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

[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..."

[doubled_speed]

"Yeah. But it's more an itch," Tommy admits. As he says it he almost moves to scratch at his arm.

"Don't waste meds on me."

[wearingthestars]

"It's not a waste-" Billy corrects immediately with a stern look, "And I'm one of the doctors now, so...you need to let me do my job."

[doubled_speed]

He is. Tommy stares in shock. But then nods along.

"Yeah, you are. But my metabolism, B. It's a literal waste. It eill either not affect me or not do it for long."

[wearingthestars]

Right. Billy frowns. "I can...I can try to make some that's...slow acting?" He doesn't sound entirely confident in his ability to do so, but...he wants to help.

[doubled_speed]

"Unless your magic can do that, my metabolism is just a mess," Tommy shrugs. "Medication hasn't worked on me since I got my powers."

[wearingthestars]

"I know. My magic can do a lot of things. I can try..." He's conjured up half of what he's given to Tony, and it seems to be working correctly, despite not knowing a whole lot about actually pharmacology.

[doubled_speed]

At least trying Tommy can live with.

"If you're cool with medical experiments, go for it."