5th Contraption || Just Another Day on Horror Cruise

[pineapplesalmon]

Who: César Salazar and YOU
When: Early September
Where: Around the ship (Calgona to Cabins, Atrium Lounge, Laundry to Cabins, Closed: 102)
What: César is Jinx's new canvas after falling asleep post workout, César says hello to CR in the atrium, César says hello while carrying laundry in a horrid basket, and a backdated morning after zombies for the Triad and Boy
Warnings: None but will add them to threads as needed

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Tagged, You're It [OTA, Walking between Calgona and the cabins]

César sometimes falls deeply asleep for a nap on one of the Calgona's massage tables post after-workout shower. Look, he can sleep on his face and stomach, can you blame him?

Nor can we blame Jinx for what she does when she finds him. A fresh white t-shirt and light gray lounge pants make an excellent blank canvas and a good way to deliver a hint that she's missed talking to him. By the time she's done, César's clothes are far more... colorful.

On the seat of his pants are two smileys that compliment the stars on either of his cheeks. Down the legs and arms of the shirt are more stars, zig-zags, and swirls. On the back of his shirt is a brightly colored:
JINXWASHERE
... someone should let him know as he walks back towards the cabins. Please?

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Say Hello [Established CR, Atrium Lounge]

The atrium lounge is a good place to run into others and stop himself from hermiting like he has in the last handful of months. When he spots someone he knows, César stops what he's doing on his tablet and stands, waving.

"Long time no sea!" The worst part about the pun isn't that it's not noticeable but that his player typed it by accident and died inside.

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What's in the Bag? [OTA (see options), Between Laundry and Cabins]

It's César's turn for Laundry Day. Which means he's carrying back neatly folded laundry in a fabric basket made from various Tommy Bahama Shirts with handles from a tote bag. This means that César's made an absolute monstrosity of a laundry basket. Yes, it was done on purpose. Yes, César thinks he's funny.

When he sees someone, he stops walking and smiles warmly.

A. If he knows that someone, he'll great them in a time of day appropriate greeting ("Morning!" "Afternoon!" "Evening!" "Hello!") and ask, whilst meaning it: "How are you today?"

B. If he doesn't know that someone, he'll still greet them appropriately ("Morning!" "Afternoon!" "Evening!" "Hello!") but change it up, instead asking: "Oh, are you new? I'm César Salazar. Are you settling in okay?"

((OOC: The image was done in Paint so liberties were taken as it was made from various Tommy Bahama Shirts.))
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The Morning After Zombie Apocalypse [CLOSED, Backdated, Rich, Johnny, Watson]

The triad dads could've lost Rich. They didn't, but it could've easily gone another way. So all four of them are crammed together into one bedroom, the bed (with Watson and Johnny) and the couch bed (with César and Rich) shoved alongside each other.

César startles awake when Rich kicks him in his sleep sometime in the late morning hours. "Mmmfph?"

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Message Received [Closed to Jinx]

César seeks Jinx out once he's gotten a new t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He knows where she lives, so he'll walk right into the theatre and call out:

"I got your message!"

Comments

[firewalled]

As much as Rich had complained about being delegated to sharing a room with the three men after the embarrassment that had been piled on him at the hands of Darcy... he had acquiesced pretty easily. He's not a complete idiot, after all. He knew it was touch and go for him there. For a lot of people, really. He's grateful they all made it out, but that doesn't stop the worst case scenarios from haunting him as he tries to get something to eat in him, as he takes a long shower...

And as he's sleeping. He's always been a pretty active sleeper, but this evening, as he's rammed César in the side, he doesn't immediately rouse. He tosses and turns some more, sweat gathering in the creases on his forehead as he gets tangled in his blanket. His sleepy voice sounds fearful as he mutters unintelligibly through his dreams.

[pineapplesalmon]

César blinks a few times as he orients himself. Bed... couch? Separate. Oh. Rich. Zombies. Right!

Nightmare? Yes. Nightmare.

He rolls over onto his side to get a bit closer to Rich, reaching over to gently shake his shoulder. "My little son, wake up. It's a bad dream...."

César isn't awake enough to fight against the translation. Sue him.

[lightconductor]

The movement wakes Watson -- of course it does -- and for a moment he can't quite remember why he's part of such a huge tangle of bodies. He's fighting his own bone-deep weariness and ache, and he gives a grunt before rolling over to face Rich and César.

"Easy, there. You're all right, lad. You're safe."

[firewalled]

There's a wheezing gasp as Rich's eyes snap open, and for a terrifying moment, he doesn't recognize the two men leaning over him. He almost kicks César again, but is too sluggish and disoriented to actually manage it before his brain manages to click back into place.

"Dad? You... you're both okay?" Obviously they are, but Rich can feel his throat close up around a lump in his throat anyways.

[pineapplesalmon]

César is very glad not to be kicked. Watson's awake, too. Johnny might still be out for the moment?

"We're all okay." Johnny, too; César's voice is low and gentle as he squeezes Rich's shoulder. "All four of us."

He smiles indulgently. César heard that 'Dad'. He knows who it refers to, too.

[lightconductor]

Watson flushes a little; he can't help it, since it's still an awfully overwhelming thing to be called. Wonderful, but overwhelming.

"We're quite safe," he says. "You're safe, too. You can relax."

His voice is low, reassuring.

[firewalled]

Rich breathes out a shaky sigh and sits up, half leaning against César as he catches his breath.

"Thank Christ..." he mutters softly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, just..."

He knows it's childish to admit that he was having a nightmare, but it's not like he can't say anything.

"...Guess the stupid zombie thing got my mind playing tricks on me."

[pineapplesalmon]

César sits up properly, looping a lazy arm around Rich's backs "Heaven forbid you have a nightmare after surviving being attacked by literal zombies and getting out of there only by the skin of your teeth."

He glances at Watson with a nod and a soft smile. See, he had been right to insist on him being on the couch bed. César was the only one used to having a small sibling that kicked on family vacations.

"It's okay. The fact you can have one means you're alive and safe with us." Rich can't see the warm, loving look César is giving Watson, but he can sure hear it in his voice.

[lightconductor]

The look Watson gives César is, in turn, equal parts fond and look don't focus on me right now, I'm fine, worry about this child.

"If we all made it out of there with nothing more than a nightmare or two, I think we've done very well indeed." He smiles at Rich reassuringly. "Nightmare aside, how do you feel?"

[firewalled]

"I-I mean, it's just..." Rich sighs and rubs a hand over his face. "I mean, yeah, it was a bad dream, but it's, like, I know it isn't real."

He knows it isn't, because César and Watson are here. They've both made it back here safely. He doesn't need to text Darcy in a panic, at least. He gives them both an awkward smile.

"I'm... okay, I think? Maybe... I don't know. Thinking about stuff." 'Stuff' being a much easier thing to admit to than 'the solidity of these familial relationships I've seemed to have gotten involved in without much fuss.'

[pineapplesalmon]

César smirks a little at Watson's look and glances back before Rich begins speaking.

He listens and considers his words carefully, briefly bringing his free hand up to smooth down a bit of Rich's bed head. "Bad dreams still have an emotional reality about them. ... what are you thinking about? If you want to talk about it."

Should they wake up Johnny?

[lightconductor]

"Ignoring bad dreams doesn't always make them go away," Watson says slowly, "in my experience. Of course, sometimes they don't return anyway, but we have been through a good deal."

He stretches out with a sigh, rubbing his face tiredly. "I'm rather glad it's over."

[firewalled]

"It was... a lot. We all went through a lot. And... you guys went through a lot getting me back. Especially Johnny. S-So... we don't have to wake him." He'd feel so stupid for waking him up over this.

"It's just... I've been thinking about all you did, and..." He glances at Watson, feeling his face warming with a bit of embarrassment. "And about what I've been saying, talking about you to other people and all. About us being family, I guess."

[pineapplesalmon]

"We all went through a lot." The debate on whether or not to wake Johnny can wait for a bit.

César smiles a bit in embarrassment himself, his arm staying draped around Rich. "I was calling you my son tonight. And I couldn't stop myself."

Not the Spanish term of endearment. Son son.

[lightconductor]

"It's a bit of a shock to hear myself called 'dad,' you know." Watson smiles. "Not a bad shock, not at all, but a shock all the same. I thought I'd... well. We had all sorts of urchins from the street in our rooms, you know, and I was fond of them, but generally they called me 'Doctor' or 'sir,' depending on how wary of me they were."

[firewalled]

"See, and it's easy for you guys! You can just call me 'son,' and everyone knows who you're talking about. Me, I..." He fidgets with his hands instead of looking at the two of them.

"I'm still working on even being comfortable calling someone 'dad,' and even when I do, like... there's three of you. I'm going to have to try to differentiate somehow, right?"

[pineapplesalmon]

"Ah." César understands instantly. "Watson's Dad. you picked that one out already. So if we just stuck to Spanish for me... the possibilities I like and that'd work for you are are jefe, papá, tata y taita. Rough translations are jefe is 'boss' or 'dad' and very casual, papá is 'dad', and tata or taita are both 'dad' or 'pops' with an 'older man' flavor, again very casual. Papi is also a possibility, but that directly translates to 'daddy', so."

[lightconductor]

"César, love."

There's an edge of exasperation in Watson's voice, and he picks up the closest pillow to toss it directly at César's head. "Please do try to restrain yourself from overwhelming the poor boy. Rich, you call us whatever you feel comfortable calling us. There's no rush to this. If one of us ends up being an uncle, I'm sure he won't mind."

[firewalled]

"Y-Yeah, uh, that's a little too much all at once, man. I'm still processing all of this, and- ack!"

Rich covers his mouth with both hands in mortification as he watches the pillow fly almost in slow motion at César's head. Sure, he was annoyed, but he wasn't planning on Watson defending his confusion like that! Which means he squeaks, probably loudly enough to rouse Johnny, as much as everyone was trying to avoid that.

[businessorlibation]

It's the 'ack!' that does it, Johnny's eyes both opening as he instinctively grabs for something to defend his family with...and wraps a hand around César's ankle, because it's the limb nearest him at this moment.

"What's wrong, who's yelling? Zombies?!"

[pineapplesalmon]

One moment, César's (not) helpfully listing off potential ways to be called Dad. Then, several things happen in sequence, and the scolding is the least surprising part of them.

César hears Rich's ack! just as a pillow hits his face, which he follows up with an "Ow!" of his own. Very suddenly, his ankle is being grabbed, an entirely new sensation.

"Aaaaa—" Wait, that's Johnny! "—aah?"

He just blinks and stares, error 404ing.

[lightconductor]

Watson begins to laugh, helplessly, and he ends up rolling over to grasp Johnny by the arm; there's an attempt to reassure in there, but mostly he just ends up snorting with laughter into Johnny's shoulder.

"No -- it's all right -- oh good Lord."

He'd apologise, but he's not actually very sorry.

[firewalled]

Rich startles as Johnny suddenly sits up, arms up in front of his face against a non-existent threat for a few moments.

"Woah! No, no zombies! We're just-" he tries to explain, before César is then screaming, and as he awkwardly trails off, Rich's words of reassurance turn into quiet laughter of his own. And this whole thing is so stupid that he just... gets louder, practically cackling as he falls back against the couch.

"Fuck, sorry, I just- oh my god." He's apologizing too, mostly for waking Johnny, but maybe just because he can't stop laughing.

[businessorlibation]

Johnny hears all the laughter and can't contain his own. He releases César's ankle (what is he, an under-bed monster?) and moves his arm to hold onto Watson close as he belly-laughs. No shame, just relief and delight and the warmth of being surrounded by his family.

"No sorry. This...is everything."

[pineapplesalmon]

That was a shout, not a scream, César would protest if he could.

For the briefest of moments, César tries to form his face into a mock scowl. He fails beautifully. So beautifully that he just falls back to the couch to join in on the laughter.

"Sorry—you—startled me!"