( burn it to the ground )

[cheapbastard]

CHARACTERS: billy butcher + ota
LOCATION: the station
DATE: early march
CONTENT: drinking, being horrible, being awesome
WARNINGS: language and maybe some violence

01. UNFORTUNATE INVASION (CLOSED TO YENNEFER)

( there's a lot of fucking people packed into this station and more showing up all the time. you can't step outside without running into someone who might ask a question or might wanna talk about everything and nothing. billy's gotten used to the solitude of his room, enjoying the respite he has. he can lock the door and shut everything out and pretend that he's back home, just waiting to get up and get dressed and take care of business.

of course, his business here is the business of orbs and he's not sure he really likes it. but, it's not like he can fucking change it either. he can't just open the door and take a space walk home. he's stuck and that's a fucking nnoying.

the bed's are too thin, the walls a weird color but it's still his room and billy take advantage of that by tossing a ball that he'd found on the last planet against the wall. he's splayed on his bed, betting himself that he can hit certain spots and then doing it before the ball comes back and he catches it.

he's won a lot of money against himself. he's very wealthy now. be jealous. )

02. MESS HALL

( maybe billy's gonna live here now. maybe he's going to move his shit out of his room and live in the fucking mess hall because he is certainly not going to live with that fucking woman, whoever she is. what kind of a name was yennefer anyway? did whoever birthed her mishear her mother naming her jennifer?

it's stupid. that woman is stupid.

for once, while he's in the mess, he's not drinking. well, he is but it's water. he's made himself a plate of food and he's sitting his ass on the table instead of the bench, tapping his foot while he tries to clear his head. if there's new people showing up, billy wonders if that means they're going to be punted to a new planet sometime soon to save another fucking orb.

he shakes his head, growling under his breath because what fucking luck. maybe he will take that space walk. )

03. WILDCARD

( if you'd like to do something else space station related, hit me up. i'm at jortles for questions. )

Comments

[cheapbastard]

What, you didn't come out of there all bent out of shape? Seems like that's what everyone else is feeling.

( him, he hadn't had a terrible time of it. it wasn't something he wants to repeat but getting to stretch his legs hadn't been a bad time. )

Thought everyone was licking their wounds.

[oiorpata]

[ haha she can't get any wounds. ]

[ she doesn't answer immediately, taking a swig of her drink first. ]

I think a lot of people took that situation more personally than necessary. We didn't fuck it up. It was already fucked. We're not the ones who committed a mass murder on the town and it's detrimental to act like we're responsible.

[cheapbastard]

Some people are bleeding hearts.

( and decide that the suffering of the world is squarely on their shoulders. )

If you can't save them all, you've failed or some shit. Not my philosophy but how a lot of people seem to see it.

[oiorpata]

That's a nice way to phrase it.

[ she's been thinking naïve. ]

There was no one left to even save, except Ford. He didn't deserve what happened, but there's no point to blaming ourselves for that either. We watched the orb do it. It just seems... pointless, to try and hoard the blame. Like everyone wants to be a fucking martyr.

[cheapbastard]

Hey, you're not gonna find me arguing with that.

( he hadn't exactly liked the whole people turning to dust thing because that was just fucking creepy but he wasn't gonna cry about it. he hadn't done it. )

And this point of view is puttin' you at odds with other people?

[oiorpata]

[ it's terrible and awful but andy has seen so many terrible awful things, and in this case, none of them are responsible for the fate of scorpion's bend's. ]

[ at his question, she shrugs. ] Probably, but I'm not interested in trying to explain it that way to someone who doesn't want to hear it.

[cheapbastard]

Probably the smart thing anyway. They ain't gonna change their minds and neither are you.

( agree to disagree and shit. )

Surprised more disagreements like that haven't happened in this place all things considered.

[oiorpata]

Exactly. It's a waste of time.

[ she'd defend herself if it came up, but it's not like she's seeking it out. they're all largely children compared to her, fighting over stupid things! ]

They could be. I don't always pay attention to what they're yelling to each other about.

[cheapbastard]

You don't pay attention but you wanna be here, yeah?

( she hasn't flounced off or anything like that. he's asking seriously. )

Your regret something you really wanna change?

[oiorpata]

I don't pay attention to every single orber tiff. Doesn't mean I'm ignoring everything.

[ especially when they're arguing about murder and other moral dilemmas. ]

I have a regret. None of us would be here without one. [ why would she give deets. ]

[cheapbastard]

And do you still think you're going to be able to fix it? Your regret?

( he's not sure he trusts this place or these people. )

That they're gonna give you what you want despite no indication that they can?

[oiorpata]

[ hmmm she doesn't want to answer that, just because that is simply too much information about herself. she still doesn't know if she trusts the orbs to do as promised to be honest, especially the more of them they interact with, but she does not regret coming here and trying. ]

Sounds like you're having doubts. Are you asking me for some optimism or commiseration?

[cheapbastard]

Neither. Your opinion.

( he doesn't need some rah rah speech that this was going to work and he doesn't need someone to pat him on the back. he's honestly just curious as to what she thinks. )

I don't want anyone to tell me what I want to hear. I want to know what you think.

[oiorpata]

Honestly? I don't know. [ she doesn't have to talk about her own situation to admit that. ]

It's pretty clear these orbs have a great power, but we're already seeing the way they fulfill their bargains doesn't always work out as intended or wanted. Just because they might be capable, does that mean they will?

[cheapbastard]

Yeah.

( yeah, he's seen that too. he's not a fan of someone or something having so much power but these orbs are proving to be very powerful and they were just being given over to the people running this station. )

And once they have all their orbs, then what are they gonna need us for? Disposable.

[oiorpata]

That thought crossed my mind too.

[ viveca and the captain seem friendly and honest enough, but andy knows that doesn't always mean anything. she can take what they say at face value and be prepared for the worst in the same breath. ]

They might need us to contain them. But we do know breaking the contracts is difficult unless willingly given up, so maybe that's something in our favor.

[cheapbastard]

Yeah.

( good point. not enough to comfort him but still. he laughs a bit and shakes his head. )

I don't know, I know I came here of my own volition and shit but I'm not sure I made the right move.

[oiorpata]

Asking if we want to undo a regret without exactly explaining all we have to do to fulfill it is kinda cagey, but that's apparently the Orb M.O.

[ it could say something about the people here, who took the deal, that they just reached for it without much thought. but andy digresses. ]

It's not weird to have second thoughts.

[cheapbastard]

I've got second, third and twentieth thoughts. But...

( billy slides a hand through his hair and shrugs. )

Still here. Got nothing to fuckin' lose, I guess.

[oiorpata]

[ that's how andy feels, but she's not inclined to actually admit it right now. she'll make it off this space ship one way or another. nothing to lose. ]

I'd say that's the spirit but I don't know if it applies. At least you're probably not alone in the multiple thoughts boat.

[cheapbastard]

Rah rah rah.

( billy gives his hands a little wave and then shakes his head. )

You known anyone that's left?

[oiorpata]

[ she acknowledges his fake cheer by taking a swig of her drink. ]

Not personally. But I've seen and heard others talking about it.

[cheapbastard]

You think you're gonna stick it out till the end?

( was she one who had nothing else to lose like he did? go hard or go home? )

[oiorpata]

That's the plan.

[ it's not necessarily the same for her as it was at the start - the idea that she has nothing left to lose, when she thinks about what the orbs are capable of. her life is the only thing she can't lose here. but she supposes it doesn't mean there aren't other risks. ]

Whether or not that comes to fruition remains to be seen.

[cheapbastard]

Guess we'll see, ey?

( he doesn't necessarily like waiting and he's pretty sure he's gonna get a fork in the eye before he gets what he wants but...

whatever. )

It'll make a good story to tell.