revivalproject | Don't Stop Moving

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, Open
WHERE: Around the Agrii Ship
WHAT: Fast Boy Do Work And Be Anxious
WHEN: Feb 12 - 24th
WARNINGS: Panic Attack In Prompt III

I. Speed To The Rescue | Halls between Engineering and Medical

Good news, this was actually Tommy's specialty. Gotta appreciate a guy who knows what to do in the sort of instance where everyone's running around like chickens with their metaphor completed. While others are still being shuffled to the disaster area, Tommy's already there, gently pulling Agrii back from the hole. But he doesn't run them back. There are burns, and those are... delicate. His vibrations can make those worse, and he knows it. So as other people are approaching Engineering he's gentle guiding a burned Agrii, holding the large body easily in his arms, talking softly.

The person needs help, and he doesn't know how to make it better.

"Any of you medics?" he asks as he walks past his approaching fellows. "She's really hurt."

II. High Speed Shelf Stocker? | Cargo Hold

Perhaps in Tommy's previous previous life he worked in retail. Because the effeciency that he's moving around the cargo hold with speaks to competency in this area. He moves like a blur, between one crate and the next, opening them up and jotting down copious notes onto his communication device. The real thing that's slowing him down is the fact that he's clearly limited by the responsiveness of the device he's working on.

And the fact that he can't share the information as fast as anything else that he's doing. Dude's not communications, so he doesn't have that option. He could stand to have a shared file structure to offer people. But whatever. It is what it is.

When the doors whoosh open (seriously, that's the best part of space, you get the cool whooshy noises), and Tommy's head snaps around immediately to gaze at whoever is there. There's a moment where he looks unsure, like he might not be prepared to see someone. Or maybe that look isn't really there. He's smiling though.

"Welcome to the quarter master or whatever shit you'd call this. What ya looking for?"

III. When The Beat Drops | The Green Space [Warning: Panic Attack]

Life for a Hero or a He Row is full of crises. They happen so many ways, so many times. It's tiring, and Tommy hasn't been sleeping well since they left the planet and, well, there's a whole list of ands. Is it really that shocking that he's found himself overloaded? Maybe it's the explosion specifically, the sorts of damages and how they get to him and his past. How he hadn't been there to help.

More than that, it's the fucking things he saw below. The beds that left him shaken. Or maybe it's just that a hundred little things have built up. So it's no wonder that Tommy's gone to the sort of place that gives him the most comfort these days. Who would have ever thought that green spaces would be Tommy's source of comfort.

But here he is anyway, on a bench in a place where the greenery is thicker, legs pulled up to his chest, heaad pillowed on them, eyes slightly zoned out but clearly nothing about him saying 'sleep' at this late hour.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I'm pretty good at figuring things out," Max assures, and she does mean what items were in use before and what they might need to replace, when she says that.

Carefully, she tilts her head at him and levels, a bit more serious, "Speed, you okay?"

"Good to hear. If you need these carried somewhere, let me know, okay? I'm basically UPS today or something."

Though she's asking and he sighs, reaching up to rub the back of his head.

"I saw a thing, it left me a bit shaken. I'm dealing with it."

"Yeah, probably gonna need that, too," Max admits. She's not weak, but it's a lot of stuff, and some of it is a bit heavy.

She sucks on her bottom lip. They're not that close, so she gets not opening up to her, aside from that, it might also just be hard to talk about, or difficult to explain if Max doesn't know what he means, already. Considering that, Max looks down, then back to Tommy.

"You can always take a moment, yourself. Or...if you're one of those people it helps to stay busy, I can definitely help with that."

It is heavy, and Tommy's a really effective method of delivery. Though the idea of a moment to himself is hilarious.

"I had one of those, three days ago, relative time. I don't... Time and me experience each other different ways. It's better if I don't. The isolation when no one else is moving fast enough to perceive me is a strain."

Max's eyes widen as she boggles at what Tommy just said. Her eyes make a roll around from the counter to Tommy.

"Okay, don't do that." It sounds lonely. Terrifying in a low-key way.

"So. This stuff," she puts her hand on the items, "I need this delivered to the Life Support Systems. And then I'm sure I have another list of things I need."

With power often comes downsides. Ones that people don't even think to talk about of course.

"Trust me, I don't want to. Anyway, where's Life Support Systems? I don't spend a lot of time in the technical areas here."

Max would try to have that conversation, but it sounds like the kind of level of nerd as some of her other friends if they're being technical about it. And the non-technical side makes her vaguely uncomfortable. Maybe another time.

"I don't blame you."

She turns over the list and makes a quick map. It's not the best, but it should at least be usable. She makes the spot with a star. "It's here. This might come in handy if I need you to deliver stuff to the other areas, too."

Yeah, in a way the world is probably better over the fact that it's Max here and not one of her friends. Imagine the spiral that might come about if Tommy heard some truths about her world and how it might, maybe, intersect with his in a weird way.

"Alright. Hold on for a second, okay?"

He looks at the map, nods to himself, and then the box is gone in a burst of wind. Moments later there's a gust of wind in the other direction and Tommy is there, dusting his hands off.

"Okay, so I've been thinking about it for a few minutes, and you know what? Boss me around. Give me something to do that isn't inventorying."

He says like he hasn't been gone for only THIRTY SECONDS.

Edited 2024-02-29 20:13 (UTC)

It probably best it is Max, but she sure misses everyone else.

"Sure," she mutters, thinking that's just an expression, but no, it really is almost a second.

Max can't help the way her head follows Tommy's path (? she thinks it's his path, he's so fast, she's not entirely sure ) and comes right back when Tommy shows again.

"Didn't I...just boss you around? You clearly mean more. I can boss you around, more."

"I mean, I need the distraction. And honestly, list making isn't doing it for me."

Because his brain is too fast. There is too much free time. He sighs and shakes his head.

"People think super powers are great, but in a way they're kinda bad too."

"Well...of course people without them think they're great. I was just thinking I would like to go faster on my skateboard, and could with your powers. Just," Max seems to be rethinking that, "not that fast. And then realized, yeah, you have a point. It's easier to think that way when you lack them."

As for bossing around, Max looks down at the map she made, then points to another location.

"Are you also pretty strong? I need metal panel moved. It's all crunched up. I can't make out what we need there. Tried moving it, but I couldn't."

Faster on her skateboard? He laughs. That's so easy.

"When we're not in a crisis, we'll get a rope and some kind of handle and I'll take you faster than you know what to do with."

And catch her if it goes wrong. Because he's always there for that.

"Strength is just force and force is mass times speed, and I've got speed. I'm not the greatest, but I'm more than people my size would be. Show me where."

Max considers that, her eyes wide.

"Wait...really?" Her lips start to curl up. "Just not quite that fast." But once they're out of crisis, yes. That.

Normally, this sort of thing isn't for her, but Tommy words it in a way Max can easily understand.

"Perfect. I'll show you what I need moved. Come on."

"Not so fast as to give you wind-burn, yeah. But we'll make sure that you have a good time."

Because Billy would surely want Tommy to be nice to his kid sister. Right? Also, Tommy just likes kids. Not older teens that can be brats as much. But kids? Yeah.

"Alright then, lead on Captain."

"I'm holding you to that. As soon as we get out of this mess." And she returns from an unplanned "vacation."

Max does start to lead Tommy, then stops short. She turns back to him with a bright grin.

"Captain. I like that. Captain Max!" Tommy's her new favorite person, definitely. At least for today.

There's a lot of mess to get out of, but he'll keep his word, of course he will. He's never done anything less when he could help it. Still, he's pleased over her pleasure.

"I mean, you're one of our two pilots. You guys sort of are the captains in space. Keep us from wrecking. Twin Roses didn't have pilots often."

"Captain Max," she repeats, still so happy. "That means Billy is Captain Billy, right?" She wonders if he likes that.

"Was Twin Roses another ship?

Don't Stop Moving

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