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]

Oh it's absolutely less cool when he calls it that. It's him underlining that it really wasn't remotely cool at all.

"I'm not your keeper, B. You can do what you want. But if you're doing this out of guilt over Tony and it's just going to make you unhappy, I'm going to be disappointed."

He wants the best for his brother, not... complacency.

[wearingthestars]

"It's not. I mean...it might be part of it, but- I agreed to help there before any of that, I just-...I'm really liking it. I feel like I can actually help people, but...I know doctors can be a rough thing for you..." He doesn't want to add to any of that.

[doubled_speed]

“Just... be careful, okay?”

And Tommy isn’t really that great at hospitals. So he doesn’t intend to go there. At all.

“I’ll see you when you’re at home.”

[wearingthestars]

"I'm always careful," he promises, giving a nod of understanding, "Okay, let me see what I can do magic wise for the scarring, if that doesn't work, there's some other stuff we can try."

[doubled_speed]

“Yeah, that works for me,” Tommy sighs, settling down on his brother’s bed and holding an arm out.

[wearingthestars]

Billy gives it a ginger inspection, features laced with guilt, and then his hands over just over the skin, chanting softly, trying to mend what he can.

[doubled_speed]

“Stop it,” Tommy says. His uninsured hand flashes out to curl under his brother’s chin and lift his face. “Stop blaming yourself. You can’t forgive the Scarlet Witch for tearing apart the Avengers and mutants while under the influence of other forces, and then not forgive yourself.”

[wearingthestars]

"Nnn-" Billy pauses, looking up at him and blinking in surprise, glow fading from his fingertips. His cheeks flush, not really able to deny Tommy's point.

"...sure I can. I'm a huge hypocrite," he counters with an attempt at a smile.

[doubled_speed]

“Fuck. That. Shit. If you’re a terrible person while literally being controlled by something, then I’m WORSE. A lot worse. Are you going to call me irredeemable?”

[wearingthestars]

"Of course not," he's quick to counter, "I know- ...I know I didn't mean to. And I know we're going to be okay. I just...I feel bad. I still feel bad, I can't help it. I never wanted to be one of the people that hurt you. Even if a stupid bug's the one that made me do it."

[doubled_speed]

“The bug hurt me.”

But Tommy’s going to wear a scar from his brother. The brother that has literally and metaphorically pushed him away before. It leaves its own sort of mark. And he hates that it does.

[wearingthestars]

"You know what I mean. I'm allowed to feel guilty still. Even if it doesn't make sense. Just like you're allowed to be mad about it. Or scared or...anything else you need to be."

It's a complicated thing. One they're probably going to have to face again some day in their line of work.

[doubled_speed]

Well, yes, he supposes his brother is ALLOWED to feel guilty, but... But Tommy doesn't want that. Not on his behalf.

So he's silent, looking away from his brother.

"I don't blame you for shit, B. You're good."

[wearingthestars]

Billy doesn't necessarily want it either, but there it is.

He had blamed him though, even if he doesn't now, and Billy can't shake that guilt quite yet.

"I'm working on it, okay? I gotta feel guilty for a while...I can't help it. But...thanks. For saying it..."

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, well Tommy isn’t smart and being lashed out at by someone he loves is... hard. He never loved his folks after all.

“Well I get to pinch you every time you do it. Period. No guilty eyes at me.”

[wearingthestars]

Tommy's way smarter than he gives himself credit for.

"Fair." He even holds out his arm to receive one, sure he's over do, offering Tommy a small smile.

[doubled_speed]

A lot smarter, but he doesn't know how to give himself credit at all. Tommy's fingers dart out and he pinches quickly at his brother's forearm, over the exact spot where the worst of his burn had been.

"Now get back to making me pretty. I know there aren't any chicks to pick up here, but a guy has to look his best."

[wearingthestars]

"Ow," Billy winces and laughs, pulling his arm away again.

"There is a weird lack of girls," he agrees, "But you can still look your best for the guys, mm?" he teases, getting back to his chanting.

[doubled_speed]

For the... Tommy blushes a little.

"You're the gay one," Tommy mumbles as he offers his arm over.

[wearingthestars]

Billy just smiles, not stopping his chanting, shrugging a shoulder to accept Tommy's label.

His fingertips glow, focus fixed firmly on trying to heal.

shit i thought i tagged these hours ago

[doubled_speed]

Listen, he's not ready to come to open terms with his sexuality, thanks. Geez.

So Tommy watches his arm as the ugly scar slowly starts to pull together, aging in the slowest of motion.

[wearingthestars]

Here could be the ideal place to try it on for size, just saying.

Billy watches Tommy's face, trying to be sure the process isn't hurting him, ready to stop the second he sees even a hint of real discomfort.

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, there are a lot of guys and they ARE hot. But dude, really? Tommy does grimace in discomfort as the damaged skin starts to really heal and restore itself ,but it seems like it can only be a scar. But an old scar. Something he can work with.

"Thanks, B."

[wearingthestars]

It's not quite as healed as Billy was hoping for, but it's something, and he nods, ducking his head to press an apologetic kiss to the skin, cheeks flush. It's a dumb gesture, he knows, but it's the sort of thing Tommy never really got.

"Sorry I couldn't do more."

[doubled_speed]

Oh wow. That... Tommy looks flustered. It's affection he's never had. No one has EVER kissed a booboo to make it better.

"Fuck, man, you're silly," he says to try and make himself feel better.