Calibrations Waiting Room Mingle

[trpmods]

WHO: ALL HE ROWS
WHERE: The Secret Tunnel, which has become the Calibrations Waiting Room (or was it always...?)
WHAT: Mingle log for literally anything you'd like to take place in the waiting room between sleep cycles during the event
WHEN: June 3 - July 10
WARNINGS: Please mark individual threads with warnings

For those that have heeded Ga Re's warning, the door within the secret tunnel - which looks suspiciously like the hatch to one of your shuttles - is wide open, waiting for you. You walk through... and the door behind you disappears. You’re now standing in a cavernous, cold, white waiting room. There are hallways leading off the main corridor with names above each. One of them has your name and will draw you toward it, inevitably.

And on the wall, in pink, running letters is written this single greeting:

‘Welcome to Calibrations’.

The secret tunnel has become a large waiting room with chairs, tables, and the same food dispensers available in the shuttles. There are also communal bathrooms - one for each gender - with several toilet stalls and shower stalls in each, including basic shampoo and soap dispensers, like you might find in a hotel. The water isn’t hot, so hopefully you don’t mind lukewarm showers. Somehow, at least, it never goes cold.

Branching off the main waiting room room are the labeled hallways. At the end of each short hallway is a door, with the same character’s name written on them. Anyone can enter any room, regardless of the name written on it. Everyone has their own room, though of course people can share. Each room has a simple bed (approximately queen-sized) and a set of drawers.

You can opt to spend time in your room or in the larger, common waiting room. (And if you do, you can thread it out here!) But every 16 hours, you'll feel a compulsion: You need to sleep. Right now. You find yourself going into your room (or someone else's, if you really want). But you’re drawn to the bed. You can’t help but lie down. And then, you fall asleep.

Comments

[wearingthestars]

"...Tell us what you really think," Billy mutters, surprised to hear such a hostile reaction, quickening his pace a little. He's been all right with Billy, but he's concerned to know his brother seems to have a different impression.

[doubled_speed]

A very different impression. And the last thing he wants is his brother interacting with Jon. His brother knowing... how bad Tommy is.

"I think he's useless and he doesn't belong here. There have to be more effective people to kidnap."

[wearingthestars]

"...You know I work with him now, right? At the hospital?" he points out. He doesn't want to argue that Jon's only been nice to him, it doesn't negate anything Tommy has to say, but...it is hard to picture Jon as anyone deserving that level of reaction.

[doubled_speed]

Tommy freezes. And is glad his back is to Billy, because he's sneering in disgust, his hands fisted at his sides.

"The man is bad, Billy. Stay the hell away from him."

[wearingthestars]

"I-...I'll try to...if you really want me to, but- ...I want to keep working at the hospital. I feel like I'm actually helping people, and-...Tommy, what happened? What did he do?"

[doubled_speed]

It's better if Billy stays away from Jon. The guy is evil.

"The man has freaky powers. He KNOWS when you're afraid. He can make you afraid. He can, like... His powers are fucked up, B. He MADE me tell him things. And somehow hid a recorder in our home and recorded me saying shit."

And he hated it. There were things people weren't supposed to know.

[wearingthestars]

"..." Billy looks surprised, and a little guilt, as though he should have known some how, and additional guilt for how part of him still want to hold onto that tentative friendship, but that would be a complete betrayal to his brother. He swallows before giving a nod.

"O-okay. I'll...I'll stay from him. I promise. Are you okay? Why didn't you tell me before??"

[doubled_speed]

"Because... it wouldn't be easy to explain. I don't even want to explain it now. I just wanted you to listen."

He's vibrates with the tension, the nerves of all of this.

[wearingthestars]

"Hey, it's okay- I won't- I'll stay away. I promise. As much as I can, okay?" Billy tries to assure, "I believe you, you don't have to explain any more than that."

[doubled_speed]

"Thanks," Tommy answers. Because... because he can't handle the idea that his brother would hate him for the weakest moments of his life. At last Tommy stops, and he turns around. No one is around so...

He steals a brief hug from Billy, holding him tight.

[wearingthestars]

Billy blinks in surprise, and tries to hug him back before Tommy can pull away.

"I missed you so much, Tommy. I'm sorry-" he breathes. He knows it's only been a short while, but it seems like an eternity since they've talked.

[doubled_speed]

It was a while, wasn’t it? Tommy grits his teeth and just holds his brother like that’s all that matters.

“I’d been staying with Wanda. You know, to stay out of the way. Looked like Teddy put a hole through a wall or something.”

[wearingthestars]

"Yeah...we kind of wrecked the place during our fight," Billy admits with a flush. It's an awkward reminder, one he hasn't had a chance to fix yet.

"...You're going to come back though, right?...When we go back up there?"

[doubled_speed]

The thing was that he didn’t know if he should. And surely the uncertainty read on his face.

“Dude, after everything, I can’t imagine either of you would want to be there. Or around each other. Or me.”

[wearingthestars]

"I...I want to be there," Billy mumbles, making it clear he can only really speak for himself. "With you, and with Teddy. I hurt you...Teddy and I hurt each other, I know that's...different, but- I still want to be with both of you."

[doubled_speed]

"Then... I'll stay," Tommy says with a sigh, fingers coming up into his hair as he tries to process this. "Home's going to require repairs. Real ones. That hold up to storms. I don't know how to build."

[wearingthestars]

"Me neither. Someone here must though. If we ask for help..." he trails off and bites at his lip. "...You're not just saying yes because I want you to, are you?"

[doubled_speed]

Tommy wraps his arms around himself, and shakes his head. "No, it's not that, Billy. I... need people I know around."

[wearingthestars]

"Okay, just-...I'll understand if I'm not- um- if you're not ready to be around me still. There's no pressure."

[doubled_speed]

"It's... complicated, man," Tommy sighs, and with that he rolls up his sleeve to make sure Billy can see the scar tissue on his arm. "You didn't do that. But my subconscious isn't really good at making that distinction? You know?"

He wants his brother around, but he flinches to see him. Get it?

[wearingthestars]

Billy winces, and nods, looking uncomfortable. He gets it, he does.

"Can I-...can I try to heal it?" he asks.

[doubled_speed]

"Yeah," Tommy agrees after a bit. Yeah, he can agree with that. Even if he's not sure how much it will work. "Can we find somewhere quiet?"

[wearingthestars]

Billy's not sure either, but he has to try. He nods, looking around before gesturing back to his room.

"We can go in here."

[doubled_speed]

Well, there's that. Tommy sighs and moves to join his brother in his room.

"We're not, uh, close to sleep time, right?"

[wearingthestars]

"Not for a bit," Billy reasons, "We've got a time."

"...Does it still hurt?" he asks, going to his bag, "I've got some meds with me, it should help with the pain- Tony's still pretty bad..."