open 🗡may staycation

[oiorpata]

CHARACTERS: andy + open!
LOCATION: various station spots
DATE: post vrefesea mission
CONTENT: misc downtime feat an axe
WARNINGS: temporary burns and gnarly injuries in closed starters



I 🗡 QUIT YOUR JOB

[ after the initial arrival back on the station, the kaiju blood is clean and her skin is ✨ clear ✨, but she lost track of joe in the chaos, and there are others she wants to check on now that there isn't a lizard monster determined to tear everything up. her clothes are a bit of a mess - torn from the fight, holey from the blood, revealing pockets of unmarked and uninjured skin as her ex-archeologist attire is no longer fit for service. but she is deeply unconcerned in the immediate about any exposures, especially now that she's rid herself of the acidic blue sludge. ]

[ her axe is neat on her back in its holster, guns tucked away, and she looks remarkably put together for a woman who just double-team killed the train monster. mostly she is moving through the orbers, but she'll stop at anyone who looks worse for wear, or at anyone she already knows even a nominal amount. she can't believe how concerned she's getting for these orbers. ugh. ]

You good? [ injured? in need of a snack? a literal lift to the infirmary?? ]

[ after the visits to the infirmary, andy makes her way to the kitchen. her axe is still at her back, her clothes are still a mess, but she wants a goddamn drink. for once in her life she doesn't steal the whole bottle of vodka, popping it open and pouring herself a full glass at the counter instead. it is roughly the size of a beer mug. ]

[ and then she just starts to chug it. water break?? no. this is better. snacks will be next. ]

II 🗡 LIVE IN THE WOODS

[ andy, as always, prefers the sunlight room. ]

[ perhaps today she is sitting beside the stream, barefoot with a smatter of tools scattered around her as she scrubs and cleans her axe. she made sure the kaiju blood was removed quickly and immediately, but it was a good reminder that it's probably due for a good fixer upper. the sun is warm, and she's in a dark tank top with black leggings, expertly wiping it down. at some point she switches over to sharpening it. ]

[ it's old as balls, just like she is, and it does not have the same healing properties. but she handles it with both great care and expertise. ]

[ if she's not with her axe, she is probably just sleeping. her feet dangle in the stream and she lays flat on her back, eyes closed. the sun feels nice on her face and she enjoys the quiet, save for the sound of the water. she won't miss anyone approaching, but she'll give it a minute to see if they pass before saying anything. ]

Come on in, the water's fine. [ the water is in fact chilly, and maybe she's not entirely asleep despite all appearances. there is also zero sign of injury, despite most assuredly coming in close contact with kaiju blood. ]

III 🗡 WILD CARD + POTENTIAL TRAINING

[ throw something at me or lets chat!! you can find me at communism or romanitas#5368 @ disco! wildcard me or we can do a custom thing! c:

[ definitely open to training stuff, especially if we've talked about it before, but i'd prefer to write up a custom thing given andy + weapons etc so hit me up if you'd like and lets plot! or drop one of your own design! you wanna learn to use any weapon at all?? andy's ur girl. ]

Comments

[oiorpata]

It's irreplaceable. [ and it can't do what she does. ]

[ clara scurries over and andy lets her take a pseudo examination, her skin looking as though the water washed the burns away with the blood. there are in fact no scars anywhere, not even older ones. ]

I heal. From anything, any wound. [ a beat. ] Alien blood included, apparently, though that's a new one.

[bossily]

[Well, that's impressive.

Clara's a bit wide eyed a first, but eventually she just nods in understanding. Healing is useful, and given the condition that her friend would be in otherwise? She's grateful that sort of ability exists.]

I was ready to have to call Leonard and Marta here to help you.

[But she gives a sigh of relief, smiling a bit as she nods over toward the axe.]

Did you bring it here with you, then? The axe?

[oiorpata]

Marta knows, so she probably would have questioned you about my needing help.

[ she tugs her arms through the sleeves of her shirt, but the topic of the axe distracts her from buttoning it, and she immediately moves over to it. she lifts it and sighs with relief to see it spotless and undamaged. ]

It came with me. It goes with me everywhere. Thanks for keeping it safe. I wasn't really thinking about the blood when I used it on the lizard monster.

[bossily]

I don't think there was time for any of us to think. Everything happened so quickly.

[She kindly points out, so Andy won't feel bad for letting it dirty with blood in the first place. They all had to use whatever was on hand to take care of matters.]

But it's safe now. And so is everyone else.

[At least...she thinks everyone is. There's so many injuries, but she doesn't think anyone seemed to be on death's door. Not this time around, anyway.

[oiorpata]

[ andy looks back at clara and finds herself smiling faintly at the kindness being offered, the small attempt to lessen potential guilt. ]

It's been covered in so much shit over the years. A little blood to kill that thing was probably worth it. [ she has so much sentimental attachment to the axe, but it wouldn't be the first time it got damaged to save someone. ]

[ she nods at clara. ] What about you? How hurt are you?

[bossily]

Just a bit bruised, is all.

[She shrugs, trying to make light out of the hand and fingerprints that are still darkening on her throat. There's some gashes across her face, but nothing she can't handle. The most important thing to her is that she's alive, and it seems the rest of the crew is as well.]

I've been through far worse since I've been here. I'll be fine.

[oiorpata]

I'm not sure you're the type of person who's honest about their injuries, but I will give you that you don't look in terrible shape.

[ clara is hurt, but it seems mostly superficial, from the quick once over andy's already given her and the way she moves. she knows enough to recognize certain levels of severity at this point. ]

[ she gestures at her own neck. ] You might wanna ice that though. Just because you've been through worse doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of this right now.

[bossily]

I don't have any reason to lie.

[She points out with a near laugh, accompanied by her hand lightly touching at her throat. She winces as she does, shoulders slumping.]

Guess I should make my way to the infirmary to be looked over. But that axe, Andy is it -

[It's already been explained that it's important. That it was brought here with her.]

I'm glad we were able to save it.

[She can't bring herself to ask if it's from Quynh.]

[oiorpata]

It's not a skewed perspective on injury, is it? [ not all the adventures with the doctor seem super dangerous, but andy isn't naïve enough to assume it's all fun and games. she's seen the weight on the doctor's shoulders. clara's undoubtedly privy to tough stuff too. ]

I'm sure it seemed silly at the time for you to prioritize it - [ she absently runs her free hand along the handle, wrapped with care so many times, with so many leathers made in hands long dead. ] But it can't do what I can.

[ she thinks she knows what clara wanted to ask. and she doesn't mind sharing a little, not when clara had rushed to save it without question. ] It was my mother's. It's all I have left of... [ of her mother (she thinks), of that life, of a world she was born into now lost. she sighs. ] Of a lot of things.

[bossily]

[Clara's not expecting to hear that sort of admission. Not when it comes to an axe. But she understands what Andy is saying, and definitely knows how it feels. There's a moment where she presses a sympathetic touch to Andy's arm, smile sad as she gives a nod.]

I have something like that too. Only mine's a book and a leaf.

[It almost feels ridiculous to say that, when Andy's mother gave her an axe.]

Not that I have the leaf anymore. But that book, it's all I have left of my family that's still on Earth. It's all I have to remind me that my mother was once alive, and that her story is important too. Even if it's over now.

[oiorpata]

[ it doesn't sound ridiculous to her. books didn't exist on the steppe, there was no written language, but it would have been a much softer reminder than a weapon. andy cannot remember her mother, isn't even sure she's correct about who the woman was, but she still holds onto her axe. ]

[ her expression softens, a little bit, with the understanding of lost families. ]

Is the book here with you too?

[bossily]

[Her smile is sad, but it warms as she gives a little nod.]

Had it here with me since the beginning. It was her book growing up, and she gave it to me when I was a little girl. 101 Places to See.

[She makes a note to share it with Andy sometime. Not that the other woman will particularly care to look through an Earth travel book, but she thinks that she'd sit through a quick look through for Clara's sake.]

Think I've gone to see most all of them by now. So I've been working on writing 1,001 Places to See that covers the rest of the universes out there.

[oiorpata]

[ she wonders if her mother would have given her books instead of war if they'd been born in another time. ]

[ but she offers clara another small smile as she explains the book, recognizing the tone and all it might entail. ] A new and bigger book seems like a worthy legacy to me. Are they places you've been, or places you still want to go?

[ her hand absently flexes on the axe handle, much like she'd touched the necklace when talking of quynh. ] I don't know if she would recognize this anymore. It's needed a lot of alterations over the years.

[bossily]

The places the Doctor and I have been together.

[Including all of the ones here, though she can't say that every mission has been on the best planet. But Clara's capable of finding beauty and positivity just about anywhere, even places like Badrock.

And it's with that thought in mind that she reaches out to briefly press her hand over Andy's. She tries not to press down too hard, not wanting to make the axe difficult to keep holding.]

The good thing about special things is even if they change, they're still the exact same as they've always been at their core. Even with the alterations, I'm sure your mother would recognize it. I think mothers just have a way of knowing the things that are most important to us.

[oiorpata]

[ andy is an immensely physical person, but a lot of that has been lacking on ximilia for a long while, as she struggled to keep away from the people on board for the sake of quynh. it hasn't been working as well as she intended. ]

[ when clara touches her hand, andy finds her other one reaching out to cover it without thinking; she has no issues holding the axe one handed. ]

Even if I wouldn't recognize her in return?

[bossily]

[Clara glances down at their hands, before looking up to Andy with a warm smile. There's so much she believes when it comes to people you love being lost to you. And maybe this is the perfect time to dive into some of it. But she thinks that Andy doesn't need to hear the fanciful things that she tells herself so she feels better at night.

No, Andy is more of a realist than that. And Clara generally is too. But that doesn't stop her from giving a slight nod of her head.]

Even then. You could walk right past her and not recognize her, but she'd still know you were the most important thing in her life.

[Despite the fact Andy is currently holding an axe, Clara moves in for a hug then. It's not as awkward as she expected it to be. Not when she's trying to comfort a friend.]

How could she not, when you're as absolutely brilliant as you are?

[oiorpata]

[ she wonders how true it would be. she still wonders sometimes what her mother was like. her sisters. they're shadows now, and andy is a much different person. ]

[ it wouldn't be the first time andy has hugged someone with her axe in hand, so she is surprisingly good at maneuvering it around to return the gesture. her arms slide easily around clara's back. she suspects clara might be in need of a hug too, and she's all too happy to offer it. andy gives great hugs, even when the person she's hugging barely comes up to her chin. ]

It's a nice thought. But she's been gone a really long time and I don't remember her name either. It's why I was so pressed for you to help save her axe. My axe. [ a beat. ] I might have lied about being 39.