trans_9 | Sooo...Meet-y

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Sooo...Meet-y

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their number. After the recent revelation, many of them were even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Brainiac 5 and Sensor were set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

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"Right, Stacy. It ... can be a bit much sometimes, to tell the truth. But the people here are kind - so it's easier to feel at home. Besides, we're here for a good reason."

"I'm already gettin' a sense of that. Though, I ain't too sure that what we're here for is really a good reason." Mal paused to take a breath, and then continued, "Don't get me wrong, fightin' a war's good and everything. But can we really change anythin'?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "But I think we have to still try, don't you? It's something worth fighting for."

Mal had been feeling rather optimistic up until this point, but once the conversation turned towards a discussion of fighting, his demeanor changed a bit. He looked a bit contemplative as he replied, "Maybe it is, but there's always the chance that... Well, that maybe it ain't that worth it after all."

He shrugged, knowing that his skepticism was showing, and that maybe he shouldn't be talking about things like this, especially to someone who seemed as optimistic as Nanoha did.

It's all right, Mal. She's got a bit more experience under her belt than you'd think. Nanoha's smile is soft, but no less genuine.

"Maybe. But if there's a chance that we can save people - if there's a chance that we can stop what happened to our worlds from happening to others - I think we should take it. Maybe that's just me."

"No, it ain't just you. If there's people who need savin', if we can do somethin' that'll keep other worlds from gettin' destroyed, then of course we should take that chance." Mal sounded vaguely apologetic, wishing he hadn't voiced his skeptical opinion at all, but at least Nanoha wasn't chastising him for it.

"Guess I've been in too many wars where things didn't go as planned. It's made me a little hard," said Mal, as his way of apologizing.

"It's all right, I don't mind. I usually think that if there's a war, it means that something didn't go as planned to begin with, but... I'm sorry to hear that."

For a moment, she paused, then when she spoke again it was obviously trying to move the conversation to something a bit more lighthearted. "So what are you the Captain of?"

Mal just nodded, saying, "Yeah, guess you're right." Then, he got off the subject of wars and fighting. "I'm the captain of a Firefly transport vessel called Serenity." Just talking about his ship caused him to relax a bit.

"That's a really pretty name for a ship," Nanoha says with a friendly chuckle. "So you're the literal type of Captain then. You must enjoy it."

"Yeah, guess it is." Mal didn't see a reason to divulge to Nanoha the reason why he gave his ship that name. At least not yet, anyway. Mal's smile got larger as he addressed Nanoha's statement. "Ain't nothin' in the 'verse like havin' your own ship, goin' where you please, with no one to tell you what to do or where to go."

"Believe me, I know how you mean. I mean, I'm not a captain of a ship, but that's the reason I love flying so much - that sense of freedom. Of being able to go where you like."

"Anyone can feel that way; you don't have to be a captain to feel that. It's a good feelin'... A little freedom mixed with somethin' that makes you unable to stay in one spot for too long. Seems you and I got something in common, Nanoha."

Mal hadn't really noticed it, mostly because he was so caught up in talking, but the moment he started talking about his ship and flying, his appearance changed yet again. He had very visibly relaxed, seeming a great deal more comfortable than he'd been since finding himself aboard the ship.

She laughs again. "It looks like we do. I kind of had to stay in one spot for my family and my job... but that's what the flying was for. To get out and feel the wind and just go wherever I wanted to for a little bit."

Nanoha smiles - his relaxed appearance is obvious, and it makes her happy. "Stacy didn't just take people, you know - there are some enormous cargo holds filled with tons of vehicles and machines. Maybe your Serenity will be there, too."

For all Mal's talk about enjoying his freedom, a part of him almost envied Nanoha. "That must be nice, though, gettin' to stay somewhere and settle down for a spell. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I could do that for very long, but still, it must be nice putting your roots down somewhere." Of course, he knew he wouldn't ever be able to do that. The wanderlust was too strong in him. He'd probably be flying around until he got too old to do it anymore.

"Really now?" Mal's interest was suddenly piqued, though he tried to keep his manner casual. No point in getting worked up in case Serenity wasn't there. "Think you can tell me where to find these cargo holds?"

Nanoha nods in response. "It is. I like to think of it as the best of both worlds... but I wouldn't trade my family for all the worlds in the universe." There's an unspoken current beneath her words - the knowledge that right now, her family is broken and separated by millions of sleeping pods at best - but the smile remains on her face.

"It's not too hard to find, but it's a little bit of a walk, even with all the transport systems. I could show you later, if you want."

Mal is not a telepath, nor can he sense people's feelings, but he's not entirely blind to them either. "Must be hard, bein' stuck here on this ship, not knowin' entirely what's happened to your family." Mal kept a smile on his face as well, but his thoughts went immediately to his ship and his crew.

He hadn't let on about it, when he first learned about the fate of the worlds and universes, but he was having a hard time coming to terms with the idea that his crew might be dead. Their faces kept flashing into his mind, and then he found himself having to push them out again, before he put a hole in something.

"That'd be great, Nanoha." Mal pulled himself out of his gloomy thoughts, replying with yet another smile.

Her smile fades, but it doesn't disappear entirely. "It is," she replies softly. "Stacy told us that we don't have to worry about our loved ones - that they're here with us, even if they haven't been woken up yet. She said they've been saved too, and... well, my partner is here now, so I guess I believe her."

"If there's nothing we can do about it... I'll just have to hope for the best."

Nanoha brightens slightly once he accepts her invitation, though. "Great! Let me know once you're finished meeting people and I'll lead the way."

Mal felt a pinprick of hope when he heard Nanoha talking about what Stacy had said. But the more he thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed. "Hate to be a cynic, but until I see my crew members show up here, I ain't gonna be able to believe her." His expression softened into a smile as he added, "Glad you've found someone you know, though."

Then, scanning the area, he decided he'd seen enough people for awhile. "I think I'm about ready to go, if you are."

"No, that's all right - I know the feeling. It's hard to believe her, but... even if it's misplaced, I still have to hope."

She looks back up at him, tilting her head to the side. "Me too. I'll have to introduce you and Fate sometime. Once I show her around, anyway. But if you're ready, I'm good to go too!"

(Log? Handwave?)

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Sooo...Meet-y

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