[h3][u]Check up[/u][/h3]

Serena slipped into the room and stared at Vellios in minor amusement.[color=hotpink] “You know, for someone who has been so concerned with their recovery in isolation recently, you seem to have been slipping up recently. Coming down from your nest, eating, and now this? Tsk tsk Vellios, next thing you know you might actually be joining us for dinner rather than lurking in here. It’ll shock the entire crew into heart attacks!”[/color]

[color=rosybrown] “I did shower a day ago but I made sure you all were asleep when I did. However don't expect to see me at the dinner table any time soon,” [/color]Vellios admitted truthfully as his head turned toward her standing in the doorway to his quarters. He thought it was nice to see her smirk at his condition. 

Serena closed the door behind her and walked closer. [color=hotpink]In all honesty, how are you doing? No one outside of me has seen you conscious in four days.[/color]

[color=rosybrown] “It's been that long?”[/color] Vellios asked, his expression confused for several moments,[color=rosybrown] “Mostly healing and sleeping. This isn't new for me and I figure you would happy I'm actually taking care of myself for once,”[/color] he said, shrugging as he leaned his head against the back wall. His eyes studied her then patted his hand on the bed’s other end for her to sit and talk. 

Serena sat down, leaning against the back wall. [color=hotpink]“Lets see. I’ll update you on what happened to the crew while you were gone. Drono’s spine is getting worse, and I think he’s getting dragged to a doctor soon. Haze has been drinking himself to blackout every night for two days because of guilt, I managed to talk him into stopping. Tanya is trying to pretend your incident with her didn’t happen, though an apology would go a long way to making things better. Dex is on her side but slightly more understanding. Iosif is largely unaffected, just wants it to be clean air with the crew. Tonka is a krogan and is enjoying the drama. Khosin seems depressed, but that might be because of the shitstorm last mission was.”[/color]

[color=rosybrown] “You already know my thoughts on that subject with Tanya,”[/color] Vellios pointed out as he shifted in his seat, the first thing he addressed before moving on, [color=rosybrown] “It sounds the crew looks about as bad as I felt with my ribs busted. Is there anyone you haven’t pestered with your positive aura yet? As for the mission, I’m not surprised. It was a harpix’s nest mess when everything went to hell.”[/color] 

[color=hotpink]“And you know that I’m going to have you apologize after you’re done hibernating in your room.”[/color] Serena replied cheerfully, before moving on. [color=hotpink]“Just about everyone who needed it I’ve pestered. Besides all that, people are going on shore leave. Tanya, Dex, and I are going to go to a club and I’m probably gonna screw everything up because that’s what I do, I think Haze is getting his leg checked, and I have no idea what anyone else is doing. So you might have the ship to yourself, you might have others who decide to stay and lurk. Khosin, probably. I doubt he’s going to risk his life here.”[/color]

[color=rosybrown] Meh. I might actually get a chance to stretch my legs and overstuff myself before crawling back into bed. Truthfully… I actually don’t recall the last time I ate more than a meal. Not that is a bad thing as I’ve had worse,”[/color] Vellios said in a light tone, [color=rosybrown] “I slept like a rock in my make shift nook earlier.”[/color] 

His arms stretched as he left out a yawn, deeper than he intended, then let it fade gradually. His figure continued to prop against the wall while he looked at her, [color=rosybrown] “Have you been sleep alright lately? I know you nearly got yourself killed after all and that doesn’t get brushed off.”[/color] 


[color=hotpink]“Yeah. It’s not the first time and you get used to such experiences after a while.”[/color] Serena replied, pulling a VI slate out of her pocket and beginning to fiddle with it, tapping her foot. [color=hotpink]“Besides, the crew has all dealt with much worse, so I imagine they’re sleeping like rocks as well.”[/color] She paused before making a quick adjustment to her VI, still not looking at Vellios. [color=hotpink]“I might try to make Bot death battles take off on this ship. It seems like every other crew likes them.”[/color]

[color=rosybrown] “Isn’t that right,”[/color] Vellios said with a light chuckle as he absorbed her words, his eyes shifted over toward her. He lingered in watching her fiddle with some VI and her foot tapped to an imaginary beat, a slow and steady one, within her head. He inhaled while he added another comment, [color=rosybrown] “You aren’t like the rest of us however and far too sweet to be truthful. As for bot battles, I’d be more content to watch than actually participate in it. It’s too complicated and I prefer to feel the adrenaline rush myself, not let some bot take all the fun.”[/color]   

[color=hotpink]“Vellios I’m fine. Honest.”[/color] She insisted, still focusing on her VI as she swiftly tried to move the conversation to something else. [color=hotpink]“You always did prefer to watch. Who knows, maybe it’ll help people destress. Or it’ll get ignored and I’ll sigh and find something else to do with all my scrape mech pieces.”[/color] She shrugged. [color=hotpink]“One of those two at least.”[/color]

[color=rosybrown] “You’re also a terrible liar and that’s not making me feel any better about the situation,”[/color] Vellios replied then leaned toward her, pulling closer to the human. His head pulled over her skull top and planted his bony chin into it while he idly watched her pretend to be alright. He knew better. It wasn’t hard to see through her mask whenever someone really wanted to or purely ignore her suffering when they didn’t want to add more shit to their own emotional baggage. Then again, Vellios never gave a damn about the stress. 

[color=rosybrown] “I’m sure everyone will love them. Or Tanya will cheat and put shithead in the fight instead, blowing the competition away literally with heavy metal krogan music.”[/color] 

Serena was quiet for several long moments. [color=hotpink]“I’m having nightmares.”[/color] She said softly.[color=hotpink] “No one notices because I sleep in the hangar and I stifle the screams almost as soon as I wake up. I see everyone I’ve killed. They’re back, glaring with blood draining from their eyes. ‘Why do you get to live? Why did you live when we died? Why are we dead and someone weak like you is alive?’ Then they-”[/color]

[color=rosybrown]”Survivor's guilt. Trust me, not easy to live with or get over. Even worse when you’ve actually took their lives with your own talons and watched the very light leave their eyes. However, it’s not your fault and it’s just your guilt blaming yourself for something out of your control,”[/color] Vellios said, using words similar to T’Vynas’, as he recalled her explanations about the subject,[color=rosybrown] “It gets better when you learn to forgive yourself really. I sort of accepted it and moved on, mainly because I couldn’t have that shit haunting me with Armis. She also knew what she was getting when I told her.”[/color] 

“Yeah, I tell myself that too Vellios. They’ll eventually go away. They just pop up every time I nearly get myself killed.” She gave a small smile towards Vellios. “I’m fine. I promise.” She looked at her omni-tool and cursed quietly. “I’d better get going before Dex and Tanya run off without me.” She stood up and glanced at him. “You’re sure gonna be okay?”

[color=rosybrown] “You know, that’s a stupid thing to ask me. Namely as we both know the answer to that,”[/color] Vellios said, through his voice was kind in his statement. It wasn’t a matter if he would be alright, but when he would crack. Thankfully, at least he hoped, that day wasn’t today, [color=rosybrown] “Have you ever considered the reason they show up isn’t because they want you to die, but to scare you from meeting them in the afterlife? What better way to keep you alive than stir your instinct to survive after all?”[/color] 

Serena smiled sadly. [color=hotpink]“Yeah. I know.”[/color] Chuckling softly she added, [color=hotpink]“I think if they wanted me to live, they wouldn’t be people I’ve killed. People I’ve let die, maybe, but definitely not people I’ve killed.”[/color]

Vellios shook his head.

[color=rosybrown] “How many times do I have to tell you? You didn't kill them,”[/color] he said and frowned at her, his expression unhappy at her self blame,[color=rosybrown] “Guilt and fear is a surprising motivator to stay alive for anyone. Namely as you know if you die, you have to face those individuals you feel feel responsible for getting killed and it's terrifying.”[/color]

He inhaled as scratched his neck lightly, his mind drifted toward his childhood memories. Those upon the Haides haunted him as his eyes drifted to his suit case, [color=rosybrown] “Before you leave, mind passing me my medication?”[/color] 

[color=hotpink]“How many times do I have to tell [i]you?[/i] You’re only a monster if you let people convince you that you are.”[/color] Serena retorted, reluctantly going to his bag and getting his ‘medication’.

[color=rosybrown] “What do you think that's why I want my medication? My side is flaring up again and it helps with the pain,”[/color] Vellios lied. 

Serena raised a skeptical eyebrow at the turian, clearly not buying it, but wordlessly handed him his medication anyways. [color=hotpink]“You’re sure you’re going to be okay? I can stay here. Really.”[/color]

[color=rosybrown] “Go, I'll be fine. I'll be sleeping all day and so you'll just be bored. Have fun,”[/color] Vellios waved her off as he reached for his case and pulled it into his lap. He knew she could see through it as he didn't try that hard to hide it, his back propped against the wall. He flashed her a smirk when added,[color=rosybrown] “You deserve it.”[/color]