Volver a Comenzar [open]

[notlewis]

When Luis was 9, he'd collected a small terrarium of insects in a jam jar and successfully kept his miniature ecosystem alive for several months. One day, he found the bugs lying dead at the bottom of the jar and it was nearly impossible to console him.

"Lucho, no puedes controlar la vida," his grandfather had told him. "Sólo Dios puede hacer eso." Humans could never hope to overpower God, and those who tried it usually got what they deserved in the end.

Those words were an uncomfortable cadence in his head as he headed out of contagion for the first time in what felt like a month. Luis had been exhausted before, but rarely did he get like this, feeling more like the walking dead than even he usually did. Having the lives of other people in your hands grew very tiring very quickly, and he longed for the days when all he had to worry about at work were the petri dishes full of paramecium. If they died, things went on as normal. They didn't cause guilt.

But how dare he think like that? He didn't deserve to be spared the guilt of his actions. The past was in the past, but no matter how many times he told himself that, memories were not so easy to lose. Since he'd woken up on this ship, it was all he could do to throw himself at project after project in the hopes he'd eventually find atonement, but now that this particular project was coming down to the wire, he feared the weight of more lives on his shoulders.

Everything was quiet, the kid was peacefully sleeping for the first time in weeks, the computer was chugging along in its simulation to calculate dosage and voltage, and Luis figured it'd be best for everyone (and his own sanity) if he got out of there and tried to get his mind off things.

So he sat on the obs deck, doing shots of Jack Daniels and staring into the Bleed. Luis was determined to continue this activity until he realized the existential absurdity of angsting over his insignificant life, or until he was too plastered to do so at all.

Comments

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"You know, drinking alone is rarely healthy," she says, a little bit coyly because after having stormed away from her conversation, she wouldn't especially mind a drink too, but there's no way in hell she'd outright ask for one. She sits down and crosses her hands, noting that this man doesn't especially look like he's drinking for fun, either. More of the drinking to blot out other things. "I'm Eva, by the way."

[notlewis]

Luis was only three shots in, but beautiful women were already starting to appear next to him. God bless American liquor. "Sí, that's true... but it is cheap and efficient."

He shot her a wide smile. "And if it brings beautiful women to check up on me, all the better. Luis Sera. Are you new around here?"

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"You speak Spanish?" Her eyes light up and she responds in her mother tongue. She hasn't been able to really speak Spanish to anyone for years. "I should warn you right now that I'm happily married, but you're charming. I arrived a few days ago. It's been a hectic week, since then. Obviously.*"


(( *If I actually try to write in Spanish I'll end up butchering the conjugations, so pretend? ))

[notlewis]

((Nooo problem, I'm working off two semesters myself.))

"I was born and raised in Spain," he said proudly. Even if the translation engine would have worked it out for them anyway, it was nice to hear in his native language every so often.

Ah, well, at least she warned him outright. He liked it better that way, rather than wasting a lot of energy on embarrassing himself. "I believe beautiful woman should be informed so, but fair enough. You are not alone as far as the hectic week goes, amiga..."

He gestured to the bottle he was holding. "As you can see."

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"Chile by way of Mexico," she says, equally proud. She may have abandoned most of her cultural identity when she immigrated to the United States, but that doesn't mean she doesn't still treasure her heritage. She gives a smile and nod to let him know she appreciates that he won't push the flirting too far. "Care to share? Your thoughts, that is."

[notlewis]

"Ah, it's nothing. Just the stress of the job catching up with me," he assured her. "I'm the head of the Science Department on this old boat. And things have been more than a little bit busy, lately..."

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"The Science Department? Your technology is amazing. I was in there for a scan a few days ago and it went more smoothly than anything on my world." She purposefully leaves out the reason behind the scan. No ned to go baring her wounds to strangers. "But I don't suppose any job with science is always successful and cheerful."

[notlewis]

Luis seemed to glow at the compliment. "Gracias, amiga. It's taken a lot of getting used to, since I think you and I probably come from the same world... but I won't lie, getting to use that kind of technology is a dream come true."

But she was right on that note. "Yes, it... gets a little tense sometimes. I think I am just second-guessing myself though. I get a bit nervous that way when things are close to being finished."

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"If only the only thing we have to get used to is a computer that actually works and scanners without false positives. Instead we get snot pods and these living spinach outfits." She tugs at her sleeve to illustrate. "Can you tell me what things are close to being finished?"

[notlewis]

"A suppressant for a virus," he said, and that was all he was going to elaborate on. "I'm actually a biologist specifically. We're working on cures for things that the crew may run into up here."

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

She picks up on his reticence to explain. "And given the variety of people in this place, that seems like it'd be just about everything, wouldn't it? Different immune systems and all?" She studies his face for a moment, trying to figure out if she knows him; surely if he recognized her his reaction wouldn't have been to compliment her looks. "Why did you say we probably come from the same world?"

[notlewis]

"Yes. Needless to say, it's been a bit of a pain. This one in particular has been dogging me... at least since I woke up myself."

"And considering that I've heard of Chile and Mexico, I can at least assume our geographical worlds are the same. Unless the universe is playing a very good trick on me," Luis explained. "Though I've come to find that there can be a hundred variations on the same 'world...' I suppose I shouldn't speak too soon."

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"I expect that we're probably from different variations of the same place, then. I'm unfortunately a bit notorious on my home planet," she says with a smirk. "So tell me, why do you think Stacy chose you? Or does she just naturally pick up biologists along with all the superheroes and assassins?"

[notlewis]

"Why she chose me?" Luis actually had to think on that one for a second, and not just thanks to the liquor currently making his head swim pleasantly. "Well, we can't all be action heroes," he said finally, with a grin. "And if it weren't for us nerdy types, this place would have been toast a few times over now."

As far as why he, personally, was here? Well... that one wasn't so easy for him to answer.

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"No, we can't. Certainly I'm not." There are many days that she thinks her biggest contribution to the war effort was being a body with a pulse for her Yeerk to manipulate. Even the intelligence later, even being willing to sacrifice her life, what has she truly accomplished in the grand scheme of things? Before Stacy came around she was shuffling papers around trying to figure out how to somehow do something to overshadow her years as a slave. "I'm pretty certain I'm here because of my son. Hopefully my husband will appear too; he's a scientist like yourself, but technological."

[notlewis]

"Don't underestimate that," he insisted. "I'm sure most people here would be happy to have their mothers around." Not him, necessarily, since he barely remembered his mother, but he knew the sentiment was likely pretty common.

[ms_pepperpotts]

Pepper was just leaving Leon's office, on her way to her quarters, when she spotted the man staring into the Bleed.

Concerned, and noting the bottle of whiskey nearby, she made her way over, taking a seat near him, legs crossed at the knees.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked after a minute of silence.

[notlewis]

For the sake of not being smacked in the face, Luis invoked what was left of his whiskey-soaked internal filter on his response.

"It's nothing serious, amiga," he assured her. "Nothing that a little conversation with a lovely lady won't cure."

Yeah, that was the filtered response.

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"Well, we were separated for years. We're always somewhere between catching up on lost time and trying to deal with the fact that he's an adult now and I missed out on all my chances to boss him around." Despite her smile, there is a tangible sadness in her voice. "I can't really say I'm glad to be here but I am glad to have him back. Then again, maybe the tentacles and the idea of being on Planet Meatball will grow on me."

[governorkang]

"...I must be seeing things. You're not holed up in your lab for once," Kang said, shock evident in his voice. "Usually, someone has to drag you out of there to make sure you don't kill yourself."

[notlewis]

"Oh, the killing myself was starting to sound like a good plan, so I figured it was time to get out," Luis chuckled. "Come on over, amigo. I am spending an evening with Señor Daniels."

[notlewis]

"Ahahah... I don't know, I've been here almost a year and I'm still not into the tentacles and Planet Meatball."

Luis paused and poured another shot of whiskey, offering it over to Eva if she wanted it. "It must be nice to be back with your family, though. I can certainly drink to that."

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"It is nice. Thank you." She takes the shot and downs it. "So tell me, Mr. Sera, do you have family?"

She scans his face looking to see if there's hesitance there.

[notlewis]

"No, not anymore," he said. "I was raised by my grandfather, but he passed away a few years back." Another shot of whiskey for himself. "I guess you could consider me lucky that I don't have to worry about what will happen to my family here, but on the other hand... you know."

[vissernone.livejournal.com]

"Lo siento. I probably shouldn't have asked," she says softly. "Do you have many friends onboard?"