sixthiterationlogs | [MINGLE] Post-Bunker Support Group

WHO: Mark Watney
WHERE: Town Hall & Inn
WHEN: 6 September 2018, Evening
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Warn on your threads, please. PTSD is probably a given.
NOTES: Support group mingle! If your character needs some support after the latest meta plot or just generally, send them on over to Town Hall. Also, feel free to do top levels having to do with signing up for a tube monitoring shift. Please let me know if you want a Mark thread, I have notifs off for the post.

So, I have been down to what we all seem to be collectively calling the Bunker. It is... something, to say the least.

For some people it feels like hope and for others despair, and I can honestly see both sides of it. Some people need to feel like they have some control, even if it's illusory — Having a puzzle to possibly solve makes them feel less adrift. For others, it's too much reality, or the perception of, anyway. I can't say I'm personally convinced by any of it.

See, I've been here since the start of whatever this is, with a group that's almost entirely gone now. It's been five months since we were birthed into this expanded world, and I don't know if it's any more real than the last. That isn't me putting on a tin foil hat, that's just respecting the environment. Mars was the same way: You do what you need to do to eke out a life, to survive or even thrive, but it's dangerous to think you have any real control. Everything can go to shit in the blink of eye, and then you're tumbling around in an airlock while your entire food supply is turned to dust.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying people should stop hoping to get home, stop trying to figure it all out. I'm just saying we might all be a little easier mentally if we could express how scary it is to know, deep down, that the rug can be pulled out from under us at any moment... And then to accept that feeling that way is okay.

With that in mind, after a little meditating during my daily work in the fields, I put up two notices on the blackboard in the South Village inn:

Volunteers to monitor the bunker tubes for new arrivals, please sign up for a shift on the paper on the bar.

That's one thing we can do, at least. Just the illusion of control, but still important to some people, and definitely helpful for anybody new.

Below that:

Support Group Tonight
Town Hall - 7:00 PM
Everyone Welcome

I don't know how many people will actually show — We've got a surprisingly stubborn, resilient group, in my experience. But even if it helps just one person, it's worth doing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just. A normal moment, like he might've had with Jarvis when he was younger, or more often with Rhodey while in MIT. Apparently these are normal and expected and a good sign of a healthy relationship and therefore worth fostering without making a thing of it. So Tony doesn't make a thing of it, keeps his arm around Peter's shoulders like casual affection is a thing he does (it could be? It used to be.) and considers the issue of the weird plants.

"Have you tried steam distillation?" That's the more popular albeit complicated means back home, he thinks. Pepper went on an Essential Oil kick, had him look into streamlining the process for something they sold somewhere to mom bloggers or whatever.

"I don't have the equipment," Peter replies with a quick shake of his head. "And the burner I got is an alcohol burner, and I'm trying to not waste it." Not that it really gets hot enough for Peter's preference anyway.

"It was just something to do," he admits, eyebrows drawing briefly together, still staring down at the mechanical spider in his hand. "I thought it might be helpful, some of the effects might be counteracted, or combined, but I was kinda throwing spaghetti at the wall." As May might have said. That's been the hardest part about being here: Not knowing where to start or where to go, wanting to make some kind of difference but afraid of plans that signal he's given up leaving. So he's just sort of been drifting, rudderless.

"I should probably pick something specific to work on. A problem that actually needs solving."

"Well, I'm here, so that shouldn't be an issue anymore. Also I've got a hookup for alcohol to be used for fuel." And drinking, but he's not planning on mentioning that to Peter. Being a good role model comes first, he'll moderate and be discreet with his indiscretions if at all possible. Generally drinking too much when you're meant to fix everything is a shitty, shitty thing.

No pressure, Stark.

"This might be purely selfish but as someone that woke up a little banged up and is uncomfortably aware of our lack of actual medical tech- maybe focusing on the spring water and peaches regenerative properties, finding a way to concentrate that, apply them to something the medics in town can use? Pretty sure they'd be grateful." What they had on hand at the moment didn't seem like much- if anything it seemed like a sad bullshit survival first aide kit from hell. Actual medical supplies are kind of a thing they need. If it's something they can make from the environment? Even better.

The moment Tony says it, Peter wonders why he didn't think of that before. Not a lot of people get hurt here, surprisingly — Maybe because of the spring water and the peaches, now that he considers it. Do they have properties that promote immunity as well as heal? If he was able to isolate those properties, could they all basically mega-dose on spring water and avoid ever getting sick at all?

"That's a really good idea," he absently replies, his expression already off on the middle distance and gone a little hazy as he considers the possibilities. "Thanks, Mr. Stark."

"Anytime, Pete." Chemistry isn't his best subject unaided- but it's one of the (many) places Peter's intellect really shines. He makes a mental note to get Peter a better than basic kit set up somewhere, somehow, to better facilitate his experiments. Any help he can offer? More than worth it. Especially if Peter's anything like him RE throwing himself into work to avoid thinking about unpleasant truths about the world back home. Like.

Being gone.

Or failing.

[MINGLE] Post-Bunker Support Group

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