Catchall log for mid-Merriment, OTA!

[subcircuits]

Who: Devero and YOU
Where: All over the train
When: Merriment 17 through 21
What: Devero potters around the train, catching up on things and pretending he's not still really, really worn out from the mission.
Warnings: Recreational drug use in the luggage car prompt.


In the days following the platform, Devero is relieved to find that he's recovered enough energy to be able to stay awake for most of a day, and even to concentrate on projects again! The lassitude is hanging on to him longer than most, so he's still not quite is robust self, but he's present and working again. Between Merriment 17 and 21, he can be encountered all over the train.

Where does your character find him?


In the lab car?
Wait, since when is Devero glowing purple and semi-transparent? Come into the lab car on the right day at the right time and you'll find this specter moving about. Perhaps he's fiddling with a door latch, or you find him in one of the labs, picking things up and putting them back down again. There is absolutely neutral, lifeless expression on his face if you happen to catch sight of it, and-- Wait, is that some kind of glowing core in the middle of the shape?


In the training car?
Devero knows how to shoot a gun. Really. He swears. But if you happen in on him practicing his marksmanship with a sleek, futuristic rifle in his hands, it sure doesn't seem like it. He's visibly frustrated as he misses another shot, dropping the gun down from his shoulder and turning his back on his target. (Claudette tilts her head and chirrups. Does this mean the game is over?)

"Rust and ruin," he swears, shoving his wrap-around tactical Interface up on his forehead. "I'm never going to get the hang of this thing. I'm sorry, Entrapta."


In the library car:
Several weeks ago, Devero had snatched down the slip of paper that he'd tacked up in the standard car, the one advertising lessons in GSL-- Global Sign Language. The day of the platform, he'd tacked it back up again. Find him at the advertised time in the library, staring into the screen of his usual Interface. While he waits to see if anyone's going to show up, he's talking to himself.

You know, with his hands. How else? This is meant to be a sign-language lesson, after all!


In the music car:
As crowded as the train's been getting, the second floor of the music carriage is still a good place to slip away to if you're looking for (relative) privacy. Today, however, Devero's beaten you to it. If you don't notice right away that he's in here, though, that's understandable-- there's no music, no sound save for the whisper of his feet on the stage, the rustle of his clothes, and the occasional audible breath.

Despite the apparent silence, Devero is dancing. He's practicing alone an energetic routine for two, but there's no mistaking the precision and grace in his movements as he performs them, even without the partner.

Do you stay and watch, or leave him to dance in solitude?


In the luggage car?
If you've been on the train for longer than a few weeks, you may already be acquainted with this particular odor: it's savory, herby, as if someone's over-toasted spices in a pan prior to cooking with them. Were it a strong odor, it'd probably be sour and unpleasant; as mild as it is, it's mostly unobjectionable.

The source of it can be easily traced to the obviously hand-rolled cigarette smoldering between Devero's lips. That's right, it's future-weed hours here in the luggage car, folks. And if you look at him twice, you'll find him holding his joint out in your direction. "Want a hit?" he asks amiably.


Somewhere else?
Devero can feasibly be found all over the train: prepping vegetables or washing dishes in the kitchen; soaking or doing yoga in the spa car; working out in either of the gyms; sleeping through a movie in the cinema; or even just traveling up and down the train. Yeah, they have transgates now, but walking (or hoverskating) the length of the train is an easy way to keep his condition up while he's still recovering from the last mission. He's not nearly as exhausted as he was before, which means it's working. Really. He swears! He didn't fall asleep here, he was just resting his eyes!

Feel free to find him wherever you want, if one of the prompts above doesn't tickle your fancy.

Comments

[subcircuits]

Devero doesn't think he's ever going to get used to this, shying away from the cat with an, "Ah!" He presses a hand over his heart and exhales, and then says, "Hello, Wiggles."

Only then does he notice the note. "That for me?" he asks.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Wiggles actually squints at Devero, before dropping the note and vanishing into thin air again.

Apparently, that's a 'yes'.

The note is a folded piece of paper with Koumyou's (perhaps unfamiliar) handwriting inside.

𝐼𝑛 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚. 𝑁𝑒𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝. 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦.
-𝒦

[subcircuits]

Well, that answers that, not that Devero really had any question. Just like Devero knows who this note is from, even if he doesn't immediately recognize the handwriting and it's only signed with an initial.

The note itself is not exactly reassuring, even if whatever it is that Koumyou needs isn't an emergency. All Devero's doing is having a snack in the kitchen, so he dumps his handful of veggie sticks into an ice cream cone (thanks, Yondu!) and heads for the nearest transgate.

He's back at the room in just a couple of minutes, ducking inside and closing the door quick. "Koumyou...?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou's inside, of course, sitting on the edge of their bed with his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. Clearly not having a great time, right now, but also not quite an emergency. He hadn't wanted to worry Dev, after all.

...Any more than asking him to the room out of nowhere would by default, at least.

"Got my note?" Koumyou asks without picking his head up, "Glad that worked."

Cat, and all. Demonic monster presently in the shape of a cat, even.

[subcircuits]

He may not look great, but at least he's not in distress. The knot of anxious tension in Devero's chest eases a little, but not by much.

"She scared the hell out of me," he admits, coming right over to sit beside Koumyou on the bed. "I'm pretty sure she gets a kick out of it.

"...What's up?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou straightens up just enough to lean against Devero's side instead of down onto his own legs. "I've been asked by two different people today to teach them meditation and illusion-breaking," the priest murmurs.

Normally, when he's asked to teach stuff, it's generic or easily taught by other people, and he has no problem just saying no and moving on. Random person wants to learn martial arts? No, try someone else. Magic? No, try someone else.

Meditation and illusion-breaking is different.

"It's stupid that it even bothers me like this, I know. It usually wouldn't!"

Not enough to be visible anyway, even to his partner. His breathing's a little too fast.

[subcircuits]

Devero immediately puts his arm around Koumyou, looking down at him with a growing expression of concern. "Oh Koumyou," he says softly. "That's not stupid. It happened twice in one day, and I know teaching is a landmine issue for you. Of course you're bothered."

[its_dad_sanzo]

Given permission to feel miserable, Koumyou does just that, looping his arms around Devero's waist and holding onto him.

"Okay," he murmurs, relaxing a little into his shitty mood.

[subcircuits]

Devero holds him, leaning his cheek against the top of Koumyou's head. "If they try to push you on it, just let me know," he says, assuming Koumyou's going to refuse if he hasn't already. "I can set them straight for you."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Neither really pushed me. It's just... two in one day, and one was a total stranger?"

He just soaks in the closeness for a few moments, then says, "I'm probably going to help Siebren. I haven't... decided about the other guy. I don't even know his name. You apparently know him? He looks like an angry, buff troll doll..."

Hopefully that reference isn't totally lost on Dev. They're from two versions of the same world, but they're so different.

[subcircuits]

So, so different. Devero's face crinkles up as he tries to decode that reference, but he has to admit defeat. "...What's a troll doll?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"You know, short and stubby and, like," Koumyou pulls away from Devero just long enough to make a pyramid gesture over his head with his hands. "Their hair's pointy. Usually more colorful than this guy was though."

[subcircuits]

"Oh, Vegeta!" Devero says as soon as Koumyou makes the gesture with his hands. "That must have been Vegeta. Short with black hair, right? That's Trunks' father."

Then his face falls and he shrinks back from Koumyou a little. "...I did tell him you'd been teaching me," he admits sheepishly.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Ohh," Koumyou would be more amused at how fast that had gotten the guy recognized, were it not for Devero's other reaction. "...Yeah, he did say you did," Koumyou hesitates, then tries to wrap his arms around Dev's waist again, unless Devero doesn't seem to like it.

"It's okay, Dev. It's not a secret, or anything."

[subcircuits]

Devero leans into the embrace, relieved that Koumyou doesn't take him to task for, y'know. Saying something that's not a secret several weeks ago that came back to make Koumyou uncomfortable today. Because that's a reasonable thing to worry about, right Dev?

"Okay," he says softly, and then a moment later offers, "He's... intense."

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou squeezes Devero and tips his head up to give him a smooch on the cheek. They're fine, everything's fine between them.

"...I noticed," Koumyou huffs, amused. "He woke me up from a nap to demand training, didn't even give me his name. I definitely gave him the standard bad impression, I think."

But what else is new? Devero is the weird one for not immediately thinking Koumyou is too weird, or stupid, or insert-other-disparaging-quality-here, when they first met.

[subcircuits]

Devero's eye close in cat-like appreciation as Koumyou smooches him, and he tilts his head to smile that brilliant, sort of incredulous smile down at him after.

Devero can't help himself, he laughs at that-- well, the first part anyway. "That sounds about right, as far as I know him," he says, but then he lifts his arm and strokes his hand up and down Koumyou's back.

"You say that like you don't try to give people a bad impression," he says, his voice gentle but his point kind of blunt.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"It's going to happen anyway," Koumyou points out, "so I may as well get to have fun with it."

[subcircuits]

Devero doesn't respond to that assertion verbally, but he does frown and look away. He doesn't stop rubbing at Koumyou's back, though, and after a moment says, "And you said Siebren asked you too?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou rests the side of his head on Dev's shoulder, arms still looped around his waist. "Mmmhmm," he confirms, "I'm not sure how much of what he told me is private, but. He has good reason to want... individual help on the matter."

The priest sighs.

"He's been there for me in the past, for... whatever reason. So I... I'm still worried about teaching, but."

But he wants to help the guy.

"As for Vegeta... I don't know. I feel a little obligated, I don't think there's anyone else on the train who can do what I can? And it's been such a problem... but I don't know him at all. I was hoping you might know him better; help me decide."

[subcircuits]

"Siebren's a good man," Devero says. A good man who had seemed very different when Devero had encountered him on the mission. Could that have anything to do with his reasons for seeking Koumyou's tutelage?

He doesn't press. He's acquainted with Siebren but doesn't really know him personally; he's not entitled to the man's privacy.

He thinks for a moment about Vegeta. What Trunks has told him; the encounters he's had himself with this older version of Vegeta here on the train. Finally, he speaks: "I think when he sets his mind to something, he'll achieve it. If he wants to learn this from you, he'll be a diligent student.

"But he's... angry. Even when he's not angry, he's angry. You can..." He gestures with his free hand, that way he does when he's grasping for something that he's having trouble or hesitant to articulate. "You can tell," he says finally. He lets the hand fall.

"He'll probably be a difficult student as well as diligent," is his concluding assessment.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Siebren tried to take care of me when I was in the stores room after... the fight."

The fight, no need to elaborate on which one. He leaves his head on Devero's shoulder, eyes shut.

"I don't know why he bothered, but he did."

So Koumyou especially doesn't want to leave him hanging, battling his own... musical demons.

The priest thinks about what Devero has to say about Vegeta, then says, "...Well, angry probably means I can't accidentally push him too far. Although it occurs to me, you might be able to teach him."

Devero knows the guy a lot better than Koumyou does, and his performance on the last mission proves how well he's taken to the lessons. He's not an expert, of course, but he's possibly advanced enough to lead someone else along the path?

[subcircuits]

Probably because Siebren's a good man, and Koumyou had been in acute distress, Devero suspects, but he doesn't think it would be helpful to point that out right now. "I'm glad he did," is all he says instead. He snugs Koumyou a little closer and leans his cheek on his hair.

He jerks right back upright following Koumyou's suggestion. "M-me? Teach? I'm still just learning myself!"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Sure, but you have the basics for illusion-breaking down well enough you had to break me out, last mission. More than once!"

Koumyou gives his waist a squeeze.

"You're picking it up super well, Dev."

[subcircuits]

His immediate instinct is to downplay that. He even goes so far as shaking his head, but stops the motion when Koumyou squeezes him. Instead of protesting, he just asks softly, "...You think so?"