Meet and Greet Part Deux: The Socialing

[cityship]

The new people will find themselves ushered out of Obs Deck, so it can be shot down to the planet again, to pick the crew up. Eventually, the crew members on the mission are brought back up, and the doors open to let the two groups meet.

The newbies are likely not expecting their new crew-mates to come back bearing presents--which some of them are.

[ooc: This time anyone can post in. REMEMBER TO TAG OTHER PEOPLE, THO. This is set after the mission so mission peoples can meet the newbies. Latecomer newbies, if you want, you can just tag your guys into this one to make things easier.]

Comments

[bonnypiperlad]

He's quiet, listening thoughtfully - and putting that with what Billy had said when they first met, he thinks he has a better understanding of why that would be such a deep fear.

"That's why ye said ye were so worried about being mind controlled. I thought it was bad just from what ye said then, but..." he trails off, looking at the other man sympathetically. "I had no idea."

There has to be something that Billy can do about that, though. Isn't there? "What if ye talked to someone who knows how to fight against that sort of thing? See if they can help figure out a way to do...well, I don't know what. Something, anyway."

[morphitudinous]

"It's alright. I couldn't expect you to know." Billy sighs and crosses his arms defensively. "That does seem like the logical thing to do. I think I saw someone offer mental defense training over the omnicoms once. I'll ask if anyone can help."

Pausing, he turns to face Jamie fully. "What about your fear? I understand if you don't want to talk about it, or even if you don't know it, but I'll listen if you want me to."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Aye, but..." He's looking mildly unhappy as he catches a glimpse of the crossed arms. He didn't mean to upset Billy - he's just not sure what to say.

It seems only fair, then, when Billy asks Jamie about his fear that he shares as well. "No, I'll tell ye. I'm just not sure I can describe it properly." He'll try, though. "I didna really think there was anything I was afraid of, for awhile. At least, not afraid for myself." He's been afraid for his friends more times than he can count, but never really worried about himself.

"Just before I was rescued by Stacy, we had a run-in with the Doctor's people, and they forced us back to his planet. They..." He pauses momentarily, looking visibly unhappy. "They wanted to send Zoe and I home. We tried to escape, but we couldna do it."

He lets out a sigh. "The Doctor said we must go, so we had no choice. But as we were about to go into the machine to have them send us there, I thought I heard one of them say something. Something about our memories."

There's another pause, as he looks at Billy - this time, his expression is rather hard to read. "And then, I woke up covered in slime, aye? But I've been thinking about it. They weren't verra happy that Zoe and I were close to the Doctor. What if they were going to do something to our memories so we weren't any more? Alter them, somehow. They could, I think."

Jamie looks down at his fingers. "There's so much that I learned with the Doctor. So many good memories. What would I be if that was gone?" Glancing up, he says, "I mean, I'd still be a piper, and a Highlander, but it'd be like the me that is now would be...dead."

Softly, he adds, "I don't want to be dead."

[morphitudinous]

That story makes something inside Billy twist uncomfortably. He listens intently, mulling the problem over. "I might not understand the full implications of what nearly happened to you, but I think I understand the gist of it. Our lives are meaningful because they're a progression from the past to the present. Without memories, we wouldn't be the same people. Your Doctor's people taking those experiences away from you would be cruel, and it sounds to me like they would have done it to preserve their secrecy."

Billy gives Jamie an understanding look. "I couldn't imagine the memories of my close friends being removed. But even if that happened, a part of yourself would still be there. The Doctor found something worthwhile in you when you first met, didn't he? That wouldn't change. I doubt you'd become a supervillain, Jamie."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Aye," Jamie says slowly. "I don't think I would either." That faintly worried expression on his face hasn't changed, however. "I tell myself that even if I couldna remember, it wouldna be so bad. I would have still traveled with the Doctor, and done everything I did. But..."

There's always a but, isn't there? "If I didna remember, would what I did have been enough to count with that Divine Thread thing? The Doctor's traveled with a lot of people, Billy." Considering there were four others during his time alone, and anyone else that might have traveled with Fitz...he's thinking 'a lot' might be a bit of an understatement. And if they all couldn't be saved? He looks at Billy unhappily. "Would I even be here now?" Would the Daligig have saved him?

He takes a deep breath then lets it out, seeming to relax a little. "I'm sorry. I didna mean to talk so much about it."

[morphitudinous]

Billy's face falls. Now he understands the root of Jamie's worry, or at least he thinks he does.

"We'll never know. You very well may have become a great hero in the Highlands." Billy is privately nursing doubts about the same thing---but it's not fair to Jamie to keep them private, so he'll share. "Just as I could've been a scientist someday if I was never a Power Ranger. There are people here from all sorts of backgrounds. There most likely still would have been room for us."

Billy sighs. "If only this were a tangible threat that I could remove. The only other piece of advice I received was to maintain bonds with each other for grounding, no matter how bad the fears become."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Aye, Billy," Jamie says, looking a little less gloomy. "I suppose ye might be right, at that." He's glad to know that there was still a chance he could be here, and have met the people he met. Especially those he considers to be friends, like Billy.

Jamie would also be much happier if it was a tangible threat. He doesn't like the fact that it's not. It's so much easier to fight something that you can see and touch, after all. "Grounding?" he asks, sounding a little puzzled. "What would that be?"