xenoqueen | groundhog bastard

[From behind the door:]

Sorry, Phil Connors isn't here right now, but I can take a message.

[Ripley grits her teeth, knocking harder this time.]

I know you can hear me, Phil!

[If he still doesn't answer, she's going to try slamming open the door.]

[Uuuuuuuugh ok

Phil opens his door just a crack.]

Can I help you?

[Ripley leans into the door to prevent Phil from just closing it again. Her tone of voice sounds pleasant, though her expression is far from happy in any sense.]

Yeah, actually, we had an important meeting today at noon. Couldn't help but notice you weren't there. Sleep in or something?

Oh that was today? Completely forgot about that, sorry I'll try to make the next one.

[Said in a tone that he... doesn't exactly want to make the next one.]

[...Hey, Phil. There's a chair falling on you now. Like, one of those shitty stackable auditorium chairs. Ripley is absolutely fuming.]

You goddamn moron! We're all here trying to survive this stupid game and you're just sitting in your room, doing absolutely nothing!

[The chair disappears as she tries to push the door open further.]

For God's sake, three people are dead!

Shit-!

[Yeah you can just barge in, Ripley. Phil is way too weak to hold you back tbh.

However he isn't going to take this, especially after that last statement.]

You think I don't know that?! Ripley who the hell do you think was forced to murder them-!

... Wait three?

[Ripley takes a deep breath, trying to keep her anger in check and utterly failing. Her hands are shaking as she balls them into fists, staring up at Phil with a livid expression.]

Yes. Three. Yosano died this morning. You would've known this if you'd gone to the goddamn meeting.

[She tries once again to calm down, taking a moment to breathe and close her eyes. After a few moments, she opens them again, a scowl still on her face. Her voice sounds sort of like...a level growl?? Ish??]

The last few days have been especially hard on you, I understand. But that's no goddamn excuse to stay cooped up in here, isolating yourself from everyone else.

I don't know why you care so much about what happens to me, Rips. I know it's a whole "we have to stick together" thing but admit it, I have nothing to contribute to on this team. I know you know every thing I say and do is a hindrance to this group.

Besides, I've done plenty of isolation before waking up here. I think I can survive well enough here by isolating myself some more.

[Ripley is quiet as she stands still in the doorway, her fists at her side. Jesus. She was never good at being remotely comforting to people going though shit. Hell, she can barely acknowledge her own vulnerabilities half the time.]

How do you know you don't have anything to contribute if you've barely even tried?

[...There's the chair again, except this time it appears behind Ripley. She sits down and sighs, inadvertently blocking the doorway.]

Dallas didn't give a shit about anything until it was too late.

[He's about to make a comment about how he has tried, at least back home but then stops when she mentions Dallas.

Huh, she never mentioned him before.]

... Dallas?

Captain of the Nostromo. The starfreighter I served on before everything went to shit.

[Dammit. Is she doing this? She's doing this.]

He used to say he was just in charge of a cargo ship, not something impressive like a space liner. Didn't care about making big decisions--left everything up to Ash, our science officer at the time.

[The way she says Ash's name probably indicates to Phil that he was a real son of a bitch.]

Didn't care about letting that goddamn alien onto the ship until it already killed two people. Tried doing something about it, but....

[She shakes her head, running a hand through her hair. Her expression hardens as she stares down at the floor. Storytime's over, kids.]

[But Phil actually sounds really fascinated by this? Wow this is so freaking new to him! And it's actually not a boring story, wow.

It takes him a moment to remember that this was a real thing that happened to a real person, and then it hits him that the situation actually sounds really horrifying.]

Ah.

I... guess that explains a lot about you, huh?

[His tone actually sounds a little sympathetic? He's trying.]

[She grimaces. That's not really a good thing, Phil.]

Maybe.

[She looks up at him, crossing her legs as she leans back in her chair.]

I guess what I'm trying to say is....you're not the only one who gets hurt by what you do or don't do. So stop being an asshole.

[...Wow she probably could've worded that better but Phil probably deserves it.]

[Look he's still not great at this the glimpses he saw of himself being nice was >awkward attempts to be nice
>a great guy who saved multiple lives.

He does seem to mull this over, however. And he doesn't seem offended at all by the asshole comment (he gets called that a lot don't worry).]

I guess if it stops you from hitting me with chairs every day, I guess it can't hurt to try.

[And then another pause, as if debating on if he should say something.]

... Hey Rips. You asked me last week why I mentioned living in Punxsutawney for years despite saying I was only over there for the day, right?

I'm still going to hit you with a chair if you do stupid shit.

[As joking as she poses that sentence, she very much means this as a threat.

But that sentence makes her pause as she props up her elbow on her leg, leaning forward and resting her head in her hand.]

Yes.

[She's tempted to add 'I remember you being a complete ass about it', but now's not the time.]

Damn it...

[Well he guesses that's to be expected.

He takes a moment to think about how to articulate it.]

I had intended to only be in Punxsutawney for the day, but then there was this blizzard and...

I've been trapped in that town for at least a decade. I'm pretty sure I've been trapped there for way longer than that, though.

[Well. That was unexpected. Ripley's eyebrows furrow together in confusion.]

So...let me get this straight. You've been in Punxsutawney for ten years on...the same day? How is that possible?

[...It's not really clicking for her right now.]

Before we were taken, I was living in a time loop.

Don't bother asking how it happened, I still have no idea, but every morning I would wake up and it would be Groundhog Day, there was nothing I could to stop it, and I was the only one to realize that the same day was repeating over and over.

[...Ah. She sees, now. Sort of.]

Huh. No wonder you were saying weird shit when you first talked to me.

Question: were you an asshole before this time loop thing started or....?

[He gives Ripley a Look.]

I'm afraid of what you'll do if I say "yes".

[Ripley snorts, giving Phil a deadpan stare.]

I'm not that mean.

[Only when Phil deserves it! Which, granted, is most times.]

Now, you actually planning on getting out of this room and, I dunno, trying to take care of yourself?

You sure you don't want me to mope in my room all day? I've gotten pretty good at that.

[He's trying to make a joke don't mind him.

He frowns slightly as something dawns on him. He wasn't able to think about it much since he learned this right before the murder and... Medic's death, but... huh.]

I think I get out of it eventually? If Medic's weird power is anything to go by. The only problem is that I have no idea how much long it's going to be.

You can try. Your boyfriends might get lonely, though.

[She means that in a joking manner. She doesn't actually know if they're Dating.]

...Wait, what the hell do you mean? Medic told you you'd get out of the time loop?

[Phil shoots Ripley a look before he registers that question.

Ah...]

Not exactly, he uh...

His spit gives you hallucinations if you swallow it.

[Ripley just stares at Phil in silence for about ten seconds.]

Do I even want to know what the two of you were doing?

It's not that bad! We were just making out.

["Just"]

While you were faced with the possibility of death.

[Said in a deadpan tone.

...Nah but she gets it, being isolated in deep space with only a few other crew members does something to a person.]

I didn't really believe that people were going to die then.

... Besides it's nice to kiss someone where they don't immediately forget it ever happened the next day.

[...

Ripley gets up from her chair and wills it away, causing it to disappear. She opens the door again.]

If you need me, I'll be in the restaurant. I recommend you get some food, too. And by food, I don't just mean coffee.

[something something you're not you when you're hungry]

[Phil rolls his eyes at Ripley as she gets up. Coward.

Before she leaves, however, Phil speaks up.]

... Thanks for checking up on me, by the way. You really didn't have to do that.

[Wow that sounds genuine too.]

[Sorry she doesn't like hearing you guys being horny on main!!!]

Of course. [A pause.] I still think you're an asshole.

[He's still got a lot to work on, but it wouldn't serve her well if she didn't at least try to get through to him. In a situation like this, she'll need all the allies she can get.]

groundhog bastard

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cw unsanitary

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