sometime after day 5

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Sam’s never really reached out to the Nest in general like this before, but at this point - well, he’s running out of options. The work he’s done on his mental walls has paid off, and nothing escapes his thick cloud layer except his words, and the soft hint of wind and feathers that flavors his mental link. ]

( Seems like we got a bit of down time, and I’m looking to put it to good use. I’m getting better with my symbiote ability, but I need someone who’ll let me practice it with them.

Simple explanation is that it’s healing, with a side effect that means it’s gonna hurt. Most likely for me. I can get into specifics if you’re up for it. ) [ If it doesn’t bother them or they’re willing to overlook that it means Sam getting hurt, he means, but seeing as he’s communicating with the Nest in general, he’s not gonna say that.

He already knows more than who person who is bothered by it and never seems willing to let Sam use it on them. ]

( I’ll take as many as I can get, more training can’t hurt. )

Comments

[wrackful]

( And you waited til down time to do it. )

[Sam might not judge, but it's practically dripping off Murphy's thoughts.]

( Sounds like you know how it works, anyway. What's left to practice? )

[Except hurting people.]

private to Murphy

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ There's a moment's pause as Sam considers that. He doesn't bother with the question, because there's always something to practice and unless Murphy's offering to help, he doesn't feel the need to explain it to him, but the first bit -

Sam'd known better than to assume he hadn't been contacted after the jail break because no one had been injured, but he'd kind of figured Bellamy and Murphy hadn't wanted it. This sounds like Murphy hadn't even known it was an option. He doesn't know how many people know about the jail thing or how much Murphy wants it known, so Sam pulls his attention away from the Nest in general and focuses so he can turn the conversation to just Murphy. ]

( Either you're just being a jackass when you know damn well I had people turning me down when I offered, or Darkling and Ilde didn't pass on that I was on call if you guys needed after that jail break of yours. )

[ Honestly, Sam'd believe either. ]

∞

[wrackful]

[A beat, and Murphy's careful to keep his surprise to himself. Things had been a mess in the aftermath, the rush back to the Bearings, to find their own way to the shuttle taking them off planet, and Ilde hadn't been entirely herself. The Darkling, though, Murphy could easily believe him keeping quiet about something like that, and some of that filters through: a bitter expectation met without Murphy even realising.]

( I don't even know who you are, man. )

[Though he'd never deny being a jackass, either.]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ That answers that, then. Sam's willing to give Ilde the benefit of the doubt, especially with how she'd seemed when he'd contacted her before they left and with how chaotic things had to have been in the aftermath. But they both have the same opinion of the Darkling, and the bitterness he can feel coming off Murphy is echoed by a sense of frustration. ]

( Sam Wilson. And shit like that is why I'm having to do this now. )

[wrackful]

( Yeah, you still haven't explained why you have to do it at all. Unless this is just what you're into. Those are the kind of specifics you should let people know in advance, you know. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

( You caught me, this is just a really convoluted way of trying to get my rocks off. )

[ With extra sarcasm, since that's exactly what a certain undead elf did to him. Thanks, Sev. ]

( This healing thing used to happen automatically, and I only just started being able to fight it. I'd rather not be a danger to myself or others just because I'm a little unfocused that day and someone bumps into me. )

[wrackful]

( Great. So the bug made you some kind of pain magnet, and the only way you can figure out how to control it is by using it more. And that's just you. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

( You got a better idea? )

[ That's not actually sarcasm, there's a note of genuine curiosity. So far, the only thing that's worked has been using it enough to figure out how it activates and then back tracking to shut it down, but Sam'd love an alternative. ]

[wrackful]

[He'd had one. Get the symbiote removed. But that plan had gone sideways, and who knew how deep the thing's roots would be in his head now, let alone the others who've been here longer. Using it.]

( Not anymore. ) [And there was little point dwelling on that.] ( Just waiting to see which of us goes like Cathaway first. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Ilde, Sam thinks almost immediately, but he keeps that behind his shields. It's not fair to her, even if he doubts she'd take it to be something as distasteful as they do. ]

( You're telling me. All this shit I gotta do just to fight my ability and keep what's in my head to myself, I keep wondering if I'd even notice it was pushing me that way before it was too late. )

[wrackful]

( You could try asking her, but I doubt you'd get a straight answer. )

[All the act of being helpful without actually helping. Almost annoying enough on its own, if she wasn't a representation of everything Murphy hated about the situation they were stuck in.]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ There's something like the sensation of a soft huff, part dry amusement and part agreement. ]

( You talked with her much? )

[ Sam hasn't, but he's seen enough in the minds of others to form an impression of her. Which isn't fair of him, he knows that, but there they are. ]

[wrackful]

( A couple of times. )

[Two total, so far. He knows he needs to try more, but he doesn't think he could stand doing it too often.]

( Enough for a bad impression, not enough for good answers. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

( Bout what I expected. )

[ He doesn't trust her; that much is obvious. Sam might have just a little bit of a problem with authority figures, especially mysterious ones with muddled motivations and vague answers. ]

( I wonder if this place could tell us more, if we knew how to find what it's got in it. )

[wrackful]

[The idea of the place telling them anything doesn't sit well with him. He's used to space stations, but the longer he's here, the more he can't think of it like a station at all.]

( Or the other guy. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ He gives a hum of reluctant agreement. That requires actually talking to Prince instead of just exploring the station, seeing what's been left behind and trying to figure out where they are - but just because Sam's suspicious of them doesn't mean they don't know what they're talking about.

He just might start with exploring the station first. ]

( If I find out anything, you want me to pass it on? )

[wrackful]

( If it's useful, sure. )

[Guess who doesn't like listening to stuff that bores him: this teenager.]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Teenagers. Sam gives a chuckle though, low and amused. ]

( All right, then, what kind of shit are you interested in? )

[wrackful]

( What, you don't know what useful means? Anything that can help us survive or get out of here. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

( Useful depends on the person, man. See, I think knowing what's outside the station, figuring out where all those ships in the hangar have been, and looking to see if the people that were here before us left any clues to what they might've figured out is useful as hell, but someone else mind find all that information boring. )

[wrackful]

( Useful only depends on the person if the person is stupid. There's plenty of boring crap that's saved my life. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

( I’m gonna remember you said that. Want a look at what’s in the nav systems of the ships, then? I already went hunting. )

[wrackful]

( Right now? No. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ There's a moment's pause as Sam waits to see if the kid's gonna expand on that, maybe go for another time - and then he gives a little huff. ]

( Dude. No, it doesn't gotta be right now. I'm not gonna dangle shit in front of you then tell you that you can't have it unless it happens right at this second. )

[wrackful]

[There's a beat. It's the silence wherein someone gives a flat look, a seriously? hanging implied in the air.]

( Okay, you've been spending way too much time with some of the psychos around here. I'm just busy. )

[Though he isn't really. Just not interested enough to go look at spaceships, yet.]