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( open ) you take it seriously

CHARACTERS: Maria Hill + open
LOCATION: Floor 7 kitchen
WARNINGS: Blood? Touching?
SUMMARY: No one's immune from feeling terrible even if they want to avoid the problem

( She felt a little less messed up, at least that was until you included the biological issues stemming from this jump. The memories at the jump had been enough - the muddling in her mind. She'd taken a few days, slept, thought it out - or tried not to think about it for a while. She still wasn't entirely sure how it had all happened - she'd been on the ship but at home, but everything felt real. As real as it could when you didn't have a point of reference, anyway.

Maria was at least glad that she'd gotten things mostly figured out before the headaches started. Headaches she could normally handle - they were standard fare in her job, or just dealing with idiots, but this was different. Intense. Enough that it could knock her back a little and cause her to seek a dark room for a while. Only the ship could do that to her, and twice.

Although Charles had suggested physical contact could relieve what they were feeling it wasn't something that Maria had sought out. It seemed strange, and a little embarrassing. What kind of contact was going to be enough to help with this? It was an idea that she was trying to not think much about, although when her nose starts bleeding (again) in the kitchen? She might start to regret that )

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[ Blake hasn't been immune to the headaches or the bloody noses and he's surprisingly stubborn, so he's ever more like Maria in that regard. He's occasionally found relief — dark rooms or minor contact — but for the most part he's finding ways to continue with his work and whatever's beyond that.

He arrives in the kitchen after an hour or so in the Oxygen Gardens, a small notebook in hand and a fingernail between his teeth. It's only after a second that he lifts his eyes and spots Maria, his eyes taking far too long to focus. ]

Hey you.

[ A simple greeting but his forehead's pinched as he takes in Hill's appearance. Without hesitation he grabs up a kitchen towel and offers it out to her. ]

You wanna sit, maybe? [ He waves her closer. ] C'mere, I'll make you some tea or somethin' while you fix that up.

( She's quick to take the towel, John only marginally faster in reacting to her event than she was. There's a small nod, and Maria rests a hand on his arm, letting him guide her to a seat. She leans her elbow holding the towel on the table at first before tipping her head back, closing her eyes as she tries to stem the flow. Dizziness hit along with the nosebleed, and they were hitting more frequent )

Tea?

( There's a chuckle muffled by the towel and her pinch on her nose. How many times has he helped her out this month? Too many for her liking )

It sounds nicer than this.

[ If anyone's keeping count, it's not Blake. He is, in fact, half out of his mind with these headaches most of the time, so it doesn't even occur to him. ]

Yeah it does. Could use a cup, too.

[ He's not sure it even qualifies as tea, honestly, but what they've managed to harvest from the garden works well enough in a pinch. ]

You been toughing this out?

I'm a tough girl.

( There was a tilt of her head, a little pride at that. She'd sustained worse things than dizziness and nosebleeds, although she knew that wasn't necessarily a good thing )

You holding up?

I'm a tough girl, too.

[ Blake offers her the thinnest of smirks at the joke. He cares a little differently than most, but he cares, and that's really what the question was about, whether she answered it or not. ]

This isn't— [ He gestures. ] It's not like I imagined, y'know? Not that I was imaginin' anything, but Christ, I dunno how people do it. Dealin' with this kinda stuff all the time?

[ John shakes his head and puts the water on to heat. ] You think people 'round here with the mental power've got it worse?

You want me to text one and find out?

( He's not on speed dial but she knows the number to one particular telepathic inbox. Just in case )

And- ( There's a pause, a thought. She pulls the towel away from her nose for a moment to see how it's doing ) -you deal. I haven't handled anything like this before but I've seen my fair share of injuries.

( Had plenty of her own, seen more. She'd had to test her first aid skills a few times, especially when they hadn't had a field medic around )

Usually you don't get that much time to think about it.

Ah, the fiber of a true workaholic, truly.

[ Blake walks over to the sink and wets another towel with hot water, wringing it thoroughly until it's just slightly damp. It still feels warm when he hands it off to her. ]

I'll take your word for it. All of it.

[ If it's Charles she's thinking of calling, he'll pass. That guy's a bit too insightful for Blake's liking. ]

Not a workaholic.

( Her words become a little muffled again as she presses the new towel to her face, the bleeding not yet slowing. It's going to be one of those nose bleeds.

And while Maria's lies are technically a lie, you don't work the hours she does without being a workaholic, it's the situation she was meaning. Seeing the injuries she has )

It happens in service.

[ John smirks, looking on, trying to see beneath the surface. He feels an immense fondness for Maria that doesn't go away.

He's about to say something when the veil drops and the headache slides into place. Almost immediately, his nose follows suit and he fumbles with the damp rag, momentarily glad she hadn't taken it. ]

Sorry, it's— Christ. Just like that. [ A quick onset. ]

Come here.

( Maria holds her hand out to him. She's resigned herself to realising, and seeing for herself, that some contact actually does help. A nosebleed just on herself? She can deal with that herself. Someone else in the room - or both? The idea still sounds and feels a little stupid - touching someone to feel better, but it does. And maybe it'll do the trick now )

[ It's bizarre. Strange to seek out contact on any terms other than his own. But true enough, he's heard from plenty of people that something as simple as holding hands can stop a person from falling further victim to the pain. ]

My hero.

[ Just a joke, but not entirely untrue. He takes her hand and takes a seat and waits for his nose to stop. Thankfully there's discernible difference in the pain already. ]

Careful you don't bleed on anything you're planning to eat.

[ because being nonchalant about the current state of affairs on the ship is the only way to be. jax is bleeding all over a tranquility issue shirt, isn't sure whether or not to just embrace this as inevitable or not. ]

You okay, Maria?

[ it's an easy check in, the way jax is doing with all the members of gunnery. they're all varying shades of bloody mess, but they're all alive. that's probably the best they can hope for. ]

It'd be easier if this didn't keep happening.

( Thankfully she'd eaten before this had occurred, and after the increased frequency of her nose bleeds she'd kept a towel nearby after entering the kitchen, grabbing for it now and pressing it to her nose

There's a small shake of her head, a sigh muffled by the towel. It's frustrating what is happening, and that it's worsening )

Thought I'd take five minutes before going back to gunnery.

( She never used to take breaks, now they get ruined )

That'll teach you to take a break.

[ joking, covering his own concern. there's only so many nose bleeds that could be suffered before things dipped into more serious waters. jax is afraid of that, but he's not going to bring that up now. ]

You wanna hold my hand until you feel better?

[ it's all framed like this, making light of the situation. that's the only thing there is to do. jax isn't a doctor, doesn't know how to come up with something better, if a fix is even possible. but he knows what's worked so far, and he can offer that for starters. ]

( Maria pulls the towel down for a moment, because giving him a look at his question is so much easier to do without it )

That's what they all say.

( And it's what had gone around the network recently. Physical contact abated the symptoms. Great idea, but did it? Even so she puts her free hand out for his, other moving the towel back to her nose )

You really believe it?

( And how long would they have to do this for? She's really not a hand holder, or maybe she's just not held any hands in a long time )

I'll take what I can get at this point.

[ his threshold for weird was getting a real work out since he'd landed up on this ship. holding hands to stop a nosebleed? when it was compared to aliens and space pirates and talking emotes, it wasn't so out of the ordinary. ]

Or we could try drinking till we forgot about the headache.

[ tried and true method of dealing with any kind of injury as far as the sons of anarchy were concerned. he holds his hand out anyway in invitation, eyes on maria. ]

I wouldn't say no to drinking.

( Somehow it had become like a coping mechanism on the ship, or maybe it was just the only way she could think of to pass the time. Enough seemed to happen that it was easier to drink to talk about it, or to get through it. It definitely wouldn't hurt now, even if they did hold hands through it. Taking his hand she lets her head dip a little, eyes closing for a few seconds )

How are the rest of them holding up?

Plenty of blood. But it's not as bad as it probably could be.

[ what's a little blood between friends, right? jax is weirdly figuring this as some kind of bonding activity. keep each other from bleeding out is an excellent team strengthening exercise. ]

We'll survive. We always do, right?

It's a good job the ship kidnaps survivors.

( There's a sigh before Maria pulls the towels from her far, giving a few second break to see how it's doing. So far so good, or at least it's not pouring as profusely )

How much vacation time do you think we're due against this vacation?

( Not that she's ever been much of a vacation person )

Either it picks survivors, or the people who end up here become survivors damn quick.

[ or else they get crushed. that's another thing jax doesn't think really needs to be said. it's a sad truth. ]

I'd say I need a good six months. I'm planning on going out to a beach somewhere, with a cooler and some green.

[ he means the kind you smoke, clearly, but he doesn't get overly specific out of habit. ]

I couldn't do a beach.

( Not for six months, anyway. They were fine for small visits - better when you were younger - but anything extended? She needed something to do )

I'd travel. ( Climb mountains, see places, see history. The calmer activity holidays - she doesn't need the canoeing and rafting parts ) I've been to a lot of places but not really seen them.

Yeah, I know how that shit goes.

[ been to ireland but having all his time taken up, not seeing the sights. though jax isn't sure he'd want to go back. ireland's too drenched in blood and history. ]

Maybe I should look into travelling. Go somewhere and get some postcards or whatever it is people do.

[ there are moments when jax comes up against how limited his scope is. it's charming. it's always been charming. outside of that has always been insignificant. ]

I think it's pictures now.

( She still likes postcards. Tuck them away into a private place. They always make her smile when she's received one )

Where would you go?

Me? Shit, I don't know.

[ tara had been the one to take off, see the world. or see some of the world, some of what existed outside charming. jax had never been all that motivated to get up and out. ]

I never gave it much thought. After all this time up here, I figure I'd be happy just to get home and see my kid and my old lady.

[ and tara's pregnant. jax has to forcibly wrench his thoughts away from that or he'd go plain crazy over it. ]

I guess so.

( At least if you had that. Her sentiment's a little half-hearted, though she's glad that he's got something to back to. She's just got a job, a few friends and protecting the world )

Seems the place everyone wants to go.

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( open ) you take it seriously

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