Building a family [hella open]

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

 Slobo had been puttering around the ship for an hour, thinking and looking. He quickly found that if you looked hard enough, between W&P and the City itself, you could find anything. In the end, he was standing outside a Courtyard by Marriott hotel about a click outside of "Escherville" with spraypaint and a very large block of stone. At first he had thought about the Vatican, but it was too wrecked from the zombie fight. Plus, this place had an indoor pool. He spraypainted a large message on the wall next to the door, red with black outline.

"OUTSIDERS
COMMUNITY SERVICE
FIELD TRAINING

PEER COUNSELING" 

 

On the sandwich board tucked near the door, he wrote "12-21? Info and Tryouts inside" and left it out in front. Now, he took his large rock into the lobby and began carving. And waited.
 

 

 

Comments

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"Well, we're a ... team. And support group. Thingy. Basically, we stay outta the crew's petty squabbles so that if there's an emergency, command and security can call on us as objective backup." He had come up with this after the talks with Sokka and Batman, and was trying the new mission statement out. "We also just kinda... hang out. Offer trainin' an' exercises. Oh, and rooms without livin' walls."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

"Well, I do pretty much stay out of those anyway," Shadow Link said, looking around. "And rooms without living walls is a bonus."

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

Slobo grinned.

"And we got a pool. It's a sweet gig. And it means always havin' a place ta get away, and hang with people ya know got yer back."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

He shrugged. "Not much for swimming myself." He commented. Just never seemed to be that big of a thing to do.

"...how are you sure they do?" He asked. He was paranoid. He had to ask.

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"'Cause. A team ain't just about the fightin' er the cool hangout." Slobo said, his voice uncharacteristically softening. "It's about a buncha people who need eachother comin' together. Formin'... Like... A family they can call their own. And me and Shocky, the other guy startin' this, we at least got everyone's backs who want in. Otherwise, there ain't much point ta the effort."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

Shadow Link raised an eyebrow and nodded. It was something that happened. "What happens when the team disagrees?"

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"We work it out. Either when it happens, or, if they're ain't time, later. We're gettin'... supervision... soon to act as a mediator and stuff for those things. Like a pop to our dysfunctional lil group." He shrugged. "I mean, people are gonna disagree. But a buncha folks that train tagether, work with eachother, are gonna be more apt ta let that common bond keep those grifes from splittin' 'em up than 200 er so people just stuck on a ship tagether."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

"That does make some sense. Less likely to get enough support you can't ever back down," Shdaow Link said thoughtfully.

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, sure, that too." Slobo raised whatever he had that passed for an eyebrow. "More importantly, once ya got friends ta back ya up, it's a lot harder ta ditch 'em. They get under yer skin, and next thing ya know, everyone starts... carin' about eachother." The voice of experience was hidden beneath the reluctant tone.

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

Shadow Link didn't look quite convinced about that, but he didn't have much experience with friends in general. "And you think that'll keep everyone from having a big fight that breaks them apart?"

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"It has before. Me and mine once got inta a huge fight, but when they needed me, I was there. And they took me back. It's just... How these groups work, I guess. Ya forge a chemistry and stuff that holds ya tagether."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

"What sort of fight?" He asked. More curious, really.

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"A ..." There was a longer pause than usual. "A teammate asked me ta help her out. It involved breakin' her dad outta prison. I did it. Wonder Girl and Kon got kinda pissed. I left."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

Shadow Link paused at that. "You...broke the law for a friend?" He looked intrigued then.

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"'Course. She needed help, and no one else was listenin' ta her. Plus, I ain't that big a fan o' the law at times." He looked at SL. "Really, her dad was on death row when all he did was off a supervillain. We had guys who had done ten times worse who got out. And she was a friend, she needed the help. That's about the gist of it."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

"That is a great deal of loyalty," Shadow Link commented. "Even to make your other friends angry?"

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Well, sometimes yer friends get angry at ya. At the same time, when they were in trouble, I knew enough ta stow it and help them out. Things..." Oh, right, he died saving them. Best to leave that part out. "Were pretty good after that."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

Shadow Link thought about it a few moments and shrugged. "Well, I can see how it goes."

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

Slobo shook off the bad memories.

"Anyway, that's the gist, man. If ya want in, go grab yerself a room and then talk ta Shocky, tell 'im what ya can do and show 'im."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

"And Shocky would be who?" Shadow Link asked.

[top-teen-38.livejournal.com]

"Static. He's like, one o' four black guys on the ship. Ya haven't noticed that?" Slobo raised a brow. "Well, I think he's in the office playin' manager right now. Or lookin' at internet porn. Whatever he does in there outside o' drink coffee."

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

"I don't get involved in the fighting because I don't give much attention to the crew in general," Shadow Link said with a shrug. "But gotcha. Sure I can find him."

[static-shock68.livejournal.com]

There's a loud snoring noise coming from the manager's office.

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

Shadow Link decided to talk to 'Shocky' before taking a look for a room. Rooms for rent were rooms to rent.

So he knocked, loudly, on the door.

[static-shock68.livejournal.com]

There's a snort, followed by the sound of something breaking and liquid spilling all over. "Damnit! That's two coffee cups in one day!"

Shuffling ensures. It takes about a minute, but the door does open, with a bleary-eyed black man on the other side. "Shocky and Chalky, how can we help you?" Static says, stifling a yawn.