[open] And You Can't Keep Faking That You Don't Feel This Anymore

[lockwood]

CHARACTERS: Tyler Lockwood + You???
LOCATION: Space Babylon + The Gym
WARNINGS: brooding. drinking. someday I will do an open post for him that doesn't involve alcohol (let me live my lies)
SUMMARY: Tyler's finally coming to grips with Caroline being gone from the ship too. And by coming to grips I mean not dealing at all.
NOTES: Prose or action are fine, I just like to set up in prose



Space Babylon

He tries to convince himself at first that Caroline was just missing on the ship. He avoids trying to contact her because he doesn't want his worst fears denied. But after a couple of weeks he finally breaks down and does it. She's gone. Back home. They had talked not too long ago about sticking it to Klaus when they get home -- shoving him off the chess board that was Mystic Falls. Maybe she will.

But after losing Mason the jump before this -- Tyler just isn't coping anymore. It's not like he has anything but Caroline waiting for him back home anyways. He's lost his mother, his pack, his uncle (again) and now she's gone and he's just so tired of feeling that loss. So he does the only thing he can think of.

He drinks. And he drinks more. He's probably not even attempting to cover how much he's drinking at the moment. Can't get himself to care to, honestly. And he's certainly not going to make another depressing network post about people being missing. So another beer it is.


Gym

A few days later and the anger kicks in. The thing about being a wolf (and one with the heightened vampire emotions to boot) is that that anger is always with him. It's always there, clawing at his throat, ready to choke him if he lets it.

He can't let it.

But that violence is a part of him and since it might be a while until the next Fight Club meeting he does the next best thing -- he works out. He can be found doing various things -- lifting weights, hitting sandbags, one armed pushups, the works. Exercise has been a coping mechanism for him since long before he even knew about the Lockwood family curse.

Being angry at the ship for taking yet another thing away from him isn't going to change anything but he's angry anyways. That he's going to have to find a way to deal with.

Comments

[blasphemous]

Meg isn't usually a big drinker. No... that's a lie.

Meg hasn't had a reason to be a big drinker on the ship in a while.

Having the shit kicked out of her had shifted a few things when it came to her priorities. Moving to the first bar that isn't owned by Jo, she takes a seat and glances around. She's seen most of these people during the jumps, but there are a few unfamiliar faces. She assumes this is a good thing. She doesn't really want to deal with anyone that knows her right now.

She takes her glass of whiskey and takes inventory of those around her. She spots a familiar face and frowns a bit. It's been at least six months since she saw him last. Something about his brother or father being missing.

Uncle.

His uncle had been missing. Considering the empties lining up, she's going to guess someone else left. Picking up her glass, she moves toward him a bit. "I have an advantage right now, because no one looks worse than me in this place. You're giving me a run for my money, though."

[lockwood]

He wasn't really hoping to run into anyone he knew -- but at the very least this isn't anyone who knows him well. They've only really talked once before back when Mason was missing. Of course Mason was gone now (and dead back home) and now Caroline was gone too and well, he's picking up his glass and draining the rest of it before he even responds to her.

"That's what I'm here for," He offers in a cynical tone. Playing friendly doesn't really fit his mood at the moment. "Making other people look a little less sad. You should probably thank me for that."

[blasphemous]

Meg smirked, "I was thinking more about how I look like I got the shit kicked out of me, but hey - I guess if I need to mope more, I can work on that. Maybe it'll get me a free drink."

She gestured for the bartender to bring him another and one for herself, "I'll be sure to send you a fruit basket though. Any allergies I should watch out for?"

[lockwood]

"People like giving free drinks to sad girls, it'd probably work." It's a joke, but there's definitely some truth there.

He shakes his head a little, picking up the new glass. "Not really." Just wolfsbane and vervain but what are the chances of those showing up in said fruit basket?

[blasphemous]

"Hey now, I'm not exactly a sad girl, here. I won't say no to free drinks, but definitely not for those reasons."

If anyone was going to give her a free drink, she'd prefer it to be for her looks or conversation skills.

[lockwood]

"Then for what reasons?"

It's mostly a distraction method, it gives him something else to think about.

[blasphemous]

"I could go for the wants to get me drunk reasons, but that'll take a lot of alcohol."

[lockwood]

"You too, huh?" No reason in hiding it as he has...quite a few glasses around him and is clearly not drunk.

[gothchicklit]

[ Unlike some people, October hasn't started relying solely on alcohol to help her with her problems and when she usually turns to it, it's behind closed doors in her room and it's enough to make falling asleep easier. But now that she's got sleeping pills from medical and she's actually getting a decent night's sleep more than once every couple weeks, she figures she'll venture to the bar to get a drink with other souls. Worst case she ends up leaving after one drink; best case she ends up running into someone she knows and gets the chance to catch up.

Instead, she ends up sitting next to somebody who looks vaguely familiar, like someone who's popped up on the network but she hasn't spoken to. Which isn't a huge deal; she can mind her own business and let him drink in peace. Until, of course, she gets her own drink and actually glances in his direction, noticing all the glasses that have piled up around him. Her eyebrow lifts slightly and she really does try to quell her curiosity, but after she takes a sip of whatever the fuck the bartender gave her (she just wanted something strong), she can't quite stop herself. ]

Trying to kill yourself via liver failure? [ She nods towards the glasses, just to make her point clearer. ]

[lockwood]

[Tyler drinks alone often enough but right now? He doesn't really want to be in his room -- doesn't want the reminder of what's not there, or rather, who's not there. At least this gives him a break from things.

Someone speaks to him -- not someone he knows. But she looks vaguely familiar -- she's probably been on the network or something. He supposes he should probably be a little more discreet but it's not like it's a secret that they are people who are a little more than people on the ship. And he can't quite get himself to care right now.]

Maybe. I haven't quite decided yet.

[gothchicklit]

There are fast ways of doing it, you know. Some even involve less puking if you do it wrong. [ Morbid, maybe, but it's the truth.

She takes a sip of her drink and then actually turns towards him, elbow moving to rest on her knee. ] Not that you really need one up here, but is there a reason for it? Medical might ask me when I drag your ass down there later.

[lockwood]

There's a few, actually. But mostly, my girlfriend got sent home.

[Which sounds a little pathetic, he realizes, but it's the truth. He doesn't have the energy to make up anything more interesting than that. Caroline's disappearance on top of Mason's the jump before?

Yeah, not so good for his psyche.]

[gothchicklit]

[ She winces a little and glances towards the collection of glasses around him again, nodding slightly. ] I'd be drinking until I blacked out, too. Losing people up here fucking sucks.

[lockwood]

Yeah, but it seems to be kinda par for the course. Everything sucks here. [Which sounds...really melodramatic but he's feeling a little maudlin at the moment, he can't help it.]

[gothchicklit]

[ That gets a quiet snort as she nods in agreement. ] Knowing that doesn't make it any easier to deal with, though. [ She knows that all too well. ] Guess that's why we've got a decent stash of alcohol and very little actual food here. [ Actual food versus the really awful space-safe stuff. ]

[lockwood]

No, it doesn't. You'd think it would. [Or that time would make it easier but Tyler's been here for a bout a year now. Not easier yet.]

Could you imagine the fights that would have broken out if people didn't have alcohol to rely on?

[gothchicklit]

[ Same for October, she's just never had someone from home show up here, let alone go home.

She laughs a little. ] Honestly, I'm surprised they're not worse. People get really dumb when they drink. [ A glance towards his glasses before she meets his gaze. ] Here's hoping you're not one of the violent ones.

[lockwood]

Yeah, some people don't. [He can be one of the violent ones, he certainly used to be. He still has that anger at the core of him, that part of being a werewolf that'll never be gone but he has better control now.]

We can only hope I don't regress back into that.

[gothchicklit]

[ Her eyebrows lift slightly. ] Should I leave now, just in case? Or are you not feeling particularly regress-y today?

[lockwood]

[He shrugs.] I think you're safe for today.

[gothchicklit]

[ She smirks a little. ] I'm not too sure I trust the "think" part of that. Can I get your name, just in case something happens and I need to accuse the right guy?

[lockwood]

Tyler Lockwood. Do I get to know the name of the person accusing me, at least?

[gothchicklit]

I guess it's only fair. [ She offers her hand. ] October Bantum. And no, I wasn't born in October.

[lockwood]

[He takes it, shaking it.]

I would hope you weren't. It'd be kind of lame to name a kid after the month they were born.

[gothchicklit]

[ She lets out a quiet huff of amusement. ] Finally, someone who isn't a complete moron. [ She grins a little and slides her hand out of his to grab her drink again. ] So, Tyler Lockwood, how long have you been here?

[lockwood]

A little over a year now, I think. You?

[gothchicklit]

About the same. [ She stretches her arm out, letting him see the numbers 005 » 034 tattoed on her arm. ] I'm a fiver.

[lockwood]

[He rolls up his own sleeve, revealing the 006 >> 013]

I came in the jump after that.

[gothchicklit]

Imagine that. [ She lets out a quiet huff. ] I wonder why we haven't run into each other before now.

[lockwood]

It's a big ship, I guess. I kind of keep to myself.

[gothchicklit]

That's gonna drive you insane one of these days, you know. [ Like she had room to talk. ]

[lockwood]

I've managed to last this long, I think I might be in the clear.

[gothchicklit]

You never know with this place.

[lockwood]

It's hard to know much of anything with this place.

[gothchicklit]

You could say that again, [ she says, tilting her glass towards him in a sort of toast-like fashion. ] But, hey, we've made it this far without becoming space junk. That's something to celebrate, right?

[lockwood]

It's something. Here's to hoping no one tries to chuck us out of the airlocks.

[gothchicklit]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for us.

[lockwood]

Thanks, I have a feeling we'll need it.

[gothchicklit]

No kidding. [ She sighs and turns her glass over in her hand for a moment. ] Anyway, are you sure you're gonna be alright? I wasn't planning on staying long, but if you want someone to carry you back to your room...

[lockwood]

I'll be fine, I promise. I can get myself back. [And even if he couldn't he's kind of stubborn about asking for help.]

[gothchicklit]

Alright. [ She downs what's left of her drink and slides off her bar stool. ] I might have to check up on you later, though. Just in case.

[lockwood]

Fair enough. Can't blame you for wanting to make sure I didn't drink myself to death.

[gothchicklit]

Damn right you can't. [ Even if they did just meet. ] Have a good night, Tyler. [ With a squeeze of his shoulder, October makes her way out of the club. ]