ataraxion | voice

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voice

[...there's a second of white noise, because-- well, this is weird. It's like online chatrooms, which Mitchell has never been keen on, to say the least. One on one communication hasn't been so bad--better, actually, considering he's been mostly holed up in his room, avoiding human/werewolf contact. But, right--necessity--]

If people are going t' go through those tubes and get onto that other ship, do their phones keep on working? These devices, I mean. Do they go that far? If they do, and if this can be heard over there, I'm making a request. Space pirates had to have cigarettes on them, yeah, and I'm in need of cigarettes. Sanctioned looting can include a bit of personal stuff, yeah-- and it's sort of a, a desperate need. Please and thanks in advance.

[Like very desperate. Like the more he talks about it, the more strained his voice goes. Vampires with nicotine addictions, it's a hard life. A pause, then, he might finish there--but instead he sucks in a breath. Right. Normal.]

Actually, there's a lot of questions on how things work around here, and not all of it is out of our control. Like--so there's a cast of, what, a hundred plus of us, and we have t' trade for things that we need, if someone else has got them. But if you don't have anything t' trade, is it just-- begging for it? Hoping for a bit of Christian charity? Every man for himself? Not that I'd be much surprised by that one, given the... [Maybe it's better not to finish that one, in light of recent events, but given his low faith in humanity, and given his own recent exploints, none this is really all that surprising. So, wry once more:] ...given the situation.

[An awkward pause.]

Anyways. Thanks again.

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Head of it, I think. [ She hasn't really gotten to know him too well, mostly because he's always grumpy and short with her. But he's an alright dude. ] Hey, don't sweat it; I know how bad withdrawal can get, especially when it's not really by choice. [ That's actually how she met Netherlands and learned about the tobacco. And then learned how to roll her own cigarettes. ] Just don't expect me to be your permanent supplier.

The man to know, then. Now, the question is, d'you have t' do chores to earn your supply, or d'you just get it for free. I've heard it both ways.

And, hey, don't worry. As soon as I've worked out all of these details for myself, I'll be off your back. This is just my first experience with trying t' find cigarettes in space, I'll be an old hand at it in no time, same as you.

If people are getting it free, they're not going through him. [ Which makes her wonder if there are more plots or if they're stealing from him. ] I help tend his plot or whatever gardeners say. I didn't really have anything worth trading when we first talked, so...

Sounds good to me. I've just got a limited supply and want it to last as long as possible. [ If the stupid ship would just give her cigarettes in her locker every jump, she'd be fine, but no. ]

Ah. Manual labor. What ever happened to 'share and share alike'.

[Not the most excited about that one, but... desperate times, and all.]

How often does he have you working for him?

[ That gets a quiet huff that could almost be considered amusement. ] Hell if I know.

Since... jump eleven or twelve, I think? Something like that.

[He glances down at his arm, counting back. Five months, at least, and that was only when she started working. People have been here for ages--which he knew, but this is a reminder.]

Right. Not so long. And how often d'you have to put time in working--once or twice a spaceweek? Actually, when you're being paid in tobacco, how does he work out a fair wage?

Edited 2013-05-02 19:02 (UTC)

These are questions you should be asking him, not me. [ Mostly because she doesn't know if he wants her telling people it's totally possible to get in on the whole thing if he doesn't need any more help. ] What I get feels fair to me, but I also don't have a raging social life up here or anything, so I'd probably help out more just to keep myself busy.

Nothing wrong with asking around a little first. That's why they invented newspaper critics and those websites where pubs get rated, y'know. Servicing the need t' know what you're getting into and allowing for natural laziness, all at once.

[basically: you are his yelp.com]

That'll do for now, anyways. Thanks. [A little pause, as he considers asking this, but, well, why not--] How long have you been here, if you don't mind me asking.

[ He has a point. ] Yeah, true. The only real head's up I think you'll need is the guy's sort of... Grumpy. Always.

Since jump five. Which is, I guess, about-- [ There's a pause on her end because she hadn't realized until just now how long it's been. ] About a year, I think?

[He huffs a laugh at that.] Thanks. I've dealt with worse than grumpy, but-- thanks.

[But a whole year.... Jesus.]

Doesn't seem like the sort of place that gets more tolerable over time. But maybe that's the work of a poor first impression.

Don't mention it. [ She's dealt with worse, too, especially here, but it's a little off-putting with Netherlands. ]

No, that's definitely not it. This place sucks and keeps sucking, even if you manage to make some good friends and have no other real options. [ October had thought she'd accepted that this was the end of the line for her, that it was all she was going to get, but seriously? It sucks here. Maybe not more than being dead would suck, but it's definitely up there. ] Unfortunately, our ticket's one way until whatever brought us here decides it's done with us.

Brilliant. And no cigarettes, and not a single decent thing on TV.

[It's not funny, but, well, gallows humor, right? The rest of that's got him thinking, at least a bit--it sucks here, yeah, no arguments there, but--]

If it's not done with us, that's sayin' it brought us here for a reason at all. D'you really think that?

It's not exactly the best vacation in the world.

[ She'd shrug if this were video. ] Honestly? It's either that or whatever's in charge here really just likes seeing people miserable and fucked up.

So-- what, we're bein' watched?

Would it really surprise you if we were? [ It doesn't sit well with October, but she definitely wouldn't be shocked. Pissed, sure, but not shocked. ]

S'ppose it would answer the question of what the hell we're doing here.

[But he's wary even making that weak joke. The thought of being someone's entertainment-- well, no one would like that, yeah, but Mitchell hates it, it makes his skin crawl.]

But it also seems like a lot of effort t' go through just to shoot a reality TV show.

[ He's not alone in that, at least. ]

Yeah. I haven't heard too many other theories, though.

Well, it's a ship. Maybe it needed a crew.

[He's not entirely convinced of that even as he's saying it, though, because if anyone had a look at his CV, they'd have passed right over him and gone for someone else. Unless they were looking to trouble the water, which sort of unfortunately goes right back to the reality TV option, so--]

Is the entertainment one your theory, or did you hear it from someone else?

This is the most fucked-up crew I've ever seen, if that's the case. [ If there's a pattern or logic behind the choices, October has yet to see it. ]

Mine, but it's not like it's original, I don't think. I'm sure Smiley's got a lot of people thinking it.

What, you don't consider yourself your universe's finest?

[It is STILL weird to joke about alternate universes and things but the more jokes are made, the easier it'll be. Right? Right.]

Maybe that's the plot. The universe's most fucked-up crew traveling around in some spaceship infested with monsters, some of them among the crew. Gripping stuff.

Who said I was talking about me?

[ She lets out something that almost sounds like a chuckle. ] I guess we should just be thankful there hasn't been any pregnancies or whatever else they do on daytime soaps.

[He snorts.]

There haven't. Well. That sort of brings up all sorts of new and more horrible questions, doesn't it. Is this ship neutering people?

[ That's something she really didn't want to think about. ] I don't know. If you really wanted to find out, I bet medical would give you a physical, though.

[Woooah there no man appreciates insinuations like that, thanks, even if this one is undead. Undead with a good sense of humor at least, so he snorts rather than take real offense.]

Ouch. I don't mean me, I think I'd have noticed. And I'm not too keen on the whole, er, medical thing. So I guess we'll be livin' in mystery.

Suit yourself. [ October sounds more amused than anything. ] Honestly, though, it's probably for the best. This place is messed up enough as it is; we don't need to have babies in it.

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