ximilialog | ( open ) I like to call myself wound but I will answer to knife

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( open ) I like to call myself wound but I will answer to knife

CHARACTERS: Erik Stevens / Killmonger You
LOCATION: The Station
DATE: Post-Mission Conclusion
CONTENT: Aftermath / Settling back in the station
WARNINGS: scarification, body modification in the first prompt

( i. infirmary - new wounds ) cw: body modification, scarification

[ a success.

not that erik would say so in public, but he accomplished his personal goal and the mission. he has solidified his use as player, even if his integration into the team was haphazard. he let too much slip to people, they know too much. but that can be a problem for another day. no one knows the extent of it after all, just patches of erik. and erik isn't real anyway. it's not his name.

erik sits on one of the medical beds, his shirt tossed to the side. his skin is littered with crocodile scars. he has a scalpel in his hand, as he assesses the free space to his side. ]

Hmm, think I got a little room there.

( ii. lab - spellwork and metalwork )

[ he hadn't gotten to use much charterwork in the field, preferring to lean on the abilities he did have and the panther suit. he wasn't fully comfortable with spells just yet, but erik is a scientist in his own right, not simply a war strategist. and what he needed was more comfortable exploration in his own time and space.

so erik has a bunch of different metals laid out on a table with a notebook littered with various charter configurations as he tries to find the best combination to strengthen the durability of each one. this would be best with vibranium, but erik wasn't going to risk his suit on an experiment.

he taps his forehead, drawing upon the marks for strength and shielding and weaving them into iron. satisfied, he plucks it from the table, idly tapping the side to listen to the vibrations and noise. he makes a little sound of disgruntlement before he bends over his notebook, scribbling his theory. ]

Sounds denser. Can charter affect molecular structure? Gotta give it an acid test later.

( iii. simulation room - oakland apartment )

[ he's not sure why he comes back.

lack of self-preservation? a reckless need to let all his secrets out? to see if his father will appear just like it had once with the heart-shaped herb? but erik no longer had the herb's effects pumping in his veins. at least he thinks so. he has no way of knowing for sure. he doubts t'challa would have left it in him. he doubts . . .

erik leans against the window. the wakandan sunset beats down on his face. it seems he's at his rawest here, caught between two worlds. two homes that never wanted him. and erik . . . wants something. wants more. he thought he had bled it all out, but talking about it again had given him the twist of yearning in his heart. where was he supposed to go? where was he supposed to be? was he meant to give up the dream and just settle in another reality?

out loud, he says. ]

You should have taken us back.

[ it is the first kernel of resentment for his father. who believed in the dream, who bled for it. who wanted a better life for others. but erik can't help thinking that the minute his mother died, alone and unwanted in a prison, they should have gone home.

but he thinks of his father's tears and he ducks his head, guilt churning. ]

( iv. wildcard )

[ got a prompt in mind? you can reach erik here / pm this account / hit me up @ timmtams ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Jim doesn't mind the silence at all. He knows it's a lot to take in, and he gives Erik the time to do it. Eventually he looks from the sunrise to Erik, smile soft. ]

Can't believe I actually managed to leave you speechless.

[ A playful observation, followed by a genuine question. ]

You like it?

[ he recovers his voice, brushing a hand over his face briefly. ]

Yeah.

I'd see why anyone would take to space. After a view like that.

You gave me a sunset, so I give you a sunrise.

[ Erik can take that as literally or as metaphorically as he wants. Outside the sun keeps rising, or rather the Earth keeps rotating, the line of light moving very, very slowly over the planet's surface. ]

I'm glad I ran into you.

[ erik blinks, surprised. ]

You are?

Yeah. I wanted to see you, but since we got back, I guess I've been... recovering.

[ He smiles at Erik, hand resting around his arm. ]

This isn't what I had in mind, but it's still nice.

[ erik nods. everyone needed a respite. even him, deep down, no matter what he told himself. ]

What did you have in mind?

[ Jim shrugs. ] Some drinks. Maybe something to eat. Could go for a walk afterwards.

[ He also could probably have made it sound less like a date, but eh. Why bother. ]

[ his expression softens, bemused. ]

. . . Yeah. I'd like that.

Let's ditch this joint.

[ Jim smiles, pleasantly surprised. He wasn't counting on it happening now, but that works just fine for him. ]

Great. Come on, let's see if we can find some decent bottles in the mess hall.

[ Hand on Erik's arm, he tugs him along towards the exit, the simulation fading around them. ]

[ it's hard not to look back, to catch the last few glimpses. but the simulation isn't going anywhere and it's just a pretty lie. a moment to lose yourself. ]

Lookin' for something in particular? I heard the AI was givin' out treats from all over the place.

[ It's not a lie, necessarily. It's just one setting to interact with. Frankly, it's a huge comfort to Jim; but they can always come back to it whenever they want. ]

Nothing in mind. I was more interested in your company, the rest is just details.

What's a meal that you like? We can try and find something like it in the kitchen.

[ erik can't help but grin at that. ]

Nah, I ain't picky. Sometimes I like a good mac 'n cheese, but seems like a waste to ask for it.

Don't you have some fancy sci-fi meal?

Why not? Mac 'n' cheese is a pretty simple and tasty meal.

[ It's not like he's asking for lobster or caviar or some other crazy thing like that. ]

No, though we have... replicators? We just use them to get whatever meal we want. It's especially useful in space travel. I guess we have a few alien dishes, but I don't know how easy it would be to get plomeek soup around here.

Sure, but it's not what I'd ask in a futuristic space station that can conjure up stuff.

[ but it's harder than he realizes just to think about it. erik's spent so much of his life on the fringes, being careful, never really . . . letting himself go. oh, he could fake it, but what did he like that would be considered genuine? ]

Maybe luwombo. It's kind of a fancy Ugandan dish.

[ Jim lets out an approving hum, nodding. ] Oh, that's a good one. Yeah, let's ask for that. Any drink you think would go well with it?

[ Since Erik picked the food, why not trust him with the rest? ]

[ that is a bold take. he shrugs. ]

It's meant to be a great hangover cure. Get wasted, pile on to some luwombo.

[ Jim laughs. ]

I haven't gotten properly wasted in a while. I'm not sure if I could handle it right now. [ But he's always up for a challenge. ]

[ erik waggles his eyebrows. ]

S'good a time as any.

[ Terrible influence. Also Jim's easy to convince (in this case, anyway). ]

You know what, sure. Screw it. I could probably use a decent amount of drinks.

[ the worst. erik claps a hand on his shoulder. ]

Perfect time to get wasted.

[ He can't disagree with that, no. So he follows Erik to the mess hall, where they can hopefully ask for the booze and the food too. ]

You wanna settle here or go elsewhere?

[ erik considers a more private location but shakes his head. he doubts there'll be an audience. ]

Here's good.

Alright, then. What's your poison?

[ He likes whiskey, but probably not a good drink to get sloshed with. ]

Let's start off with some tequila. Can't go wrong there, even in space.

[ Brilliant choice. Jim manages to get them a bottle, along with a couple shots. He likes to drink it straight, but just in case Erik likes the extra kick, he gets some lemon slices and salt, then steers them to one of the couches with a low table nearby, quiet and relatively far from the rest. Not that there are many people around right now, thankfully. ]

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