ataraxion | video; netherlands is too annoyed to bother with counting

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video; netherlands is too annoyed to bother with counting

[The second level of the Gardens is in the background and Netherlands? Might as well be the personification of so done with this shit instead, right now, and when he speaks his voice is tight, not tired.]

There's another goddamned dinosaur here.

[His lips thin, and the next part of the rant is way off-script but like he cares. So done.]

The Gardens aren't the ship's fucking playground. They grow food. Make oxygen. Filter the water. Air, and shit. It does not have to house all of your goddamned pets, or be your living room, or test area, or vacation, or - whatever the hell you think it is. It's a pain in the ass to take care of. Without half of you treating it like it's your right to take advantage of and then leave for the department to clean up. The department isn't big. There's four levels and kilometers of produce to take care of. We'd be too fucking overworked even if you assholes didn't tear up the place whenever you fucking felt like it.

[HUFF. He scowls and crosses his arms, and yeah, he's going to keep right on with the telling the entire ship how he really feels, in vividly pissy detail.]

Stop treating the gardens like they're yours. Because you all suck at owning shit. [Well - a flicker, unsure.] Most of you, I mean.

[Yep and then he's back to business.]

If it doesn't stop, I'm finding a way to lock out anyone who isn't in the department.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ e y e b r o w r a i s e ]

I was gonna ask how you're doing, but if me giving a shit is gonna cramp your cranky old man style I can not.

On the network.

[CRANKY PANTS. And then he realizes that he's kind of the one that started it, and just huffs.]

No. I'm not fucking new here. Was gonna ask where you are and if you want company. Everyone and their bitch had something annoying to say when I tried this.

[Okay her irritation might be slightly giving way to a tiiiiny bit of amusement at how fucking stupid this is, but still.]

[But Heder talk bitchy to him he likes that game they're good at it.]

Where I am.

[SERIOUSLY? HE'S ON VIDEO. Well. He gets what she means but he's kicking up a fight for the hell of it, so if the jab of his thumb toward the background is a bit too theatrical... eh.]

You remember you gave me a phaser, right.

[BECAUSE OH GOD SHE WILL STUN HIM, even he must get the implication there.]

[THIS FACE. HE'S NOT SORRY.]

[WHY THAT SMILE WHY DOES THIS FEEL SO MUCH LIKE FLIRTING WHERE DID SHE GO WRONG IN LIFE]

'cause I'm totally prepared to get the two of you intimately reacquainted.

[BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY FLIRT. MUTUAL BITCHING

except she just used the phrase intimately reacquainted and he has a slight problem with that.]

Reacquainted.

[She could try to explain herself - that the acquainted part was what was meant to be re rather than the intimate, unless there's something he wants to tell her in which case she really might shoot him. But that

is a lot

of words

and instead she just makes a face like there's something stuck in her teeth and she's trying to suck it out.]

Fucking pedant.

Mm. No. I'm right.

[He's trying way too hard not to look smug over that one. Russians. Goddamned Russians and their sense of humor rubbing off and then he doesn't have to try not to look smug any longer. They're wasting time.]

I... [Want to see you but can't go on vacation right now. He looks to the side, briefly, moves like he's going to grab his lighter, stops and huffs.] I've got Lodewijk.

I've never seen him tell you you're being an ass, but I guess it'll have to do.

[That's underselling it. She has faith in the grounding, calming powers of the little fluffball, and it does make her feel better to know he's there. Figuring out whether it's a sign that Netherlands had decreasing paranoia levels or just heightened clinginess - well, that can wait.]

For what it's worth, I agree with you.

He's the ass.

[But he's his tiny fluffy ass and there's another goddamned dinosaur somewhere, so what it mostly means is a sign that Netherlands hasn't had time to go back to his room yet.

That's - unexpected. Trips him up and the next thing he was going to say gets caught in his throat as he blinks at her. Not that she agrees, but that she said it.]

Ah. Um. Meant that you could come get 'im.

[Oh. Mystery solved, then. It's pretty positive, plus he sounds flustered and she's not above counting that as a point for her. Smiling as she responds, then, one side of her mouth quirking up in a smile that's fonder than it is smug (but not by a whole lot).]

Okay. Be there soon. And if you go wandering off somewhere after all that huffing over where you are I'm gonna make you sorry.

[Hmph.]

Then don't take too long.

[Except he's already sitting down, screen jostling to show bits of grass and his boots before he rights it. He's not very far from the chickens, in case something other than a mouthy wisp of American shows up soon.]

[As much as she'd like to protest that trees all look the same to her, it's easy enough to recognize that she's there relatively quickly. Not that she gives any appearance of hurrying once she gets close enough to spot him, approaching at a stroll with her thumbs hooked into her back pockets. Trying to keep it cool and maybe overdoing it a little because it's easier to slip back into the pattern of antagonizing each other which he's prickly. Safer.

She can't pull off extending that to her face, though. That'll give her away - a crooked smile edged with concern, mostly just happy to see him and Lodewijk. Always good, especially after the jumps. Definitely after this one.]

Hey.

[In the meantime he's been trying to take a break and has failed to accomplish anything except more fretting, so by the time she shows up he's on his third straight cigarette, one hand to his mouth and the other arm protectively shielding Lodewijk against his lap. Lodewijk, who sleeps through it. Of fucking course. When she shows up he doesn't even try to keep from slumping a little, tension bleeding out of his shoulders.]

Mm. C'mere.

[Cheek kisses > hey!!!! She already traveled down here for him and he's still greedy for her to be closer.]

[Yeah, they are, so she closes the distance and drops to a crouch at his side, steadies herself with a hand on his shoulder through the ritual and gently rubs a fingertip above the rabbit's eyes in greeting. Twists to sit at his side, pulls a knee up towards her chest and loops an arm around it, everything in her body language saying I'm not leaving until I'm satisfied you're doing okay with her brain not playing a part.]

Planning on staking the place out again, huh?

[Damn, caught out that easy. He's torn between sheepish and rueful, but only for a beat. Then he nods.]

'least until tomorrow.

[There's not, really, enough work to justify staying overnight, and he knows she and Russia both frown over it when he does, but. Today the Gardens are Priority Number One so that's where he's going to be. Feels bad, but he's not sorry for it.]

Then... [Shrug, and a glance over toward the chicken coop. Four left.] Dunno.

[SIGH. At least it's resigned more than irritated - she's been sure that was what he was doing from the moment he suggested she take Lodewijk - but that doesn't stop her from giving him that frown he's apparently expecting. Hey, Netherlands, remember when Alex was in a coma and you acted like she was a fool for wanting to stay with him?]

Need anything? Other than a babysitter.

A break. [Grumpy. Wouldn't they all. It's not directed at her, just kind of snapped out toward his feet as he stabs out his smoke with a twist of his wrist. The jump always makes him feel bad, headachy and powered down, or something. Not really up to speed - made all the more irritating because there's always so much to do, after.

But it's not like it's her fault, so he tries to reign it in a little. Deep breath, man.]

Mostly wanna know everyone's okay. [He leans into her, there, cheek and nose turned in against her hair for a moment.] What, um. About dinner. After.

[Okay, it's impossible not to soften a little in the face of that. His stress, the fact that he takes the effort - when it's obviously an effort - to tone it down. She closes her eyes for a moment at the press of his face, a little seed of an idea starting to germinate and momentarily distracting her enough that dinner catches her by surprise. She blinks, surprised, before it warms into a smile.]

Uh, yeah. I'd like that. Whenever after turns out to be.

[Good. That's good. A beat and he rolls a shoulder back back, settling. Nods. Why her smiling agreement to dinner is that reassuring - not gonna think it about it. Instead he licks his lips and dives back into making plans aloud.]

Couple days, if you want chicken. Or - could do two. Dinners, I mean.

[Hell, she doesn't know what she wants. To figure out where this haze of awkwardness came from and shake it off, that'd be a good start. There's no help there, though, and she ends up watching his shoulders instead of his face, wondering if he'd seize up if she moved behind him and tried to rub the tension out of them.

Figures yeah, he would, and her fingers smooth imaginary creases out of her jeans and drum a rhythm against her shin, fidgety busywork to keep them otherwise occupied.]

Two, huh? I do something extra good and not notice?

[That really doesn't help her case, there. If anything, he gets more awkward - he didn't think he was awkward before, subconsciously, sure, but not consciously, at all, but now he does. After this long the not-touching has him floundering. Verbally. The rest of him stills. (Doesn't freeze, just sort of plays an extended open pause for her.)]

You, um. No. I mean, you're - fine. Just didn't -

[HUFF he tears his free hand through his stiff, goo-dried hair]

- I want to do it, Christ.

[Oh, that's - weird, and also kind of reassuring. The huff, the little outburst,and she laughs and ducks her head, rubs at the back of her neck and fluffs up her hair as she does.]

Good. That's a good enough reason for me.

[It should probably be fucked up that him getting tetchy puts her at ease, but there it is. She reaches to rub softly at Lodewijk's ears again, lets her hand settle lightly on Ned's thigh when she's done and drags her eyes back to his, everything about her posture suggesting a shrug but the actual shrug itself.]

What about tonight? You need a supply run?

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