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Beryl would never let it show, but the stress was getting to her.
One month, which was a generous estimate, was all they had before the Voyager arrived. It was... terrifying, truthfully. Beryl would be the first to admit that.
But she was staying strong. She had to, for the other astronomers. Lord knows Jasper needs someone dependable. He’s been unwell since they lost Sybil, and she’d force him to talk to someone about it if it was something anyone could comprehend. And he only got worse after Edwin went radio silent. Jasper seems convinced Edwin’s just giving them the cold shoulder, but she doubts he really believes that anymore than she does. She just hopes he isn’t in pain.
The last thing she needs is something happening to Jasper too. So she’ll be strong for him. Aurelius, too. He’s always been an anxious fella, and all this armageddon stuff has been taking a toll on him. Beryl never would’ve taken him into the group if she’d known how bad things would get.
At least their newest member, Aster, had been doing far better than she’d expected. She and Jasper had been hesitant when Aurelius recommended inviting him to the group, but it had turned out to be a good thing. The poor guy had freaked out a fair amount when they’d first told him everything, but he’d proven himself to be a great member of the team. A great friend, too.
Still, she’s far from the only one anxious about the Voyager’s arrival. They’d been having three meetings a week at Jasper’s insistence, which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact three of them had full-time jobs. And Aster lived decently far.
Beryl sighs. It’s still a bit hard to believe that this is all real. She did her best to enjoy the mundane aspects of life while she still could. Like buying snacks at the convenience store. They had another meeting in a couple minutes, and she figured grabbing snacks for the others would be a nice surprise.
And she’s admittedly gotten a bit reckless with her spending. Hey, the world ends in a month. Lord knew if money would still have any value after that.
“Sorry, man. You’re gonna have to put some things back.” Beryl walks up to the checkout, trying not to stand too closely to the man in front of her. She can’t see his face, but he looks tense. The cashier is staring at him with sympathy. “The prices here are bullshit, I know. Sorry.” She says.
“Yeah, uh, that’s... that’s alright.” The man mumbled. He looks over his items, clearly trying to decide which was the least important. He hadn’t gotten that much. A loaf of bread, some pizza bites, TV dinner... she felt kinda bad for the guy.
As if sensing her behind him, he turned around with wide eyes. Oh! She recognized him. She’d seen him once while going to visit Edwin a few months back, when Sybil was still with them. He was struggling to fit his key into his apartment door, and upon seeing her and Sybil approach, began visibly panicking and ended up dropping the key entirely. Sybil pushed Beryl into the apartment before she could say a word.
“That’s happened to me a few times.” Sybil had said to her with a grimace. “An audience just makes it worse. And even more embarrassing. That guy and I have gotta be soul-linked or something.” She’d laughed, and Beryl hadn’t realized how much she’d miss the sound in a few short months.
If the man recognized her, it didn’t show. “Oh, uh- you can go, I’m just, uh...” He glances back at his items, and back at her.
...Like she said, who knew if money would have any value in a month?
“‘Scuse me, hon.” She slips by him, and pulls out her wallet. “I’ll pay for his stuff. Debit.” The cashier gives her a small smile, and the man behind her makes a noise of surprise that sounded like a mix between a squawk and a squeak.
“No, no that’s okay! You really don’t have to, I just forgot the rest of my money at home!”
“Too late.” She flashes him a small grin as she slides her card into the machine. It dings a moment later. “Already paid for. Do ya need a bag?”
The man is staring at her slack-jawed, but he shakes his head slowly. “I, uh, brought one.” He walks up and quickly shoves all of his items into the bag. After doing so, he gives her another look. “Th-thank you. I owe you.”
“It’s no problem, man. Just take care of yourself.”
He nods quickly, and stares at her for a moment longer. “Okay. Thank you.” He says before hurrying out, looking embarrassed. Heh, he reminds her a bit of Aurelius. Not a fan of social interactions either.
“That was nice of you!” The cashier says as she scans Beryl’s items.
“Mm, yeah. He looked like he needed it.” Beryl responds. The knowledge of the Voyager still hangs heavy over her.
He seemed like a nice guy. She hopes he’ll be alright.