ABS FIESTA REDUX

[Qwepir]

Cualli stares at the potato that's being held to her face, then at Elu, and finally opens her mouth. The potatoes are bland and tasteless in her mouth, but she realizes that it's more effort to fight Elu over eating than it is to just eat and get it over with.

Not about to be spoonfed in front of everyone in the mess hall, Cualli gently takes the fork and mumbles a "sorry" before picking at her food, eating small bites of it at a time. She gets about halfway through her small portion before laying her fork down on her tray, pushing the tray forward a few inches, resting her elbows on the table, and holding her face in her hands.

"I wish he were still here," she says quietly.

: I do too. He should explain himself.

And Jaakko goes to the mess hall and looks for familiar faces.

Along the way, you bump into one of Djuriskas' new recruits, back from logging a few more flight hours. She looks completely exhausted, and acknowledges your presence with barely more than a nod as you pass each other in the cramped hallway. When you reach the mess hall, you see Cualli and Elu are present, as is one of the Kintharian mechanics.

[Ad Bot]

[carolcat]

: I do too. He should explain himself.

"I mean more of... I wish he'd never left. If he comes back now, they'd... kill him, and then I'd just be more miserable. At least if he's alive... at least there's a chance- however slim- that maybe I'll get to see him again."

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko is a bit disappointed there's not anyone around he would talk to. He heads to the line to see what's to eat today.

[Qwepir]

"I mean more of... I wish he'd never left. If he comes back now, they'd... kill him, and then I'd just be more miserable. At least if he's alive... at least there's a chance- however slim- that maybe I'll get to see him again."

: Maybe. You should finish your food.

Jaakko is a bit disappointed there's not anyone around he would talk to. He heads to the line to see what's to eat today.

The choice of entrees today is your typical carrier slop; shredded beef barbecue, chili macaroni, something that may be fish, and "sausage". By this point, the crew is starting to suspect that the mess hall food is just MREs slapped on aluminum cafateria trays.

[carolcat]

: Maybe. You should finish your food.

Cualli stares at her food for a few long moments before finally pulling her tray closer to her and finishing her meal. As she goes to put her tray away, she spots Jaakko in the food line and picks up her pace, hoping he hasn't seen her. The last thing she wants right now is a confrontation.

She returns to Elu and stands beside him. Mentally, Cualli kicks herself for the state she's currently in. Why are you doing this to yourself? You should've eaten more, you should be working out, you should be taking better care of yourself, you shouldn't be like this.

"I want a distraction," she says to Elu, squeezing his shoulder gently. "Come on." Cualli makes her way to the rec room and takes a peek inside.

[Badger]

Cualli is able to spot Walter off to the side fixated adding carvings down the side of his metal leg. It's hard to make out what he's doing currently from a distance other than a grid and the thirty-six tally marks that are part of the in progress carvings.

[Qwepir]

Cualli stares at her food for a few long moments before finally pulling her tray closer to her and finishing her meal. As she goes to put her tray away, she spots Jaakko in the food line and picks up her pace, hoping he hasn't seen her. The last thing she wants right now is a confrontation.

She returns to Elu and stands beside him. Mentally, Cualli kicks herself for the state she's currently in. Why are you doing this to yourself? You should've eaten more, you should be working out, you should be taking better care of yourself, you shouldn't be like this.

"I want a distraction," she says to Elu, squeezing his shoulder gently. "Come on." Cualli makes her way to the rec room and takes a peek inside.

In the rec room, you see Walter in the corner doing what badger said, one of the new pilots playing cards with one of the Kintharians, and the other playing a video game Tippy brought on board with a crewman.
: I hate to say it, but you're just stuff at this game! And you're actually a pilot, too!
: Hey man, this isn't even remotely the same thing. Besides, I'd like to see how awake and alert you are after running combat drills for what was it, Coma, six hours straight? ...Oi! I'm talking to you.
: Huh? It didn't feel like that long.

Jaakko is a bit disappointed there's not anyone around he would talk to. He heads to the line to see what's to eat today.

The choice of entrees today is your typical carrier slop; shredded beef barbecue, chili macaroni, something that may be fish, and "sausage". By this point, the crew is starting to suspect that the mess hall food is just MREs slapped on aluminum cafateria trays.

Virvel enters the messhall and joins the line behind you.
: 'Sup

[carolcat]

Cualli walks over to Walter and takes a seat near him. "What are you up to?" she asks, leaning a bit to take a look at his leg. Briefly, she considers making a light joke about the legs, but decides it's not worth the effort.

[Badger]

"Finally getting around to doing something on this bland metal surface. Thought I'd make use of it by doing this-"

he flips up two pieces of paper that hold sketches and plans for what he's carving, one of them entails a map of what seems to be the delta and some pinpointed locations, along with surrounding area. The other paper has tallies going down the center of his leg, along with the squadrons emblem, some sort of sigil, and some other various things related to the airforce or temples.

"-It's mainly something to pass the time on here, Also a way of coping with my legs. It's catching up to me that they aren't there."

[carolcat]

"Guess you can't really get tattoos on those legs," she comments. Cualli points vaguely at the map. "Why the Delta? And why those spots?"

[Badger]

"Engagements and air missions I went on." He points at the place where the airfield attack happened (because I can never spell the name of it for the life of me.) "This one is important, changed who I was. Likely the same deal for the other Mjolnir members around at that time, although I doubt they're quite as open about it."

[carolcat]

Changed who I was. Cualli nods solemnly and leans back in her chair, staring into space. "Right," she murmurs, sounding distant.

[Tayasaurus]

Tippy also arrives in the messhall and walks over to Jaakko and Virvel, joining the line.

"Oh boy, dog food again!" She jokes, looking at whats available going to the trays.

[Badger]

Changed who I was. Cualli nods solemnly and leans back in her chair, staring into space. "Right," she murmurs, sounding distant.

Walter brushes off the place he's working on and sheathes his knife before speaking up

"How are you feeling today? Not too busy in engineering because the shikra came back in spotless for once?"

[carolcat]

"How am I feeling?" she repeats, looking over at Walt. Her face is a bit thinner and the dark circles under her eyes are still present. "Like stuff," Cualli sighs. "Same as ever."