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CHARACTERS: Steve Harrington & YOU
LOCATION: here and there around the station
DATE: post-mission
CONTENT: a simulated swim, a long walk through the sunlight room, and a really terrible attempt at making music
WARNINGS: Poor coping mechanisms, references to PTSD, more warnings to be added in subject lines as they come up.

i. simulation room

[

The first few months saw Steve resolutely avoiding thinking about home. What was the point, if he was stuck here for as long as it took to obtain enough orbs to reverse his regret? But now that he's been gently encouraged to reminisce, nostalgia has taken its hold on him and the sim room takes on a familiar shape.

The lake seems to stretch for miles, and at first Steve can be seen just staring at it from the shoreline. He seems to go from contemplative to impulsively stripping to his underwear and diving right in. For a simulation, it feels pretty damn real, and he does a simple breaststroke to reach where he vaguely remembers the gate to the Upside Down should be. He closes his eyes, tensing as if bracing himself for something, but nothing -- nothing comes.

Which should be a relief, but something about it frustrates Steve. Almost like he wants the damn experience to happen again, the tentacle to pull him under, down. But hey, at least there's no panic attack this time. That has to count for something, right?

]

ii. sunlight room

[

It's a far cry from Hawkins, but the sunlight room does the trick every so often when Steve thinks about home. And with the chill in the air and snow on the ground, if Steve closes his eyes, he can almost imagine himself bundled up in all his winter gear, coffee in his hand while grumbling about being made to chauffeur a bunch of young teens to the frozen pond for ice skating.

Today, though, he simply walks, letting himself be alone with his thoughts, shoving his hands into his pockets and humming a song under his breath. While he has been preferring to keep his own company for the most part while outside his room shared with Finn, if approached he would happily strike up a conversation. Almost as if he would rather not be alone with his thoughts, but feeling as if he needs to from time to time, to remind himself why he's here in the first place.

]

iii. ximusic room

[

Steve has been doing a lot of thinking lately.

Which is probably dangerous given that it's Steve, but it seems like that's all he has time to do lately, is think, when he's not busy on a mission, or busy training, or busy distracting himself with workouts, or --

The point is, thinking has lead him to the ximusic room, and specifically to the guitars. Does he know how to play guitar? No. Is he going to make excruciating attempts at mimicking the music he's heard Eddie play, as well as other songs on the radio in some bizarre attempt to connect with a ghost?

It's probably not the worst coping mechanism he could have.

If someone were to walk into this room and survive the assault to their ear drum, maybe Steve would stop and talk about the importance of music, of how it had become a weapon against a madman. Or maybe he'd ask if they know how to play the guitar and avoid outright asking if they could teach him.

Or maybe they just want to sit and listen, until Steve eventually gives up and focuses on singing instead, since as it turns out he can actually do that.

]

[

Ah yes, self deprecation. The ladies must love that.

]

iv. wildcard!

[

please feel free to throw out your own starter if none of these prompts spark joy!i can be reached at

aoneknifestand if you want to discuss beforehand.

]

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〈 it is not a surprise to walk into the sim room to find it already occupied. sometimes, as now, curiosity wins out and she opts to investigate. thanks to plentiful movies and tv shows, woods like these are familiar. give her a geographical estimate. so when she spots steve, she is not surprised. she does not call out, either.

something in his stance brings a little furrow between her brows. the sudden dive, the determined swim—then the wait. for some strange reason, it calls to mind the volcanic island. the way steve froze. (it calls to mind how she stubbornly touches peter's eyeglasses until the hair on her arms stops standing on end.)

she feels an intruder. (knows she's an intruder.) but she steps forward until the water threatens to lap at the soles of her shoes. venom peels away from her feet, leaving her barefoot on the smooth rocks. she thinks to yell, opts for a text: It's a no-no to be swimming without a lifeguard on duty. 〉

[ There's a frustrated part of Steve that mourns the fact that something that used to bring him so much joy was taken from him. First from his swimming pool, something he used to cherish so dearly, that he could swim laps without having to go to the school, would have an edge on the rest of the swim team. And then Lover's Lake.

As much as he wishes he could erase those stains on his memory, he knows that trauma ultimately shaped him into who he is today. Without it, he might still be that asshole who spent more time perfecting how to shotgun a beer instead of keeping an eye on his ex-girlfriend's idiot of a brother and his gaggle of nerds. And without that trauma, he wouldn't be here, would he?

The text, when it comes through, causes him to pause, and he smiles to himself before his eyes search the shoreline to find the so-called intruder in question. Rather than shooting off a text in reply, he opts to dive underwater again and shoots forward with the impressive speed of someone who used to swim in heats back in school. ]

Yeah, well, I like to live dangerously, what can I say? [ He fires back once he emerges, flicking a little simulated water in Gwen's direction.

And, just like that, it's easy to pretend that he hadn't just been daring something in the water to test his ability to swim to safety. ]

〈 ok, michael phelps. gwen raises an eyebrow in playful challenge. 〉 How’s the water?

〈 if he does not bring it up, she will not. for the moment anyway. even before he answers, her clothing shifts around her like ink to form the two halves of a black and pink bikini. the extras seem to melt away into nothing.

she dips a foot in to test the temperature. 〉

[ Maybe one day he will talk about it, but today is apparently not that day. or at least, he is not quite ready for that at this moment.

So he definitely appreciates skirting around the obvious. For now. ]

The water's just fine. Not heated swimming pool or anything, but I'm used to swimming under worse conditions, so. You gonna join me? [ He flashes her a dopey, lopsided smile as he watches the way her clothing shifts. That's a pretty cool trick, which Steve only shows by the widened eyes and impressed look on his face. ]

Nah. Here to sunbathe in artificial sunlight. Get me a nice, even layer.

〈 aka the only type of sunlight her skin can handle. it's "the beacons are lit; gondor calls for aid" up in this sitch.

she flicks water in steve's direction, uncaring if it does not reach him. 〉 Yeah I'm gonna swim.

〈 in water that steve was, indeed, correct: it's no heated pool. best way to get used to the temperature is head-first. she wades further into the lake before rising onto her tiptoes and diving cleanly. her palms touch the bottom, and she uses it to push herself back up. she surfaces with a sharp inhale, her hair plastered to her cheeks and neck. she pushes it back. 〉

Wow, that is invigorating. I am awake, and I am alert.

[ Steve rolls his eyes, but there's a layer of fondness to it. That kind of teasing that he remembers from Robin --

from Nancy.

It used to sting thinking about Nancy Wheeler, but he's starting to find peace now, recognizing that whatever residual feelings he might have had were starting to settle into something more like that which he feels for Robin.

But enough about nostalgia. ]

Yeah, you're hilarious. A regular comedian.

[ He lets himself settle onto his back, letting the water keep him afloat and drift, and for a moment it feels incredibly real, but without the terror he usually feels from associating this place with something much darker. ]

I used to wake up at the crack of dawn to go swimming in this lake. We had a pool, but I don't know, I preferred it out here.

（ it doesn't really matter how long steve has been at it — when he breaks the surface of the water and the ripples of his emergence shudder throughout the lake, itachi is standing on the shoreline. he's dressed very simply, things that are soft and dark and offer freedom of movement, and his hair is bound back in a loose braid that falls nearly to the small of his back.

once steve seems to be properly oriented, itachi cants his head to one side and speaks. ）

I apologize. I did not realize anyone was present in the simulation.

（ he gestures towards the water, and then: ）

May I join you?

[ It's one thing to see someone in passing, because it's impossible to avoid running into everyone at one point or another, but suddenly having someone show up in your sim when you haven't met them before is another thing entirely. Maybe Steve hadn't thought this through quite enough (and he really hadn't, he's given into his impulsive streak too many times and finally reaping the consequences) but it's too late now.

It's rude to stare, but Steve can't seem to tear his eyes away, which he will chalk up to being taken by surprise. He thought he would be alone! But that's on forgetting to lock the sim room. ]

It's fine. [ He says finally, once he remembers how to speak.

Christ, he's not usually like this. What's even gotten into him? ]

Suit yourself. [ He gestures to the water, ignoring the way his cheeks are definitely heating up and while he has his hand hovering over the water, he sweeps it around to the back of his neck, rubbing at it in embarrassment at being caught in his current state of undress and dishevelment. ]

I don't think we've...I'm Steve. [ Smooth. ]

I am aware of your identity.

（ they are a small, closely-knit group, and he is a fuckin' snoop to start with — it doesn't hurt that steve has met the two people he considers himself closest to aboard the station. that alone is enough to pique his interest and awareness. ）

I am Itachi. （ giving his surname first tends to confuse those aboard the station, so he refrains. he is madonna, he is fabio, first names only no takebacks.

he is already pinning his hair up with a pair of steel throwing needles when he asks: ） Does nudity trouble you?

（ he may be buttoned up like a nun on a sunday, but he is not remotely body shy. still, he'll leave it to the preferences of his company — some people have stronger opinions than others on the matter. ）

[ if there is one thing steve is weak to, it's long hair, and especially when that long hair is being pulled up. normally it's women that attracts his attention, though. itachi is not that much is clear, but small towns in the 80's boasted macho men more often than not, and those who chose to wear long hair tended to be teased relentlessly for it.

he has to tear his eyes away when he realizes he's been staring at the poor guy, and shit what a great first impression he's already making. his cheeks are colored pink as he's trying to stare everywhere else but at itachi, which really doesn't make for polite conversing. ]

Right, well, uh. Nice to meet you, Itachi! [ Nailed it. ] Nudity? Nope, not at all. Used to it with all the sports I used to play. [ of course, usually it was brief nudity, disrobing after a game to hit the showers. this...might be different, but steve is sure he can handle it. it's totally fine. ]

[As much as Felix hated the idea right now, he needed a few hours out of the armor every once in a while. It kept him a little more level headed to feel like a real human being rather than a warrior encased in shiny exoskeleton. He preferred the sense of strength and superiority the armor gave him but he knew all too well where that path led him last time. Besides, there were certain things he couldn't do while wearing the armor. Like maintenance on said armor. Which he had not done in a while on his own. His partner...

Well, his partner wasn't here. He would have to deal with it on his own. He'd requested the necessary parts from the station AI so now all he had to do was get down to business. Instead, he was procrastinating by heading for the simulation room. Though he wasn't certain whether he wanted more to relax or do some damage, he would decide once he got to programming. He could work on the armor afterwards once he blew off some steam in one fashion or another.

Except when he got to the simulation room he realized it was already occupied. The door wasn't locked, however, so he let himself in. The scene before him wasn't exactly something of his personal choice but he could feel the vibe of it slowly leak the tension out of his shoulders as he began to explore. The country woods scenery was more or less easy to relax in.

It was when he came upon the lake that his curiosity was truly piqued though. Because that was when he spotted the first sign of whoever had programmed the simulator. The clothes abandoned at the side of the body of water drew his attention from their crumpled forms and immediately towards the calm waters as his eyes searched for the person that had left them there. It took him a moment to spot the body floating in the middle of the water. He watched in stillness, matching the listless body out in the lake.

He knew the body wasn't in peril or anything. The person simply wasn't moving more than necessary to keep afloat. So Felix simply stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited. They couldn't stay out there forever. Eventually the person would have to come back to shore and retrieve their clothes before the simulation ended. So it happened, and Felix watched as the figure began to take familiar shape as it neared the shoreline. An amused expression crept onto his face as he stared at Harrington climbing out of the water.]

Seriously? Whitey-tidies? Couldn't come prepared, Harrington? ...Or finish the job completely?

[He raised an eyebrow in challenge as he said the last sentence, expression bordering on mischievous as he teased the younger man.]

Edited 2023-02-21 14:53 (UTC)

[ Steve should probably have seen this coming. Had he thought all of this through, maybe he would have considered the possibility that his little attempt at letting go of the past would end up being interrupted. Attempt being the key word, because he knows it'll take more than one half-hearted session to let him really get rid of his fears.

Out of everyone to be the one to interrupt him in this state though -- ]

Felix. [ Punctuated with a sigh as he fully emerges, shaking his head to and fro to get the excess water out. Had he been back in Hawkins, he might even feel some sense of shame for being caught without his hair styled just the way he liked it. But everyone has seen him in various states of dishevelment by now, so he's finding it a lot easier to roam around while not looking his best. ]

Hilarious. To be honest, I didn't really know what I was gonna do when I started up the sim. [ Besides, it had seemed cathartic at the time to strip down at the time. Now that he feels like he's being ogled his self consciousness is slowly starting to leak back in, leading to him hugging himself. He'll blame it on the cold. ]

[Felix's little smirk stayed etched across his features as he moved forward, eyes lingering on Steve until he finally stepped up besides the other man and then shifting to look out across the lake as if his intention had always been to get closer to the water and admire it. His movement had sent him close to Steve's position, perhaps a little too close, where he lingered just beyond touching at Steve's side. The mercenary was close to the water's edge and he looked down at it for a moment before glancing back up and out, then swiveling his head to look at Steve while he spoke.]

That doesn't excuse the fact that you failed to keep your modesty despite clinging to that last piece. [He teased. His tone changed as he continued more levelly.] So what, you just thought 'I'll go with a lake for the hell of it'? What else are lakes good for besides swimming or fishing? And I don't see any fishing rods so you clearly weren't thinking about that when you programmed the scenery.

[His tone dipped into neutral despite the sardonic nature of the words themselves. His head tilted slightly to the side and his eyebrows rose again questioning Steve's choice. His expression leveled out but he kept staring at Steve as he waited for an answer. He was clearly interested in what Steve wasn't saying. It felt like there was something here.]

[ If there's one good thing about Felix's sudden disturbance, it's that it's managed to distract Steve from his earlier feelings of failure. Instead they've been replaced with something else, something not entirely terrible, though Steve cannot say for certain what it is Felix does make him feel. He should be shying away with how much closer Felix is now, but unlike back in Hawkins where it's almost compulsory to make sure you're not within an inch of another man, Steve doesn't automatically retreat.

He brings up memories of Eddie Munson crowding into his personal space just then, and it causes Steve to forget how to breathe for a moment, though he tries to recover quickly, before Felix catches on. The last thing he wants is for Felix to think he had any effect on, well, anything with Steve. ]

Yeah, well, I'm always doing that, apparently. [ For your modesty echoes in the back of his mind, and somewhere in the universe there's a denim vest with his blood on it. Maybe when he goes back home after the orbs he'll find it, clean it up, wear it in Eddie's honor. ]

For your information -- [ he turns his attention back to the lake, gesturing at it. ] This is where I almost died. Kind of? I was swimming and got pulled through into another dimension, almost eaten alive by a bunch of demonic bats. So...yeah. [ Somehow it sounds lame when he says it out loud. ]

Oh? [Vague interest and subtle amusement to the one syllable utterance. It was tempting to make another joke at Steve's expense to see if he could get the younger man to blush but he refrained. The mood wasn't swinging that way despite the subtle signs Felix read from Steve about what his proximity and words were doing.

The mercenary was rewarded by the confession Steve made seconds later. It took a moment for the information to really sink in. His expression changed slowly as it did. Until it finally settled on incredulous.]

Did you just say... 'pulled into another dimension' and 'almost eaten alive by a bunch of demonic bats'?

[Because seriously. What the fuck.]

I'm sorry, I thought you were just a normal kid from the suburbs. Do you wanna try running that by me one more time?

What song is that, child?

〈 the voice, rich and strangely melodious, leads to a woman seated among the roots of a tree, a golden shawl spread beneath her like a blanket. a basket containing skeins of thread in every color sits at her feet. helen’s hands hold a frame in her lap upon which she weaves with a deft skill that can only be a gift from the gods. the wine-red gown is bordered at the hem with gold and belted at the waist with a matching pattern. her short hair is kept back from her face with ribbons and strings of pearls.

though, all of this is noticed last (if it is noticed at all.) for the woman who hails steve has no comparison among mortal women. 〉

[ Truth be told, Steve hadn't really expected anyone to pick up on his presence, and certainly not enough to pick out the song that he had been half-heartedly humming as he strolled along. But, sure enough, Steve's eyes slowly moved from staring straight ahead to following the voice until they rested upon Helen.

Even upon the first glance she is nothing short of remarkable, so Steve can hardly be blamed if his eyes widen and his mouth drops open. Shit. She's beautiful, and Steve can feel whatever thoughts he previously had just melt away. Which, considering what his mind has been held captive by lately, is a very welcome thing.

After a moment, Steve remembers that, oh yeah, she asked you a question, dingus. (And if that voice sounds like Robin in the back of his head, well it would make sense she's kind of like his conscience by now.) ]

Oh, it's um, it's. [ Instead of outright telling her, he sings it a little louder now, puts a little bit more flair in it now that he has a captive audience, and looks up at her, gestures when he sings the line born to run as if trying to communicate that's the title of the song. He carries the tune pretty well despite the lack of any sort of backing band, though he clearly lacks the refinement that anyone who would have taken singing lessons would have. He smiles sheepishly at Helen, rubbing at he back of his neck in that self conscious way he tends to get around people he's not yet developed a familiar rapport with. ]

〈 he will not be a singer of renown, helen thinks idly. he has a certain charm, however. an enthusiasm, which compensates in part for his lack of polish. 〉

Where is it you intend to run?

〈 when she smiles, it is as the sun rising, lightness and warmth. (and a warning not to peer directly or for too long lest sight be burned from eyes that need it.) 〉

[ It's not as if Steve had delusions of singing for a living. It's not even something he tends to do for an audience, usually relegated to singing in the shower or while putting together one of the few home cooked meals he knows how to make.

He can't help the slightly sardonic laugh at her question. The question which, for a moment, reminds him of Eddie, and a wave of sadness hits his face. Maybe the distraction from her radiant beauty is needed in that moment, but that doesn't stop the shame that follows. He's never really known how to handle grief. ]

Not really a destination in mind.

You look like you're a man on a mission, Harrington. [ mal calls out as steve approaches the spot claimed for the day to enjoy a warm tea while trying to plan out where he'll build the outdoor sauna he's been wanting.

he's set up under a tree, spread out on a blanket with a thermos next to him and a notebook he's been scratching ideas into; it might be one of alina's, the pencil definitely is because her bunny-like teethmarks are at the end of it. he sets down the notebook, tilts his head to the side. ] Any chance you have a few moments to spare? I need another set of eyes to help me pick the perfect spot for a banya.

[ he moves to pick up his backpack while he speaks, shoves the notebook in there as he waits to steve to agree to survey the lightroom with him. ]

[ Maybe not nearly as much of a mission as Mal seems to be on, but Steve does pause all the same to glance at his friend and offers him a small smile. Luckily for Mal, Steve is no hurry, and could honestly use a moment or two to just unwind for a change. The missions are maybe starting to catch up to him. ]

Banya? [ He wracks his brain to try and figure out if he's heard that word before. ] What like a bathroom?

No...wait, that's baño. [ He takes a seat next to Mal, plopping himself down comfortably and lets his eyes take in the scenery. It might actually be the first time he's stopped and taken a load off in the sunlight room instead of just walking around aimlessly. ]

[ he's about to stand up when steve sits down, so mal settles back down. they've got plenty of time to talk this out before finding a spot, anyway. and at at the question, he wrinkles his nose and realizes that he has some educating to do. ]

Like a sauna. [ mal says easily, leaning in to bump the younger man's shoulder with his own. it's almost like he's back in ravka, sitting with one of his fellow soldiers. in a way that's what they are here on missions after all. both of them are soldiers, on missions to gather orbs for an unknown force. ] You heat coal inside a wooden hut and it warms the muscles. You sit inside for a while and then only the brave ones will jump in the snow after.

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open | station log

I.

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(swimming, but make it a l'il wildcard)

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1. sorry, three for three water simulator

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ii. c-c-combo breaker

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2. not quite lake side smoking

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