farr | XIMILIA 🌟 inbox

here's a protip, rita:
never ever be a student for your mission cover story
i can't believe i have to find a wish-granting orb and still do homework

[ someone is Suffering™ ]

1) did you know you can program the simulation room to be anything you want?

2) what's the best spa you've ever been to?

[ Shang-chi isn't, actually, much of a morning person. When forced to get up with the alarm clock, he'll absolutely do the thing, but he won't be happy about it. Thus, the invitation to Rita's town hall meeting unfortunately stays neglected until Alina comes into his room with a handful of pocketed doughnuts, and then he tunes in and out of the feed to get the basic gist of what's going down.

The doughnuts aren't so bad, if a tiny bit lint-y.

Halfway through and needing the caffeine boost, he decides he'll brave the mess hall if only to get to the kitchen for a strong tea (or maybe coffee) when he catches sight of the hostess herself right outside of the doors, leaning against the side and ... admittedly looking a little stressed out. The doors themselves are closed but he can just hear the reverberations of two parties arguing with each other. It sounds like some kind of political debate. Totally not his scene.

And he guesses that might be one of the reasons Rita's out here. ]

Hey — some meeting in there, huh?

I just got a new silk pajama set outta that gift box and I'm really feeling myself

[Clayton leaves a carefully-wrapped present in front of Rita's room - thin and a little floppy, obviously some kind of small paperback. It's apparently a play, something titled A Young Man's Game; leafing through it reveals a plot similar to Lord of the Flies except set in a remote factory, where the lack of adult supervision (with an emphasis on missing company culture) leads the group of children abandoned there to eventually succumb to anarchy and, most horrifying of all, bankruptcy. The writing is uninspired, but with a bit of work with stage direction, it could at least be an entertaining production.]

[A note has been tucked into a random page, written in horrifically bad script.]

If you're still recovering from your time at the school, I hope this helps.
--Clayton

Delivered to Rita's door without a note, a Christmas stocking.

The contents include:

A glass travel cup.
A mini bottle of champagne.
Orange juice.

[In the spirit of the holidays, (1) mud-covered, scraped up Newton Geiszler is currently stopping in his clumsy running from giant (venomous) furries to cup a hand at his mouth and holler at a familiar face across the mucky ditch:]

Rita!!! Heeeey!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

[in case its our last, yanno]

[ after all.... this. ]

He's a child, Rita. Children are entitled to their tantrums, it has no bearing on who you are and the continued kindness you offer everyone on this station.

[ he does kind of wish she had kept dogshit mcgivens on the backburner in case booker ever returned, but. swings and roundabouts. ]

(( after this! ))

[Okay, Itachi was... such a complicated person. So complicated. But there was being complicated, and there was being that harsh with someone who hoped to have a little fun and bring a little light to the day. Finn had his fair share of that with certain people (or... person) on this ship. Whatever they meant by it, heart in the right place or not, it still sucks.

And having it happen so publicly? It makes him wince. Rita held her own just fine, more than fine, but the way her form went spongey at the end... It felt like something he'd seen thousands of times before, even if Finn can't place it. That vague feeling overrides any sense of privacy she's owed, messaging her before he has the time to second guess himself.]

hey! hey, are you okay?

Edited 2023-02-27 02:30 (UTC)

[Natasha wouldn't describe herself as close to Rita. They have different experience and different approaches, but she does like her. She also feels for her after her rather public meltdown. For... lack of a better term.

So she gives it a minute, letting the other woman collect herself, before she messages:]

I know I was giving you a little shit, but... I don't think people thank you enough for what you do for people around here. Things like this, even when we're ungrateful, it's the kind of stuff that helps make a team instead of a bunch of idiots fighting in the same direction.

[She knows something about that. She also knows something about mistakes, and just how unglamorous being a quote-unquote superhero can be.

She's very familiar with how much it looks like what they've been doing, collecting the orbs. Fuckups and all.]

If you think you'd be up for a beer, I'd be happy to drop some by your room. If you think you'd be up for some company, I'm good for that too. Your choice.

[ another one for the post mess check in... ]

I'm leaving vodka outside your room in a few minutes. It's one of the good kinds, as a special treat.

And I'm offering a hug to go with it if you're up for one of those too. Sometimes the combo is just what a girl needs.

[After the whole thing with the code names and the meltdown.]

Hey, you want some Jell-O shots?

[It happens around an hour after the confrontation with Itachi on the network. After watching Rita's face slip, like a candle melting, and the thundering silence from her after.

The video is shrouded in darkness, the edges of his face vanishing into the shadows around him.]

Miss Farr. Are you alright?

[Newt has been so preoccupied with recording everything here in Ciraiwei that most crewmates will find it at least a fraction quieter around them. As it turns out, Newton Geiszler is most easily tamed into silence by work, especially work on limited time. He's got his earbuds in (and thank god they shrank with them, huh?) and has been in his own little world while carefully drawing a collection of different flowers in bloom down the hill he's found. He's absolutely no artist, but he has learned how to recreate the general shape and anatomy of plants over the years. Little scribbly stamen and pistils and peduncles...

He's so preoccupied and serious with his work, he doesn't notice Rita coming along (does this planet have large birds? he really should pay attention in case there are large birds-). The only sound that comes out of him, as he lowers his notepad, is a little deflated sigh.

Why so down in the dumps, right?

It's not like this planet is probably going to explode into tiny pieces.]

[ Sent before he and Remi even make it back to the group - ]

We can do it. With Remi's magic as key.

Thank you for keeping hope.

[ If she hadn't, they might never have got so far. ]

[ before they leave but after the announcement of the orb's finding, rita will find during a brief pause back in her hutt to compose herself a thick, leaf wrapped package. it's about as heavy as a thick book and there is a note pinned to the front of the package with a thorn. ]

As comprehensive a record of their people and culture as I could manage. If the rescue is successful, please make sure one of their leaving elders has this.

If not, keep it please so their lives are not forgotten.

[ if she peaks inside she will find loose sheaves of a vellum-like paper made from the wafer thin membrane of a mushroom harvested by the edge of the sun-drenched forest and a number of pages ripped right from joe's own journal, filled with portraits of the hivawei along with scribbled stories and notes next to detailed sketches of their flora and fauna and traditions. there is also instructions for book binding so whomever receives the papers can compile them into a book on their own, joe hadn't the time.

the note is unsigned. ]

Rita. Rita! [ malyen calls out after he catches sight of her, ever on the move like a hummingbird with it's heart pitter-pattering in it's chest. since the wizard's arrival and the subsequent plans made, the tracker's not sure that he's seen rita slow down for a moment.

not as the day turned to night, then the light faded from the next day. mal's not sure she's sleeping. and while it's not his place to protest or comment on anyone's dedication, he was there when remi pointed sharp words at rita too. he knows this is personal. so when he sees rita flitter past where he's seated at a small campfire, away from where many are gathered, with the sort of look that reminds him of a soldier with a mission to complete --- mal stands up and calls out to her. ] I need your help with something! Do you have a moment?

[ it is a dirty trick, actually, but no one ever said that malyen plays by the book. no, not when it comes to things like getting someone to rest and eat a meal. ]

[ The message comes through late that first evening, once most had trudged to bed exhausted. Jake was among them, eager to let sleep ease away the aches of a day spent shoving mushrooms into his body and then back out into various adjoining holes. It seemed almost farcical to look back on, though no one on the ship was doing much laughing today.

This message would've come earlier, had Finn not hit up against the grim discovery of Steve's disappearance. It was a long night nursing the boy through an accelerated stage of grief, only for them to end up right back at the start again. At least depression was good for one thing; Finn would get some sleep.

Was Rita sleeping? It was late enough that he hoped so. Heck, it was late enough that he shouldn't check. Still... ]

Hey, Reetz. You up?

text | un: 182

embarrassing walking back in here when the only other tag here is MY DROPPED ONE

action — in the middle of town hall meeting ;

text - un; nightmoves - misfires

[ present ]

no subject

the shortest thread during the big D&D dragon fight

text — un: joe

text; un: raddude5000

audio; un: romanoff

text | un: andy

Text | un: belova

Visual. Un: Aleksander

action. (during the mushroom planet mission)

text, un: strange (like 30 minutes after he last saw her on Remi Day)

delivery —

action | during the mission, post-remi

voice; un: jtd (post ciraiwei)