ic inbox - reverie

[morphogenia]

text | voice | action | video - un: slothbaby

Comments

[pampa]

Knock-knock, open up, kid. [ he's standing at her door, holding something behind his back obviously. ] Just for the record, I thought you were... at least fifteen. I don't think there's a drinking age in space. At least, I won't tell if you don't.

[morphogenia]

[Kamala opens up and tries not to get too huffy. He's got something for her. She pretty obviously is trying to peek at it with zero success.] Hey! For the record it doesn't matter. I'm not allowed to drink no matter what age I am. It's forbidden for all Muslims.

[pampa]

Oh right, you said that before. Do Mormons drink? They must not, right. What buzzkills. Not that you are-- can I come in? [ before he digs a hole he can't climb out of rip ]

[morphogenia]

[He really is digging himself into that hole, huh? Kamala lets him in before he can't get out of it.] You can come in, Joe. I don't know anything about Mormons, sorry. We're mostly cool with the Jewish community where I come from.

[pampa]

The Belt just has Mormons. Lots and lots... of Mormons.

[ yeah he sucks at surprises so he's just gonna duck in and take a quick look around before revealing what he found. ]

They were in the gym...? Doesn't make any fucking sense, but neither does anything else about this place. They're yours, right? [ gold bangles fused together with secret compartments. not many people could have that item, he figures. ]

[morphogenia]

[There's really not much to see. Kamala doesn't own anything here. It's a very plain little space which doesn't really reflect Kamala's personality at all.]

Oh... I hope they're nice. [She thinks he'd probably be better off with Jews or Muslims, but she's kind of biased like that.

Kamala keeps her lame thoughts to herself because the reveal is unexpected. It's been long enough that she was convinced they were a lost cause. She was trying to be okay with that and mostly failing if all sniffling in the middle of the night was any indication. Maybe it was lame, but they were so distinctively hers in a place where nothing was. It hurt to be without them. She felt like she failed some future daughter by getting them taken or at the very least her mother.

Then they're just back. Kamala stares in open disbelief for a few seconds.] You... really found them.

[Her eyes brighten tellingly. He's asking something. She laughs wetly as she goes to rub her eyes.] Yeah, they're mine. Sorry. I'm such a baby sometimes.

[pampa]

They're real nice. I stole their spaceship.

[ it was for a good cause??? he's kind of panicking because she looks like she's about to cry and he can't do tears. like not even a little bit. and especially not from her. wtf. ]

You're not a baby. You're sixteen. [ please take these from him before he chucks them and runs. he's already looking a little wild-eyed and backs up a pace or two. the grip of his rhino is sticking out of his back jumpsuit pocket, perhaps noticeable when she comes around. either way he couldn't leave his most prized possession unattended. you know like the rest of them he's carrying around. ]

[morphogenia]

[Seeing him freak out immediately snaps her out of it.] Please don't run away with those. I'll have to trip you.

[She's taking them back now so she can put the bangles back on her wrist for the first time in forever. Her mood immediately swings in the other direction. Kamala feels like herself again.

She's so unbelievably happy that. In a beat, she launches herself forward to pull him into a crushing hug.] Thank you so much!

[pampa]

[ his fingers go limp so she can take the item, genuinely happy she's happy and ready to take off the second the bangles are on her wrist. but then she's flying through the air and crushing his already crushed chalk ribs. joe gives a surprised little wheeze in pain, but doesn't try to get away. it's a thank you, he can accept that, right? slowly, his hand comes down between her shoulder blades, holding on weakly. ]

Yeah, uh. You're welcome, kid. [ what the hell ]

[morphogenia]

[Kamala pulls back when she hears that wheeze, visibly alarmed.] Are you okay?! I didn't think I hugged you that hard!

[She glances down at her arms. Definitely not glowing so she didn't accidentally use super strength so???]

[pampa]

[ he holds out his hand dismissively. ] Fine. I'm just... [ miller walks over to her desk and puts his rhino down on it, checking the safety. then he seeks out her desk chair and sits in it heavily. that feels simultaneously better and worse but at least he doesn't have to focus on keeping himself up. he misses 0G so much right now. ]

It's not a big deal. [ he leans his elbow on the desk and looks up at her, sensing she isn't going to let him let this go. ] I fell, on the hull. During the spacewalk. [ ok he was crushed by a martian twice his size, same dif ]

[morphogenia]

[Kamala immediately makes a face at his gun, her hand unconsciously going to her stomach. She remembers how it feels when it accidentally goes off in your direction so she's glad he's checked it. She has to think she felt safer when it wasn't around. Good thing this conversation is super distracting.]

And that was enough to hurt you?! I didn't think it was that dangerous. [...Which probably sounds crazy unless you know what she gets up to back home.]

[pampa]

What do you want me to say, kid? You have at least three times the bone density I do. Wasn't that dangerous for you. [ well what he did would have been but he's still trying to gloss over the heroics tbh. ] I didn't think it was that bad until the gravity came back.

[ okay that's enough of that. he stands and ignores how much it sucks, lifting his eyebrows. ]

I'm glad you two are back together again. I'm gonna go... drink. [ he gestures to the bracelet and then kamala - nothing new there and he's tucking the gun back into his pocket. ]

[morphogenia]

[Kamala reddens. She really should think before she speaks sometimes, huh? She gives him a sheepish look.] Sorry, that was kind of insensitive of me.

[She smiles again.] Thanks again, Joe. They really mean a lot to me. Let me know if I can help you out too someday, okay?

[She's not even gonna comment on that drinking business. Not her place, etc. etc.]

[pampa]

Yeah... a little, but you're an Earther so I'll let it slide.

[ and also because he doesn't want to tell her what really happened. u kno u kno ] You grew up in real gravity with a real horizon.

[ he hesitates even though he just said he would go. and the bar really is calling his name, but... ]

I'm tryin' my best not to need help, but if that changes you'll be the first to know, ke? [ he doesn't notice the slip, maybe he really is homesick. he takes a minute to scrub a hand over his face before correcting his hat's jaunty angle. ]

[morphogenia]

Yeah I didn't realize how much of a privilege that was until I started talking to you. Usually my privilege is not getting run out of my home country and separated from my family due to increasing violence or imperialism. I really need to work on remembering this one.

[That just rolls off the tongue for her. Even if she doesn't get the screen time she deserves, Nakia is still her oldest friend. She totally listens to all her social justice lectures.] Great, but can I ask what that means? Ke? I mean I could guess, but I like to know stuff. It's kind of my thing.

[pampa]

[ um... what? he narrows his eyes at her, but in his time social justice is long dead. he thinks idly that she would've gotten along with havelock. ]

You don't have to work at nothin', kid. It's just a fact. Your bones are all fused together right because you grew up where your ancestors did, on a planet with real atmosphere.

[ miller doesn't say it like anderson dawes, like a belter who thinks he's better than earthers because of his plight. because he had to do the hard thing. he doesn't sound resentful either, he's just stating facts. though maybe there is a part of himself he'd rather not acknowledge that he's imploring her to understand - that he wants her to. he scratches at an eyebrow before stuffing his hands into jumpsuit pockets, not heading for the door anymore and it's obvious by his body language that maybe he never wanted to. ]

It's ke [ he gently corrects her tone, though it doesn't matter. he could go down the hall and talk lang belta with naomi all night but it wouldn't make him feel better, or any more connected to the culture he'd left behind. ] and it's Belter for... like I'm asking you a question. Or- whatever. It's not important. The last Earther I saw try to learn it got a rebar through his ribcage for the effort so maybe we ought to leave it there.

[morphogenia]

[It is slowly dawning on her that he actually doesn't want to leave. Kamala takes this as her cue to sit on her bed. She props her elbow up on her thigh and rests her head on her hand. She's getting comfy, but also giving her time to think.] I think I do. I mean we're all living together so we should try to understand each other. Besides, I'd be a pretty terrible friend if I kept berating you for being different. I mean it'd be like you yelling at me because I can't reach the top shelf of anything. It's not going magically make me taller. Me making dumb comments isn't going to make your bones any stronger.

[Of course she has a built in way to get around that, but she prefers to keep that to herself. She openly shudders at the thought of being impaled. She thinks she'd rather get shot any day by comparison.] That seems like... a lot. I feel like there some steps skipped before putting a rebar through someone for trying to learn a language.

[pampa]

It's not gonna make 'em any weaker either, you know. My bones might be chalk, but my skin's pretty tough.

[ just sayin just sayin ]

You're not tryin' to be the Belter whisperer on Ceres, so you're probably in the clear. It's just me and Naomi and that botanist guy anyway, here. And... well, Amos is an Earther, but he's more than halfway there.

[morphogenia]

I think you're missing the point. It's totally cool if you tell your friends pink isn't your color or something, but it's mean to poke fun at physical stuff.

[Kamala hums thoughtfully at the rest.] Botanist guy... the one who is always asking if we've seen a girl named Mei, right? Amos is the one with all the good advice on space.

[pampa]

[ wait ] ...And we're friends. [ TIL ]

I think that's his daughter, the Roci crew was helping him look for her when they got grabbed here. [ he has to snort at that. he doesn't think amos likes being an "expert" any more than he does, but they're both stuck. ] Yeah, well, the guy's been ship hoppin' since he was your age, so I guess it would follow.

[morphogenia]

Uh... yeah unless you're doing that thing where you're too cool for friends? I know detectives love that whole lone wolf thing.

[She's trying to sound like it'd be cool but, lbr here. She'd be hurt.] Yeah that's what he said... and wow seriously? I guess that makes sense. Guys can do whatever they want no matter what year it is.

[Kamala sighs wistfully. Her parents would kill her if she ever thought about doing that.]

[pampa]

You think I'm cool? [ this is even more incredulous than the last one tbh ]

Just guys? Naomi's been rock hopping and ship hopping for damn near that long too. Most Belters are, I'm the one who's an outlier.

[morphogenia]

Let's not go that far. [Wow that came out quickly. Kamala takes a deep breath and explains,] It's the haircut. No one could ever be cool with that haircut. I'm sorry.

[This next part really blows her mind.] Oh seriously?! Sorry that's like so hard for me to imagine. I have to be home before dark and can't move out until I'm married probably. Just going somewhere seems fake to be honest.

[pampa]

[ oh. mY. GOD. he just stares at her for a long moment, then bursts out laughing. oh god that hurts, why did he do it. he presses a hand flat to his sternum to abate some of the pressure and grimaces hard. but that was funny. ] What's wrong with my hair? [ he takes off his hat again to absently rake his fingers through the short mohawk style. HE THOUGHT IT LOOKED COOL fuck. but he's still laughing and trying not to bc it h u r t s. ]

Well, you're here now, kid. And that's not fake. As much as I wish I could tell you otherwise.