captmercr - Tumblr blog

[captmercr]

❛ Not to one. ❜ He begins , shaking his head. It's one hell of a story. ❛ In one. ❜ He's still not certain if it's the strangest landing party that he's ever been on. It's up there , seeing as there was a good chance that he and Kelly both would have been stuck there had Alara not saved their asses. The more he thinks about it , the more the comparison feels right. The only thing that makes this different is that they didn't replicate his old apartment. That and they can't see the people watching them. Other than that , the feeling is the same.

❛ Uh huh. ❜ There could be something there if he looked hard enough , but he was still trying to get over the " holy shit my crew's going on without me " phase. That's a very hard phase to get through.

❛ I'll figure it out. ❜ He says with a shrug , turning towards the lane they're seated in front of. ❛ But now's not the time for drafting a job application , is it ? We're here to get wasted off our asses and see if we can even hit one pin. ❜

"YOU'VE BEEN TO ONE?" It catches him by surprise - Leonard's only seen those things in the vids, read about them in history books. They certainly don't exist anywhere in the Federation, but then Ed's not from the Federation ( no matter how often Leonard tends to forget that fact; his Union just seems so similar in so many ways ).

But maybe they shouldn't be talking about morbid things like zoos. Kind of killing the mood, and it's hard enough to get into a mood that isn't abject misery to begin with. God, what a week. What a month, in Leonard's case.

At least Ed's been putting himself out there. "Well, hey, that's good. I don't know what you're talking about - Starship Captain ticks all the boxes. Leadership," he begins to count on his fingers and then immediately falters. Staying calm in a crisis would work if he's trying to become a first responder. "Uh, teamwork. Communication..."

...He supposes that is all rather generic.

"There's got to be something."

[captmercr]

Ed nods to himself , the stars still visible even as he closes his eyes. Granted , the view is different. When his eyes are closed , he's still sitting on the Captain's chair , seeing them through the glass of the Orville's bridge. When he opens them again it's a lot more lackluster.

❛ Oh , well - ❜ He's already said enough to land him in jail if he was ever going back home. No use in holding back. ❛ What do you want to hear ? I can tell you , some aspects of it are a lot more exciting than others. ❜ The actual charting part may be the most boring. That and the diplomacy. And even the diplomacy has it's moments.

❛ There's nothing wrong with that. ❜ He replies , shaking his head. ❛ If everyone were in space there would be no reason left to explore it. ❜ There's a beauty that comes with knowing you're stepping foot into something completely and utterly unknown. He would be out of a job if everyone else was out there , too. There'd be nothing new left to see.

He hums - makes the sound of it, that is - and looks up at the stars again. To have a profession such as that, a space explorer, charting their way through the boundless expanse of the universe...

"That sounds fascinating, mon ami. I would love to hear more if you are willing to share." Regis laughs, a little self-consciously (though it is difficult to say if it's genuine) and adds, "Ah, I'm afraid my position is far more mundane than that. The kind that requires both feet to be planted on the ground, so to speak."

(And if that is mostly so he can take off running at any moment, well, that's something he can keep to himself. No need to begin introductions with his rather lengthy criminal record, after all.)

[captmercr]

There's a peace that washes over him , enveloping heart and soul. It's not often that he really got to feel at peace. Even when he was on break , at any moment he could be whisked away from it and back to his duties as Captain. That is what he signed up for , after all - he knew the risks of it when he joined. But there's an almost oddly melancholic feeling that comes with this newfound sense of relaxation. Nobody's lives are on his shoulders. There's no one to command. He really didn't think he would ever be able to find a life outside of it.

Ed hums softly as he gazes up at the stars. The view from down here is nothing like being amongst them. In space , it's easy to take it for granted , because all you see is stars. Perhaps a planet or two , if you're lucky. The view from the ground , however , is different. Not as beautiful as being immersed in them , he would say , but it's beautiful in it's own right. You see things you can't see , this way. The constellations. The way the stars align in relation to each other. He glances at Fiyero next to him. Well , at first he didn't think the view was as beautiful. He learns very quickly that opinions can be changed.

❛ I'm glad you think so. ❜ He truly is. He can't remember the last time he was able to do something like this without the worry of it being rudely interrupted. Either by a red alert , call from the Fleet , or even just someone barging into the holodeck out of turn. He'll admit , half of why he suggested the idea is because he felt homesick. The Orville was his home , and the stars are the closest thing he has to it right now. He tilts his head up towards the sky again , his expression changing briefly into one of thoughtfulness. He wonders where they are , right now. If the ship's up there somewhere looking for him. He hopes so.

He leans over to take a look in the basket. ❛ Wow - you really prepared , huh ? ❜ He grins. ❛ Now I feel bad for not bringing a drink or something. ❜ He makes a mental note. Just in case.

the blanket is soft under her legs. the air is cool with nighttime settling on the city, and the sky is as clear as it would be on a winter evening, no clouds in sight. it was a perfect opportunity to follow up on her promise and take ed somewhere, and after some brainstorming, they decided to meet up here.

   the eternal tree in the cotes ward offers a feeling of safety, and the grass is still warm after an entire day of sunlight shining down on it. they picked a spot with the river close enough for them to be able to hear the rushing water, a repetitive sound that calms the mind. and there's the closeness, of course, of being curled up next to ed as they settle in for a few hours, with nothing to do but chat and gaze.

   and perhaps a few other things, if she's lucky.

   for somebody who spent the last few months sleeping under the stars, she's oddly excited about this. there's an intention to it that she hasn't had in a long time. when was the last time she truly thought about the stars? perhaps when she was on dovesong, looking at the sky and wondering what's out there for her.

   ' stargazing was a lovely idea. ' still sitting up, she starts fidgeting with her boots, slowly unlacing each of the knots, which will admittedly take a while. she steals a quick glance towards ed as she goes, smiling warmly. ' leave it up to the starship captain to come up with it. are you hungry? there's some snacks in my basket. '

@captmercr

[captmercr]

yep. got divorced almost two years ago. i'm doing great. just great. :]

   ... you're both divorced???

[captmercr]

^ also divorced

[captmercr]

The very last thing on his mind was buying a new outfit. His uniform has served him well thus far , and he doesn't plan on staying long enough to need any other clothes. Maybe that sounds like misplaced hope - but he's not giving up that quick.

❛ Y'know , that's exactly what this feels like , too. A zoo. ❜ He hates that he knows the feeling. It's a familiar sensation , being watched. He's lucky that the last time it was only for a few days. Which is exactly why he hasn't lost the hope that the Orville will be here any day now. He shakes his head. He can't believe humans used to have zoos with animals in them. Let alone having zoos full of species that you can properly communicate with.

❛ Job searching , mostly. ❜ If you call staying at his townhouse and fucking with the phone he was given " searching. " But he's not admitting that out loud. ❛ If I'm gonna be here , I might as well have some income. Still don't know if being a Starship Captain will do me any good in terms of experience , though. ❜

ED'S EASY TO PICK OUT OF A CROWD— his attire doesn't do him any favors in the way of blending in. At least Leonard resigned himself to buy an outfit or two, no matter how much his rapidly-dwindling funds gave him pause.

"Like giving enrichment to a zoo animal." Hey, Starfleet gave them one, too, and he's not counting it as a point in their favor, either. He gestures up and down towards Ed once the captain is close enough, towards his whole everything, the way he's evidently falling flat on the whole adapting thing. Leonard's barely a step ahead, but at least he's trying, and he really is concerned about the other's claim to wallowing in misery over his crew this whole time.

"You really weren't kidding. What've you been doing for the last three days?"

[captmercr]

Ed nods , his face falling slightly at the other's response. Well , that certainly wasn't the kind of reassurance he was hoping for. ❛ . . so you've been here for a while , huh ? ❜ He tries not to sound too disappointed that getting out of here may take a little while longer than he wanted it to. But , what the hell was he expecting , really ?

There's a small bout of silence before he shrugs in response. ❛ I figured that you'd have gotten just about every question about this place under the sun. Didn't want to bother you with that immediately after almost making you eat shit. ❜

However , maybe getting directions from someone who's been here a little bit longer might save him some trouble in the long run. ❛ But now that you've offered - I heard something about there being an observatory around here somewhere. Do you have like . . a general direction ? A ward that it's in ? Then I'll get out of your hair , promise. ❜

Sal nodded his head, then let out a light chuckle. "Hah, yeah I get that. All of this--" He mimicked the gesture that Ed had just done; using his free hand to do so. "-- isn't easy to settle in with. It took me awhile to get even remotely comfortable." Even with the precious friends that Sal had made, he still wasn't 100% on-board with it. Yes, guilt also came with that.

He had been stolen from his home, and life. As terrible as that life had become, it was still his!

"Huh...this? Well...since I was a teenager." Sal was a little surprised that Ed had asked a question about his skating. Mostly because the newbies of Spirale would bombard him with much more pressing issues. "You know..." He slung the board over his shoulder.

"I've been around here for awhile. If you've got like...other questions. You can ask those too. I don't mind. " Sal offered an olive branch, just to make the guy feel more comfortable.

[captmercr]

Ed shifts from foot to foot , trying his best to maintain some sliver of his composure. Being flirted with is something he's never truly gotten used to. Granted , he can't say it happened to him often. In actuality - he can only truly recount one time he's ever been flirted with by someone other than his ex - wife. And even then , he's positive that it was a fluke. He can't say he dislikes it , though. It just makes him feel uneasy. The divorce was over a year ago. Why does he still feel like he's doing something wrong every time he tries to move on ?

❛ Wh - ❜ He takes a deep breath. He knows how red his face is. He can feel the heat in his cheeks , and he can't focus on anything other than the situation at hand , even after averting his gaze from Fiyero's. With how much he's stumbled through this conversation already , he makes the decision to not embarrass himself further by trying to choke out a response. Instead , he watches as the other gets out the device that he assumes they all have been given - something he has yet to actually figure out.

There's a soft ding that comes from his pocket as the message is sent , and he pulls out his own phone to look at it. ❛ A - alright. That sounds great ! ❜ It's not much different than a communicator , he realizes. Just . . strange. The thought is quickly shrugged off in favor of returning their grin with one of his own. Something fun to do. Well , he supposes it's better to get out and actually do things than sitting in his house and wallowing in self misery. No matter how much he wants to try to free himself ( and everyone else stuck here ) he's afraid that it may be up to the Orville to find him. Wherever they are. ❛ Ah , well , have a good one ! I'll make sure to . . uh . . keep in touch ! ❜

fiyero can practically see the poor man stop working. he freezes in place with the bold touch, and his cheeks flush scarlet, like the colour of fiyero's lipstick. for a moment, he stands and wonders how the two would look together. it's a tempting idea, one he's determined to figure out sooner rather than later. especially if affection lures such delicious reactions out of the captain.

   ' that colour looks nice on you, ' he murmurs in consideration, with a satisfied smile. he wants to reach out again, but holds himself back for the time being. not that he's not ready to give in abundance, but sometimes leaving somebody wanting makes touch all the better in the long run. so fiyero remains still, pulls out the phone he was given upon arrival. he's still unfamiliar with the modern technology of the place, but after yuri showed him how, it's fairly easy to pull up ed mercer in the list of contacts, his talons clacking against the screen.

   grinning to himself, he sends him a little winky face. ' i'm so glad to hear it. here, i sent you a message. i was on my way to somewhere else, so i must be going— but we can write, yes? figure out something fun to do together. i can't wait. '

[captmercr]

[txt] whatever

It takes a little more than ten minutes for him to find the place ( he still can barely navigate this damn city , but he finds his way eventually ) and make his way over to Leonard. His head looks from left to right , taking in his surroundings. It looks similar to the one they programmed into the holodeck - down to the carpet with the colorful pattern.

Ed walks through the room , passing lane after lane until he finally ends up at the one the other's situated at. And right next to the bar , too. Nice. ❛ Don't know if we'll ever find out why we were brought here , but at least they were kind enough to give us a bowling alley. ❜ Sucks that they have to pay for it , though. If you're gonna pull a man from his life against his will , why would you also make him have to earn money ? That doesn't make sense to him.

[txt] that's the most personal information you're getting from me for another two months

[txt] sounds good to me

[captmercr]

[txt] that's the most personal information you're getting from me for another two months

[txt] sounds good to me

[txt] ...okay, we're going to have to try and dissect that over a drink or something

[txt] i'll send the address. meet you in ten.

[captmercr]

[txt] i've been here for two days and i'm still trying to get over the crushing emptiness that not having my crew fills me with

[txt] of COURSE i don't have a job

[txt] lets go then

[txt] excused

Sorely tempted to ask whether holodeck bowling even counts as real bowling ( surely the weight is all wrong ), and wow does their ship not just have a bowling alley built right into it?, and who is in charge of writing up the shift rotations on the Orville because that schedule sounds like a nightmare. But he refrains.

[txt] look. to be honest i don't have a job. 🤷‍♂️ do you have a job

[txt] because if we're both unemployed bastards then we're going right now

[captmercr]

[txt] well excuse me for assuming

[txt] i don't know. can't say i remember the last time i've properly been bowling

[txt] only got to play on the holodeck a few times because i only got like an hour a week

[txt] ED MERCER IS TYPING. . .

[txt] so when are we going

[txt] i've been in a lot of cities that had a shitton of bars and no bowling alley so that logic doesn't track 👎

[txt] but this one does, i checked.

[txt] pavel and sulu always kicked my ass back on the ship. my odds might be a little better here, but that depends on how you answer my follow up question

[txt] are you GOOD at bowling

[captmercr]

@doctornota asked :

[txt] THOUGHTS ON BOWLING

[txt] do they have a bowling alley here?

[txt] i mean they have a bar so obviously they'd have a bowling alley

[txt] i can't remember the last time i've properly bowled that wasn't in the holodeck

[captmercr]

Ed frowns deeply. Nothing ? He can't even imagine a world in which there aren't thousands of planets each with their own cultures , their own people , waiting to be discovered. Waiting to be welcomed into the Planetary Union with open arms. It's strange , to say the least. It feels wrong being placed in a situation like this. In his world , it would be illegal to say anything about space exploration to a society that hasn't yet discovered it. That hasn't yet discovered how teeming with life the vastness of space truly is. And yet - this isn't his world , is it ? He supposes there's no harm in it. Not when their worlds seem so different.

He nods. ❛ That , uh . . was my mission before I got here , actually. ❜ A hand raises to gesture towards the stars. ❛ Exploring uncharted space. Not that we've explored all of it , either - hell , we're not even close to that. But , uh , that's why I came here. To the observatory , that is. Wanted to try getting a little bit closer to home. ❜

"There is nothing and noone there," His gaze - that is to say, the band of light inside his faceplate - narrows briefly before going back to his default expression. "At least, that is how it was back home."

The androids spent quite a lot of time looking up, scanning and sending out probes anywhere they could reach. And despite all the efforts, when new people arrived to their world they came from a different dimension and not from the stars. Ironic, that.

"Though we have yet to explore all of it, so who knows? It would be wrong to say I am not curious about it." Why else would Regis 1.0 choose to leave and explore the stars? A part of that interest must have stayed with him, even after everything. Still, Regis sighs, "I will admit, I hardly have time to consider it under normal circumstances."

That is, when he is not kidnapped and locked in an unfamiliar dimension against his will.

[captmercr]

The observatory is the very first thing he's found here that reminds him of home. Looking up at the stars doesn't come close to being surrounded by them , but it's a welcome sight all the same. There's a part of him that wonders if the Orville's up there somewhere looking for him. He hopes so.

An eyebrow raises as the words break the solemn silence that once filled the room. He looks from the stranger up to the stars again. ❛ . . I can't say that I do. ❜ He never really stopped to look at the stars close enough ―― sure , he saw stars , but spend enough time flying through space and they all start to look the same. His gaze falls down to the android. He studies him for a moment. Ed's not a stranger to artificial life forms. But he isn't a Kaylon , that much he knows. They wouldn't have been bothered talking to a human unless absolutely necessary.

He takes a moment before nodding his head at the window. ❛ So . . you like space ? You ever wondered what's up there ? ❜

*:･ﾟ✧ a starter for @captmercr ✧･ﾟ:*

Regis is not an astronomer, neither by profession nor as a hobby. But he is an android, and like all androids back home he's still fascinated by space. (After all, a version of him is up there somewhere, looking for something or someone who could make their universe a little less lonely.)

And right now, his interest revealed a certain truth to him right away, as he watched the stars through the window of Selene Station's observatory.

"None of these stars are the same as back home." He says quietly. More to himself than anyone else, but there is company here he can tilt his head to and ask, "Do you recognize any of them?"

[captmercr]

After the both of them go their separate ways to avoid a collision , Ed finally comes to a full stop. He smooths out his shirt and lets out a deep breath. That was close. He looks up from the ground to finally get a good look at the other. A hand raises apologetically. ❛ Hey , if it's anyone's fault , it's mine. ❜ Two days into his stay and he's almost literally ran into someone. So much for good first impressions.

❛ I wasn't paying attention , either. Guess I was trying to wrap my mind around , well . . ❜ He gestures vaguely in an attempt to sum up everything. He's sure the stranger knows what he means ―― being pulled from his home and placed here , wherever here is. He finally makes the decision to just say - ❛ . . this. ❜ Not a proper explanation , but he hopes he gets the point.

After a moment , he shakes his head. ❛ Y'know , it happens to the best of us. Getting lost in our thoughts , I mean. ❜ He his head in the direction of the skateboard in the other's hands. ❛ You've got good reflexes , though. Saved both of us from a pretty nasty fall. ❜ Might as well make small talk. It's good to get to know more about where other people come from. Where and when they come from. This is finally his chance to get up close and personal with 21st century technology. He'd be more excited if he didn't figure he would have to live with it for the rest of his life. ❛ How long have you been skating for ? ❜

"Watch out--- !!"Thankfully for the both of them, Sal is quite versatile with a skateboard. So he is able to quickly correct himself without crashing into the stranger. Though it does take some maneuvering on his part, and he stumbles off of the board due to losing his balance; but he doesn't crash or fall to the ground.

For a moment he stood still with his arms held out onto either side of himself for balance, but then he looked back at the man and let out a breath. "Yeah, I'm fine...I'm fine. That was pretty fucking close though. Shit...my bad." He shook out his hands before bending down to pick up his skateboard.

After turning around and getting a better look at the stranger, Sal couldn't help but notice what the guy was wearing. Very sci-fi. It reminded him of those tv shows that his friend Todd liked to watch...

"I was in my own world for a second..."

[captmercr]

❛ It's ok. ❜ He waves a hand dismissively. ❛ Can't say I know anything more stupid than uprooting everything just to run off to space. ❜ While everyone has their reasons , Ed can't say he truly has one. Maybe space is his reason. He's just always felt like it was his calling to be a Captain. Like something was pulling him towards the Union - no matter what he did , nothing else spoke to him the same way space did. Is that what having a purpose feels like ? A longing so deep in your chest that doing anything else just feels like something's missing ? Something's wrong ?

Signed on drunk. Hell , that sounds like something Gordon would do. He chuckles. ❛ Now you're starting to sound like a friend of mine. ❜ Although , signing on drunk doesn't come close to piloting a shuttle while having a beer. It scared the hell out of him then , sure , but he misses that recklessness now. ❛ I could say the same. My crew - they're some of the best people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. ❜ Even if he doesn't personally know half of them. They've gone through enough as a ship for him to know it's worth trusting them with his life. He knows they trust him just the same.

❛ Y'know , now that I think about it - I don't think I could pull off the shorts. ❜ He watches Leonard lean back , tilting his own head back to look up at the ceiling as he begins to do some brainstorming of his own. He'll drive himself insane if he doesn't have something to do to keep him occupied. ❛ Hell if I know. The only times I really did anything other than be Captain was when I could reserve the holodeck or we had karaoke nights. ❜ He silently curses for not being able to have heard Bortus sing. Sure , it would've been bad , but that's another memory he missed out on. He sighs. ❛ I would say that's something we could find out together , but the last thing you need on your plate is a guy still hung up about his crew around. ❜

"NO, IT'S NOT STUPID," says McCoy, who does in fact think it's a little stupid. Not in a foolish way, just in a crazy way - there has to be something a little wrong with you to try and get up into space at all, let alone with such fervor. "There are plenty of reasons to want to get your feet off the ground." He'd had a couple of his own, once upon a time. Obviously, otherwise he wouldn't be sporting the badge. Regardless, if understanding a man's ambitions was a prerequisite to supporting him, he wouldn't be friends with Jim.

Hard to say what sort of case Ed is. Whether he's been running from something or running to something. To McCoy, it sounds rather like the latter.

"Yup, heard that one before." Hell, for some people even a starship is too monotonous. Even McCoy can concede he gets twitchy if they go too long without something substantial to dig his teeth into, no matter how much he loathes the fact that there'll always be another injury to treat, another disease to cure. "I was drunk when I signed on," he confesses then. It had seemed like a bad idea even then, but he had been so certain he had no options left on his plate. "Not sure where that lands me in your estimations. Guess I lucked out winding up with the crew I did, all things considered." So that's one thing, at least, they both keenly understand. When you've come from a crew of hundreds, it's easy to feel starkly alone in a place like this.

"Tennis, I'd like to see that," he snorts, leaning back on his barstool and swiveling back and forth, arms folded. "Yeah, guess I could try out basketball again." Hasn't done that since college. "Pick up guitar. Ten years ago I would've killed for a chance like this. Small-town medicine," though this isn't exactly a small town, it certainly pales in comparison to the scope of the Enterprise's exploratory path. "But now I think it's gonna drive me crazy. I mean, hell, what do people even do for fun these days?"