ataraxion | video.

[When the camera turns on, Marty's adjusting it before plopping down in a seat clumsily (grumbling 'fuckin' jelly legs' or something to that effect); he's got dust and oil on him, a little toil and trouble with the clean-up assistance he's been performing on the Tranquility (after pilfering a gun from the Scylla, of course). He's bone-tired and there's a bit of sweat on his brow, but in that weariness he finds temporary redirection from the shitty stuff. He's noticed, of course, people fighting plenty. People looking very tense and unhappy. The halls are even quieter, somehow. And he doesn't fuckin' like it, not one bit. Now, he's not particularly attached to this ship--duh, he's only been here a month and it's a horrible place on top of it--but like hell does he enjoy misery as company. That saying can just go shove it.

I mean, he's barely even smoking it up, lately. In fact, he's stone cold normal right now and empty-handed. They're just clasped in front of him as he leans into his knees.]

You know what I need? A break. A cigarette break, but with more words 'n shit. We've been working our asses off. Keep up the fantastic work, and all that jazz, but how about something else for a second? Juuust a second. I know we've all been stressed out, what with the pirates and the freaky-ass murdering specter captains and the--uh--ship clamped on us like a tumor. So just... Hey, I haven't--really indulged in the fact that we're all from every corner of time and space and universes and all that cool sci-fi stuff.

[He licks his lips as he considers what to say, hands motioning in front of him like he's trying to catch his own thoughts.]

You guys, we have all kinds of worlds on board! Tell me some cool shit about your world. Or about you. Whatever. Can I get some cool facts? Some jokes? Stories? Hell, it doesn't even have to be anything outside of good ol' planet Earth. Or even directed at me. No serious or traumatic stuff needed, just... stuff. Hell, if you're a connoisseur of movies or you have a thing for panda facts or you wanna tell a story about your crazy family reunions.

[He suddenly seems a little more excited, a little less tired, shifting in his seat.]

This entry is now Marty's Share Fair. I'm stuck on a funky space ship and all, so I might as well know more than the bleak stuff.

....

Just don't pull a TMI, okay? I'm sure everyone sees enough floppy nethers after each jump. We don't need to know anything about them other that the promise that you'll find a towel posthaste. Thank you in advance.

(ooc: threadjacking heavily encouraged! it'd be fun to have people find common interests or things to relate to, and I just wanted a kinda free-for-all for the S.S. Solemn Worrywarts)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Like you changed my mind in your own time? I never expected the impossible from you, Pete. I just wanted something.

I haven't changed your mind.

That's the point I'm making. You didn't. You couldn't. You're good, Pete, but you're not that good.

But not being that good is no reason to settle for nothing at all.

And if I didn't change your mind, who the fuck else do you think i'm capable of making believe. You keep acting like i've got some kind of great scheme hidden somewhere that's gonna save everyone, but as far as i'm concerned, you're all the ones in charge because everyone else sees it that way.

Everyone's already picked out their captains and I wasn't exactly in the running.

Don't know whether you noticed, but nobody around here wants a captain.

Besides, that wasn't what I was suggesting and you know it.

Nobody around here actually knows what they want.

Sure they do. They want order without having to make sacrifices. They want to go home without having to do anything about it. They want law without having to obey it.

They want everything to work perfectly but don't understand just how hard we have to work to keep it that way.

They don't want captains, or senators, or departments. They want anarchy, they're just not prepared for what it'll cost them.

But you are.

And what, you think I can convince them that the life and times of an anarchist is exactly as glamorous as it sounds? Sleeping in buildings and destroying lives just so it earns you an inch when you need a mile?

Just because I can hand over lives doesn't change the fact that people won't be thrilled to find out that revolutions aren't as fun as they sound. Or are you expecting me to come up with propaganda just to convince a few more people that it's worth it to abandon all hope and join the people who actually know how to survive in the middle of an apocalyptic uprising.

[ Bragging about surviving through the possible end of the world. Who would've thought it possible. ]

[ Nathan snorts, but it's clear he was trying to stop himself from laughing. It's not funny. ]

I think you'd be surprised who people listen to when they've lost faith in everything else. If it isn't you, it'd be someone like Adam. Remember him?

[ Well.

That was one way to suck all the air out of the room. ]

I didn't need the reminder.

Then you remember how much damage people can do if they listen to the wrong person.

And who gets to play Adam in this scenario?

[ Now you get to reap the rewards of bringing him up. ]

There's unrest on this ship, a lot of unhappy people. I'd say anyone of them could.

Worst case scenario they blow the ship in order to save us from ourselves.

You think I wouldn't do the exact same thing?

You wouldn't need anyone's help to blow up this ship, Pete.

[ He asked him about his nuclear ability before. This is just another way to try and get it out of him.

Of course it'd be true even without it. ]

[ He's not denying it. Even publicly. Not anymore. ] What's your point? Whole crowd of people trying to blow it up versus just me taking of it on my own.

Doesn't matter. Doesn't have any bearing on who the hell they'll listen to.

I'd say it matters. You haven't done it, after all.

Because there wouldn't be any point.

Come on. Like that's the only reason? Some part of you would feel guilty over the possibility that you were wrong.

Trust me, I know all about that guilt. 'Shall I blow up all these innocent people? Is that the right thing to do?'

[ Also a sore subject. ]

You're not the only one who knows what that feels like. And you managed to keep everyone else out of the crosshairs.

I was all packed up ready to leave, Pete.

[ What subjects aren't? ]

And it was never your decision. You couldn't have known that was how it happened.

But you didn't. Not that i'm about to absolve you of your guilt, you can hold on to that one for as long as you want.

[ Even so. ] You still don't have any idea what i'm talking about. That's not the only explosion i've ever taken part in, not that it even matters anymore.

[ Okay what. ]

It matters to me, but I still don't think it's such a great plan to talk about it here.

[ Protective mode, finally. But protecting whom? ]

You brought it up. Don't see how it's any worse than convincing me I need to start a revolution in public.

[ Because really, how is one any worse than the other. Ish. Not really. ]

That's not what I'm asking you to do at all. At the most I'm asking you to care.

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