just show up. Seems pointless to fight about it. We'll be meeting in two days in Holodeck 1, 10am sharp, and I won't be waiting for stragglers to get started.

[ He opens his mouth to try and say something else, but chokes up and looks away. ] --Anyone sees my brother, punch him and tell him to call me.

[ One more deliberate look, trying to look serious, but if you squint you might be able to tell that he's on the verge of breaking up. ]

Look out for each other, Tranquility. Petrelli out.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

It does not seem to you that perhaps a slight delay might be warranted?

'Under the circumstances', you mean?

Yes.

[ A small delay before his reply. ]

Teddy Roosevelt. You know the story? Shot in the chest, he stands there and calls out to the crowd 'Quiet! I've been shot,' carries on with his speech. We have to carry on too. No matter what. You have to be strong.

[There's a slight delay.]

Were you pulled into it, Mr. Petrelli?

I'm still not sure I ever left. You couldn't tell? I don't know whether to be relieved I don't look so rough, or concerned about your powers of observation. I don't ever want to go back to feeling that place. The hopelessness... I won't let it win.

By your words, you have other care. That is why I asked.

[ hope you don't mind a complete stranger, bro, but he didn't go to the fog and-- ugh. he doesn't want to admit he's weak but... there's something there that he knows, logically, he should ask about. welp. have an auggie, with his normal somewhat crooked video feed, still smiling but possibly looking a bit... harried. ]

You consider yourself that someone? [ rhetorical. ] This buddy system. And council. Can I get a bit more info on that? I'm new, you see, and with half the ship disappearing for a ... week or so, there was no time to ask about any of this.

[ Forgive his voice. Unless you wanted to see that a grown man just might have been crying. He's trying to appear stronger than that. ]

Edgeworth created the buddy system. He'd be the guy texting me, and a better person to tell you about it. Basically you put your name down, you get joined up with other people, and it's up to you to get each other to the Jump bay. Good way to make new friends, too, which I wholly recommend.

The council's a bit more complicated, but more or less what it sounds like. You got a name?

What do you mean?

Cares; forgive my typo. Your brother.

[ well, auggie's blind so it doesn't really matter to him. #yolo ]

August Anderson. I can probably manage this Jump easy enough on my own but I'm not sure how long that'd last. [ he shrugs. you can probably tell by now he's not really looking-looking at the feed, face a bit blank like he's hearing something in the distance. ] So, this council... it's like a government, I'm assuming?

[ Another long delay. ]

He's gone and I I tried calling him, soon as I got out. My nightmare was all ab Needed to talk to him, maybe apologize. Can't do any of that now. Last time I let the guilt in, and what I saw in the mirror every day-- Sorry, this is harder than I thought.

[ Okay. Yes, he gets it now, and he almost relaxes except that he doesn't want random onlookers oogling his puffy eyes either. ]

Hey. There's no lost pride in asking for help to get through the process, especially the first time. I had to do it, it's the same for anyone.

We're trying to get things going, just to cover all the everyday stuff like how to logistically feed people who can't cook, or to form some kind of basic law system and not eat each other alive. Not long ago, people were proposing arbitrarily throwing potentially dangerous people out of airlocks. Pretty sure if they'd been up to that a few months earlier, I'd be floating in space by now.

You needn't apologize.

Just because something's harder doesn't make it any less worth doing.

I know. Do you believe anyone else will, though?

If they can't it's up to those of us who can to make it up in their stead. I understand if it's too hard. I even considered giving up too, just sitting in my room and waiting for the Jump.

Please don't misunderstand. I'm not asking for myself. I just think that attendance will be low.

Don't worry, I understood that.

Sir?

Are you sick?

[ A moment later. ]

Edgeworth. Miles. Have you ever lost anyone, and not known how?

Just tired.

[ No, actually. Sick - radiation poisoning - he just doesn't know it yet. ]

It's been a long week... At least I think it's been a week.

[The question seems to twist through him.]

I'm not certain I know what you mean when you say "not known how."

You're going along and everything's normal, and day to day you don't expect anything to change. Why should you? Nothing like death. And then it's just there. You're never going to see that person again. Your father. Your brother. You never get to tell them all the things you suddenly realize you had to say, and you have no idea how they slipped through your fingers before you could.

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