in the attic of the universe [cedar v nell day 7]
Jul 29, 2019 7:31:56 GMT -5
Post by cameron on Jul 29, 2019 7:31:56 GMT -5
but i’m not going to follow forwardi've come to prefersleeping outdoors
There is nothing like waking to sunrise over an ice shelf. Soft hues of orange, of yellow glow from the frozen white. Spread across the sheets of snow. Radiate from the rocking waves below. I am warm despite the chill. I am warm despite what’s real. Lips part, release a monstrous yawn. My tongue laps at the roof of my mouth - chocolate. The brown styrofoam Kass and I obliterated last night. Ice cream it was not.
Comforting, though. Metamorphic. That it most definitely was.
Maybe the artificial warmth stems from her, from a night that didn’t leave me craving death, leave me racked with remorse, angry at the world, at myself. From someone I didn’t fuck up.
I was careful. I never put a finger on her. I didn’t a week ago when she read my cards and called me a fool. I didn’t in the past two days of bridge violence. And I didn’t while sharing staid solace, spooning handfuls of dry fluff into our mouths like we didn’t know where we were.
I know where I am. Aeternum. And nothing is forever but death.
ooo
Once the sun rises, I duck into the airlock and into real warmth. Shoulders shimmy out of spacesuit, the top half hanging back from my midsection. There are gashes across my chest, where Ike broke my helmet and glass shards rained. Where Fayre’s shining blade sought my heart. Where Dusty and Sky, and even Elite, and even Ike, left handprints and bruises, purpling my chest until a single push would cave it in. I stare down, bite my lip, and push my fist slowly against my center.
I don’t cave.
Held breath escapes in a huff and I stand up tall. I didn’t cave. My hand wobbles away from my body, shaking. It’s betrayed itself, and it knows. Just like I do.
A robot scurries by, and I think of Orion. The boy with the big words who beat up on Sky with that other one - the one that’s still alive. Well, looks like big words don’t win the hunger games, kid. The robot rolls up to my boots and sweeps them, left then right, then rolls around and sweeps my heels. When it finishes it… stays. It doesn’t dart off, it doesn’t find more to clean. It looks up at me, screen face blinking and whirring, and spins around.
“Nuh uh,” I say, shaking my head. “I can’t befriend you, dude, you’ll die.” The robot chirps and bounces. “Please? Please go clean something else?” It doesn’t leave, just spins again, and without a thought the boot it’s only just cleaned pulls back and kicks it across the room. Beeeeeeeeep! It smacks one of the spacesuit cases and crumples over. Fuck. “See! I told you!” I start to run to its aide, but it rises and cleans broken glass before I make it.
The robot scans itself and opens up the case, reaching inside to clean it. Eyes widen. This time, I think like Orion - or like Elite. Intelligence alone won’t get one far, but a combination of strength and smarts just might. When the robot climbs out of the case, I jump in just as the door closes.
Stealth.
No one will see me coming. They’ll walk by on their way to the bridge and I’ll bust out, blaster ready, and take them by surprise. With a series of beeps that sound too close to laughter, the robot leaves the room. I wave my hand and realize. The only access is outside the case.
Stealth!
ooc: nell is stuck in a spacesuit container and therefore doesn't attack
thread title and lyrics: in the attic of the universe, album by the antlers