happy anniversary [open]

[circumitus]

CHARACTERS: Rey and YOU.
LOCATION: Various.
WARNINGS: Blood and violence for the third prompt.
SUMMARY: Rey Does Stuff: The Log. Just the kind of stuff you'd expect on your fourth year anniversary, woo.
NOTES: I've got some prompts, but if you want a super special awesome starter just for you, I can whip one up as well. Or you can. Whichever.

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I. Make Your Bed The River (Outside the Tranquility, Early December)

It's strange every time Rey thinks about how she's not living alone anymore. She had only ever lived with one person on the ship, and they weren't around to make sure her head stays on straight.

She is used to living a spartan lifestyle. Having too much useless stuff was never her thing. But now that she isn't the only person living under the roof she's made out in the jungle, she figures it's worth going scavenging for extra supplies. At least in the places she can immediately access...

The Tranquility creaks and groans before her, sunk into the earth and teetering over the ledge of the cliff. She assesses the damage first before she begins climbing into the opening, leading into the medbay.

II. It's A Trap! (Jungle, Anytime)

Max may have given a public service announcement about his similar endeavor, but Rey hadn't been quite so thoughtful as to give warnings about her traps just yet. Mostly because she's still working on them. Hoping that she could catch game or, even better, whoever or whatever is out there that they haven't been introduced to yet.

Plus, she's convinced that whoever murdered that crew member the previous month was not one of their own. This much she was positive when she found the spears in the stampede not too long ago. With the masks and the storm, though, you can never be too certain.

Red X marks have been placed near her little pet projects. You can either find Rey digging a hole somewhere with a makeshift shovel she's put together, or setting up a wire trap or a tree spring noose made from things she's collected from the jungle and the ship.

Either that, or you may find yourself taking a seven foot plunge down one of those many holes she has made.

III. Oh, To Be An Animal... (Anywhere, After the 17th)

It isn't the first time Rey has encountered subjects of horrific diseases. Hell, at a few points during her tenure aboard the Tranquility, she had been a victim of some of those illnesses.

Suppose it was a matter of time before something like this would happen. After all, they're aliens to this world, introducing new bacteria and such to the wildlife. It's just a surprise that the natives have fallen prey to these mutations first.

One can either be passing by when they happen upon a tree-dome made of wood and metal overhead. There's a noise of frenzied, animalistic screeching coming from the inside. A window opens, and the corpse of one of the sickened creatures come flying out.

After a while, she has come to observe the mannerisms of these afflicted animals, watching their behaviors from a distance. You can also find her lurking among trees -- above or below -- watching one of them ripping into their own faces.

Whether one of them is attacking you, or you stumble upon her putting one of them down... Well, the timing is pretty unfortunate, either way.

The worst part is, it isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened.

She's seen something akin to this before.

And that never bodes well. For anyone.

Comments

[foundafamily]

Well, that doesn't sound very fun to Firo, and, having seen Rey abandon her past hobby of sealing herself away from others in favor of glorious roommatery, he can't imagine it's too great for her, either. And it's certainly not going to help their efforts to make this romance blossom. He snorts sarcastically, "Sounds perfect."

Though given Rey's history with just leaving people, he realizes too late how mean that could sound.

He doesn't stop to make an apology, though. He stares at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Does she really like to be alone? Maybe she's just used to it."

Firo is, of course, thinking of Ennis who wasn't really given a choice. And after spending so much of his life on his own, it's hard for him to comprehend anyone wanting that.

[circumitus]

Anyone who isn't Rey would likely take offense to Firo's statement, given how close to home it hits for her.

As it stands, she is Rey, and she has a very strong understanding of where her friend is coming from on the matter. No one seemed to be more affected by her own attempt at leaving than him, at least here.

"I don't think she does. To be honest, I think she's just lonely."

Who could blame her, when the woman that she loved is dead?

That just opens up a whole new can of questions. "Do you think it's even possible to care about anyone else after losing someone you love that much?"

The way Firo talks about love, it feels so final and absolute.

[foundafamily]

"In the same way as the person you lost?" He doesn't need to think long at all on his opinion with this. Falling in love already seems like a once-in-a-lifetime chance to him. How can someone do it twice? he sighs. "I don't know. I never woulda' thought."

Then again, he also never would've thought that he could stomach letting someone who killed a loved one live. This lady is very different from him, he knows that much.

He tilts his head as he looks at her. "Does it matter if she loves you back?"

Unrequited pining isn't so bad, as Firo can attest after several years of it.

[circumitus]

Suppose it would be a bit much to ask Firo how he'd feel if something were to ever happen to Ennis. Not only that, but the mere thought of forcing him to consider that possibility just seems cruel, so she doesn't go there.

Instead, she just blinks his question for a moment. Honestly, it hadn't been a thought that occurred to her until he put it that way.

"No, I suppose it doesn't matter, and it isn't fair to expect that she ever will. Who could blame her? It's my fault things had to get complicated."

She had to go and get this stupid thing called morals.

[foundafamily]

He groans and eyes her, "Again with the 'your fault' stuff?" He's not surprised, no, just disappointed.

As he speaks, he jabs his pointer finger in the air, as if he could stab the self-loathing right out of her. "Listen, I didn't mean that you don't deserve it. I'm just sayin' that it doesn't matter if she feels the exact same if you love her. She still lets you spend time with her, right?"

[circumitus]

Was it really so wrong if it's the truth? Well, from where Rey is standing, it is true -- she made her own bed in all of this when she started having feelings for the last person she should be having feelings for.

At the same time, she knows as well that Firo doesn't want to hear that sort of talk. She sighs, looking downward at the ground below them. "It doesn't?"

But unrequited love seems so cliché...

"Suppose she's had every chance to tell me to fuck off and hasn't." Rey just shrugs. That's got to count for something. Right?

[foundafamily]

Surprised, he blinks. “Sure it doesn’t.” It’s easier to talk about these cheesy things when he’s speaking of someone else’s love rather than his own. “When you love somebody, you still want ‘em to be happy. So if they’re happy, it’s fine even if they don’t love you back."

[circumitus]

All of it does sound cheesy but, when it comes from Firo, Rey is more than capable of taking him seriously. For the most part, anyway.

"Well, that just sounds very one-sided and depressing." What else did she expect, though? That they would become frolicking couple? Even Rey knows better than that.

[foundafamily]

He straightens indignantly. “It’s not depressing!”

What an absurd notion.

“How can you not be happy if you get to be around her while she’s happy?”

[circumitus]

"And what if she can't be happy around me? I'm not--"

Before she can finish that self-deprecating sentence, she just slaps a hand over her forehead. There are a hundred reasons she could list why Faye shouldn't be happy around her, but all it would do is upset Firo. And then further prove her point.

"Just... How do you make someone happy?" Because right now, Rey feels at a loss that it'll ever be a thing.

[foundafamily]

Rey is right on the money. Firo's mouth flattens into a line, and he eyes her seriously. Though this may be a point they should address. "We already went over how she hasn't told you to buzz off, right? Not that that's always a perfect way to tell... But you could ask."

Firo's not so blind as to think that a woman would just feel safe telling someone to leave her alone. That's why he prefers to treat them like land mines and keep his distance. That's a surefire way to be respectful!

"And as for how, it depends on the person. My friend Keith'd be happy if you just left him alone to spend time with his wife Katie, but my friend Berga'd probably die if you left him alone with Kalia."

[circumitus]

"Just because someone hasn't told you off yet doesn't mean they're going to be happy to have you around. Maybe they just feel obligated, or they're too nice. Not that she's always nice, but... It isn't like we were stuck together half of the time because she wanted to be."

But that doesn't speak for the other half in which they were together, and Faye still wasn't inclined to tell Rey to leave her alone.

She slides her hand from her forehead down her face and sighs. "Depends on the person... Now this is just confusing."

[foundafamily]

Part of him wonders if she wants this not to work out. Maybe she honestly is confused, though, so he musters more patience with a sigh. "That's why I said to ask. Find out when you can and don't be a jerk for no reason in the meantime."

Confusing? Now he's just barely holding back a chuckle. "No, it's not. Come on, you figured out the things I like, right? So just do that however you did it with her."

Things are getting serious if Firo's risking comparing himself to Rey's girlfriend.

[circumitus]

Knowing Rey, it's probably no surprise that there is a part of her as well that just believes that there's no point in trying to make it work. The situation is already complicated enough to make her head spin.

"I'll try. I... I don't think I want to talk to her that way again, anyway." In the same way Firo saw her talk to Faye, that is -- and being a jerk about it.

She blinks at him.

"That's because we live together, though. We practically see each other every day." She cants her head, not quite adding up that that's exactly how this whole social thing works. She's slow at these things, okay?

[foundafamily]

Firmly, "Good. That's a start, because nobody's gonna like bein' talked to that way."

Rey'll always come first in his heart before this other lady--she's his friend, and an incredibly close one--but that doesn't mean he can't admit when a friend is wrong. The fact that they won't have to argue over the nice way to talk to your crush means they're headed in the right direction.

He raises an eyebrow. "So before we lived together, you wouldn't be able to tell anybody what I liked?"

[circumitus]

Just remembering Faye's response to her harsh words at the time, even Rey can tell that she didn't like being talked to that way. Not that that was a major priority at the time. Pushing her away was. But, at the end of the day, that wasn't what Rey wanted for her. She didn't really want to hurt Faye any more than she already had. She understands this a little better now than she did the day before that.

At Firo's question, Rey just purses her lips and shrugs a shoulder. "I'm not sure... Maybe. I knew you liked to spar, and you're good at playing cards. Also drinking..."

God, she misses the space booze. She could really use the whiskey right now.

[foundafamily]

"See? You still knew stuff about me. It's just the same with her." And, of course, there is the option once again of just asking.

"If she was here right now, what would you ask her to do if you wanted to... uh, hang out or something?"

[circumitus]

Good point, Firo, good point.

Rey bites her lower lip as she tries to think, glancing away for a moment.

"I don't know. It isn't like there's much to do like there used to be." Except that there sort of is and she hadn't really thought much about it. Sorry.

[foundafamily]

Firo stares at her as if the fire in his eyes could bore holes into her head. "Are you just tryin' to make this harder than it has to be?" He was not made for this kind of thing. "Okay, fine. What would you do if you were back home when things weren't completely crazy?"

He's sure if he didn't add that last part that Rey would stubbornly insist that they couldn't do anything due to Faye being dragged away or something. He's learning your ways, buddy.

[circumitus]

In a way, Rey is stalling, because she really doesn't know how to answer Firo's question right away. She just scoffs at his first comment, realizing that, yes, part of her is intentionally making this more difficult than needs be. What of it?

But then she puts some actual thought in the query, and in her reply. "If things weren't crazy...?" It almost seems to be an impossible prospect, really. She crosses one hand, fingers clasping over her other arm as she mulls this one over. "I don't know. I think I'd just like to do something normal for once, like the way things almost were in Chicago, just... without the being totally insane part."

Having her faculties in check would certainly be a plus, yes.

"Just do something to help get to know her more. Like going to a restaurant or something, perhaps."

[foundafamily]

Being not insane is pretty sweet. With someone else, Firo might assume that there was an element of a joke in there, but he knows that’s not the case with her. It’s something of a saddening reminder of the parts of the past that may still be hanging over her.

But maybe there's a grain of promise in that statement… if Rey’s saying that Faye was with her then and stayed with her, could that say something encouraging about the woman? If she’d been the type to abandon Rey in a rough time, she wouldn’t be worthy.

He smiles; he knew you were smart, Rey. “That sounds perfect. See? You can do this.”

Provided that she does get to see Faye again.

[circumitus]

Shit. Faye hadn't been the type to abandon Rey back when she had been a total stranger and had nothing to gain by doing so, if that speaks for the sort of person Faye Elms is. Rey never fully appreciated that fact because she was empty back then; caring very little for her own self as well as others.

Attempting to return Firo's smile, Rey just leans back. "So... You think there's still hope for me yet?"

Did I pass? is almost what her tones imply, like this was supposed to be some test.

[foundafamily]

"What do you think?" He would consider fooling around and answering sarcastically, but no. This is too important and that'd be too cruel. Instead, he grins and shoves at her shoulder. "Of course there is. You're gonna be fine, Rey, so long as you remember to treat her right."

He pulls back, "And so long as she treats you right."

[circumitus]

These things should be a no brainer. But when you're someone who's spent most of your life with people treating you like shit, you tend to forget about the latter part of what Firo just said.

"Thanks for the advice." She's just going to return that shove by mussing up his hair a little with her two-fingered hand.

[foundafamily]

Becoming accustomed to a thing like that isn't something that can be healed or undone easily. Maybe it can't be done at all. But that won't stop Firo from trying for the rest of their time together. She may not be worth much to other people, but she's worth more than a king's ransom to him.

"Come on, what're friends for? You need somebody to teach you this stuff."

He looks up from the hair ruffling, still smiling but more serious now. "...Not that I really had to teach. You knew it already."