TWENTY EIGHT: VIDEO

[puppydogeyes]

We're losing people.

[It's not a good opener. Tyke's in the SEC office, the central screen standing as backdrop behind her, but her expression doesn't seem as sharp as it usually is for these announcements. The slight pinch in her brow isn't unusual, but there's a slightly cloudy quality to her eyes that doesn't dissipate as she continues talking.]

There's less people at the jumps. Our overall population's getting smaller. You'd think we'd be getting bigger over time, not this.

[Her frown deepens for a moment, and she takes a breath. Seems to pull herself up straighter, words coming stronger.]

My name's Tyke, and I'm head of security. Anyone that hasn't heard it before: security's here for your safety. Things here are gonna try to kill you or fuck with your head. We wanna make sure that doesn't happen.

One way you're gonna help on that is by sticking together. Move down to the first ten floors. Join a department. They maintain the basic functions of the ship around you, and they're all fucking understaffed. Don't let any of this shit make you think we've gotta turn on each other.

[Pain twists her expression sharply, suddenly, has her leaning forward slightly, a thin trickle of blood running down from her nose. She wipes it almost immediately, red smearing on her face and the back of her hand. She glares at it, irritation and frustration palatable, snarling in her voice.]

Is anyone else getting these fucking headaches?

Comments

text;

[dogbane]

Need an exam?

We can try NSAIDs and my psionics

video;

[puppydogeyes]

[It's probably a bad sign that her head's hurting enough that she doesn't want to have to deal with reading or typing text.]

No. I don't want any drugs.

[Which is what she's assuming both of those things are.]

voice ;

[50000volts]

Uhh... That's not normal. I think you need to see a doctor.

That was obvious, right? You're going to go do that, right?

video;

[puppydogeyes]

I'm busy. Got work to do.

[That's a no.]

[video]

[circumitus]

[Rey's squinting, her wrist over her nose while she's holding her communicator in her other hand. Her bloodshot eyes are a little more difficult to conceal -- not that she can see them to be aware.]

You're getting this shit, too?

[Ugh stop bleeding stop bleeding stop bleeding.]

[video]

[puppydogeyes]

[She doesn't look relieved that she has a companion in suffering. Part of her had expected it - why she'd asked in the first place. It doesn't mean anything good, and that just pisses her off more.]

Started this morning. Won't fucking quit.

video.

[rhyfelgri]

You look like shit, doll. Make it damn hard not to take you seriously if I weren't inclined.

( it's wry and not unkind; presumably, if they were better staffed, someone not actively bleeding would be handling the recruitment drive. )

So. Where do I sign up?

( for security. she's heard about gunnery, and means to swing by there sometime soon, but not to join; god knows her aim is not such that she should be handling guns on the regular. )

video.

[puppydogeyes]

Most of them aren't that simple. Gotta find someone in the department and ask them what their process is.

[Cause she had mentioned all departments.]

Video

[atent_dead]

[Granny holds up a bottle of her by now slightly infamous nasty brown concoction]

It bad enough to want this?

[That's a valid diagnostic criterion.]

Video

[puppydogeyes]

What is it?

[video]

[tongueamok]

Headaches aren't unusual for some of us, but bleeding like that is never good. Were you injured recently?

[video]

[puppydogeyes]

No. Not recently. [She shakes her head, then regrets it, wincing and holding still.] Shit like this has happened before.

video.

[foolproofed]

Usually when I smoke up, my head doesn't feel like someone's smacking it with a hammer. So yeah, I think we're definitely getting the same issue. [life is hard, I missed a jump, same ol' bullshit heyo] Anything else other than headaches? Because this place isn't exactly the best with the whole... y'know. Drowning in your own spinal fluids thing or whatever is happening week to week.

video.

[puppydogeyes]

[She lifts her hand away from her face. Her nose is still bleeding.]

You miss this part?

[Grumpiness is a good way to avoid thinking about what else could be coming along with this, right.]

voice;

[doggedly]

There's a sofa, y'know.

[Which is like saying maybe have a lie-down Tyke without actually saying any of those words because she wouldn't appreciate hearing it.]

voice;

[puppydogeyes]

Not gone fucking blind, Sirius.

[Not this time.]

private.

[altercate]

Yes.

[ succinct, because what else is he supposed to say? ]

private.

[puppydogeyes]

Bleeding, too?

[video]

[abweichend]

[...Ugh.]

I don't think I've made it through a single day here without a headache... But not like that.

[To answer her question.]

...I'm interested in joining Security.

[Aaaand to answer the one she didn't ask. It's something he's been thinking about since his first Jump, but after laying low and falling even further out of the loop, he figures it's time to do something about it.]

[video]

[puppydogeyes]

Alright. [Stubbornly continuing on as if her skull doesn't feel like it's going to split.] Gonna need to know your background and experience, then run you through a skills assessment.

voice.

[kutte]

Need a tissue?

[ then, immediately-- ]

Had a couple of them. Felt like my head was caving in.

voice.

[puppydogeyes]

It'll stop.

[Which isn't really an answer for why she doesn't need a tissue now when it's still bleeding, but she's sticking with it. Maybe stubbornly hoping it'll be true for the whole thing.]

video

[fertilefeet]

[Lúthien isn't entirely concerned by most of that message. Not her problem, security. But the health of the people on the ship? That has been since she joined medical.]

Perhaps you ought to come to medical. I can do something to relieve the headaches if not take care of the nose bleeding.

video

[puppydogeyes]

I don't need anything. Don't want drugs.

text

[alsohawkeye]

You said this has happened before? When/what was it? I could search William's list but I already feel like my eyes are about to start bleeding.

video

[puppydogeyes]

[She really doesn't want to be reading text right now, and the context of the question is lacking enough that all she has in response is a confused:]

What?

video.

[judex]

[ He's argued with her over something like this before. He doesn't entirely skip it now, but he does try to pack it into a few seconds of skeptically annoyed eyebrows and silence before he pointedly Does Not Ask. ]

Is there a way to make sure all of the children here have guardians?

video.

[puppydogeyes]

[Well that wouldn't be a question she'd expect, even if she wasn't bleeding from the face.]

Why?