'Meat' 'n Greet

[cityship]

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a green-skinned alien and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

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

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

Comments

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

After following the lit pathway to a room where he was thankfully relieved of the copious amounts of space goo (albeit in a rather uncomfortable and frankly creepy fashion), Simon was just about ready to lose it. He wanted three things: Answers, his sister, and clothes, not necessarily in that order.

So far, he'd only managed the clothes. Though the ship...Stacy...had provided vague information about the situation, it wasn't good enough. He wanted someone to tell him what was going on, where Mal or Zoe or Book or Kaylee were, what had happened to Serenity, what they'd done with his sister. If River was even here. Trying to absorb this business about being chosen was pushed aside in favor of searching for something, anything familiar.

The possibility that they'd been separated, and the possibility that she might be gone only fueled his desperation as he tried to scan the room, calling for River as he did so.

[governorkang]

It was very difficult to miss Kang in the crowd. At seven feet, he was taller than most, and the fact that he had wings, horns, a tail, and was covered in scales... well. The medieval armor and weaponry didn't help.

He was leaning against a wall, searching the crowd, a frown on his face. No one he recognized.

...but that name, River. He remembered Kaylee mentioning a girl with that name before. "You... wouldn't happen to know a Kaylee, would you?"

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

He heard someone say "Kaylee" and he wheeled around, immediately wishing he hadn't.

Simon was staring down the most terrifying creature he'd ever seen, and it was written all over his face. Reflexes kicked in and he stumbled backward in surprise, managing to regain his balance before he full-on toppled over.

If getting his vocal cords to work in the pod chamber was difficult, speaking now was nearly impossible.

"I...yes. I know a Kaylee...I...you are?"

[governorkang]

Crap. That Intimidate +11 sucked sometimes. Kang's wings rustled, and he held his hands up to show that he didn't mean any harm, "Name's Kang. I'm a friend of Kaylee's, and I've heard her mention that name before. Mechanic on Serenity, brown hair, always smiling?"

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

Oh. Well, obviously if the giant dragon dinosaur winged creature thing was holding up his hands, he was perfectly well-meaning. Simon still appeared very apprehensive, having never encountered anyone or anything remotely like Kang, but hearing Kaylee's name was quickly giving him at least a little bit of relief.

Enough to jump start his ability to speak, anyway. "Yes, that's...that's her. You mean she's here?"

[governorkang]

"She is, somewhere. I don't know about River, though," Kang lowered his hands. "As far as I know, besides you, she's the only other person from Serenity on the ship."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Och, this is ridiculous," Jamie mutters to himself as he tries to make his way through the crowd. Maybe he should see if there's a pair of stilts in Weapons and Possessions. Not that he could use them, but if he could figure out how to stand on them, he'd at least be able to see.

He realizes after a moment there's another man there, looking around for something - or, more likely, someone. Jamie can sympathize with that, but he's also feeling impatient enough at the moment that he'd rather not wait for the other person to move on.

Hooking his thumbs behind his sporran, he saunters over and clears his throat. "Excuse me. Would ye mind..." He trails off as the name's called out. It's highly doubtful that the man's looking for a body of water on the Obs deck (although not entirely impossible), so that leaves a person. And a name Jamie's not completely unfamiliar with, at that.

"River. That wouldna happen to be a girl, would it?"

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

Simon is also experiencing great difficulty navigating the crowd, trying to figure out who's new and who's not, looking for anyone he knows but also for the authoritative entities Kang told him to seek out. Maybe if he found this Captain Kirk, he'd be able to finally get some straight answers.

It was only a matter of time, though, before he ends up in someone's way. Running around confused and panicked and looking for someone, anyone he knows or anyone who might be in charge would do that to a guy.

He turns when he hears someone address him and immediately latches on to the recognition of River's name in the other man's voice.

"Ah..Yes. I'm looking for my sister. River. Do you know her?"

[bonnypiperlad]

Unfortunately for Simon, Jamie's about as far from an authority figure as you can get on Stacy - but at least he's not an unfriendly face.

He shakes his head. "Only by name. I havena actually met her, but I don't know if she's awake yet or not. It's verra hard to find anyone ye know during these things." Unless you're seven feet tall, which Jamie is most assuredly not.

"Ye said sister? Ye must be Simon, then." He sticks his hand out in greeting. "I'm Jamie McCrimmon. Kaylee's mentioned ye before. She'll be verra glad to see ye, I think."

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

"I am." He replies, taking Jamie's hand and shaking it, albeit a bit tentatively. At least everyone he's met so far has been very helpful to the bewildered newcomer, even the big scary dragon-dinosaur guy.

It is, however, a little disconcerting to know that he's being recognized by the name he's calling, but Simon supposes it's only like Kaylee to talk about Serenity's crew.

"I'm just trying to find her." He nods, exasperation in his voice. "How many people are on this ship?"

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie's handshake is pretty much the exact opposite of tentative, although he realizes after a few seconds that's it's probably not a good idea to break the poor man's arm in half. He looks a touch sheepish about the whole thing when he lets go.

He's also not entirely sure that he hasn't screwed something up when he catches sight of Simon's face. Oops. Maybe he wasn't supposed to let the other man know he knows his name? Jamie doesn't really see anything wrong with it, but heaven knows he's been taken to task for opening his mouth like that before. Oh well, what's done is done. He'll just have to go ahead and answer the question.

"Awake? There may be about two hundred of us, give or take. It's a big ship, though, and ye may not see anyone for weeks. I have no idea how many people are the pods - or even who, aye? They say it's our loved ones, but...I don't know. Ye are the first person I've seen who Kaylee's mentioned being on the crew." That doesn't seem quite right, somehow, and he frowns for a moment before shrugging. "Others have lots of friends here, so...take it as ye will."

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

"Simon!!"

At this particular moment in time, Kaylee was wishing she was already rid of the sling that held her left arm. If she hadn't been so excited to see Simon wandering around the room, she might have stayed away until she was at least mostly healed--explaining that a nightmare version of River had shot her didn't seem like the best thing for Simon to be thinking over first off--but she had called out to him before she had really thought about it.

Ah, well. There was always the possibility of making something up, or redirecting attention. Really, she was too happy to see him to otherwise care.

"Simon, you're a sight for sore eyes, lemme tell ya."

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

So many people and creatures, all in varying states of confusion and disorientation--Simon was beginning to wonder if he'd ever find anyone at all. Finally...finally he heard the unmistakable sound of someone calling his name.

"Kaylee!"

He ordinarily refrained from most touchy-feely behavior (with River as an obvious exception), but after having a ship talk to him inside his head, wandering around naked, and finally being thrown into this giant mingling session, he was about ready to throw his arms around the first familiar person he found and never let go. A sight for sore eyes was probably an understatement.

"I just fell out of a pod filled with mucus." Simon almost laughed at the ridiculousness of that sentence, pushing through the crowd towards her, trying to justify why he was a sight for sore eyes. He was about to make good on the hugging thing when he hesitated, his eyes falling on her arm. "Kaylee, are you hurt?"

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

It was easy to see how someone who had just popped could be confused by the number of excited people there to greet them. For Kaylee, so far as she remembered, she was going on almost four months on this boat without a crew mate in sight. But Serenity was in the cargo bay, and even an empty ship was still a familiar one.

"Wonderful stuff, ain't it? Gotta warn ya, it's about the consistency of the food 'round here, too."

There was no hesitation on Kaylee's part, not right now, and no worry over later when she would realize how ridiculously giddy her greeting of him had been. She gave a happy bounce, ignored the sling, and threw both arms up around him as best she could.

Of course he asked. "It's fine, almost healed up. I think you'd be pretty impressed by the doctors here."

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

"Wonderful's not exactly the word I'd use to describe it." Sticky, yes. Disgusting, yes. But leave it to Kaylee to find the upside of everything, even gross alien snot. That familiar attitude was a comfort in itself. He could already feel the weight of apprehension and dread lessening, if only just a little.

Simon wasn't certain if she should be throwing her arms around him like that, mostly because he didn't know what kind of injury she'd sustained and how, but it was very, very difficult not to accept the embrace. He just made sure to do it carefully.

"I am...so glad to see you." He breathed with relief before pulling away to better inspect her arm. Well, at the very least he knew the medical staff was competent. "Are you sure you're all right?"

[voiceofserenity.livejournal.com]

"Better than a lot of words I could come up with for it." At least it was easy enough to clean off. The plant suits, though...about all Kaylee could find to compliment the plant suits on was how they kept a person nice and cool in the humid ship.

She smiled, and held tight a moment before pulling back. "Glad to hear it."

The injury itself was mostly healed over, and the only real sign of it was a section of the plant suit that was thicker than the rest, where it was assisting in the healing process. The arm was perfectly usable, she just wasn't supposed to use it.

Of course Simon couldn't just let a moment be a moment, and had to go on fussing. "It's shiny, like I said. We had a bit of an adventure with..." Oh, he was going to think she was insane. "Everybody referred to him as the Nightmare King. Spent a good long time puttin' everybody through these illusions 'n nightmares, and toward the end they were a little more solid than just illusions." She shrugged. It was nothing, really. Nothing she wanted to worry Simon with.

[isee-snorkacks.livejournal.com]

She does so enjoy podpops. Meeting new people, helping new people, learning things about other worlds. It almost makes up for the sadness in the thought of all of these new crewmates losing their entire Universes.

Smiling vaguely, the blonde taps the anxious man on the shoulder.

"Are you looking for someone?" Of all the questions to ask...

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

Simon turns, nearly jumping at the touch before realizing that the person trying to get his attention is a young girl. His first thought is that Stacy apparently does not discriminate--it seems a little unfair at first to pull such young people into this mess, but he supposes it's much better than the alternative of dying with one's world.

If any of that is to be believed, anyway.

"I'm looking for my sister." He replies with a bit of hesitation. "Her name is River."

[isee-snorkacks.livejournal.com]

Luna doesn't look surprised at his flinch, merely smiles and blinks. He has very interesting posture, she thinks, something of a mix between paranoia and pride, edgy and elegant in a way she hadn't thought to see in anyone other than her father. Her smile deepens.

"I haven't heard her name, I'm afraid to say, but she might be here somewhere. Stacy will restore families to the best of her ability, after all."

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

Something about her reminds him vaguely of River--perhaps he's subconsciously picking upon anything familiar in a room full of strange people and creatures.

He relaxes slightly when he realizes this, glad at the very least that the residents of the ship seem more or less willing to go out of their way and help the new arrivals.

"That's what I hope." Simon sighs, trying to fight the anxiety in the pit of his stomach. "She and I we're...very close."

[bigbad]

Spike raised an eyebrow at the man. "Not gonna find one of those here, mate. We're on a sodding living ship. In space."

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

Simon was instantly put on edge. Of course he knew they were on a spaceship.

"My sister." He said, turning around. "Her name is River."

[bigbad]

"Oh. Probably should have specified." Spike looked the man up and down. He didn't seem like he'd be much in a fight. "Who're you supposed to be, then?"

[doc-pompous.livejournal.com]

"Simon Tam." He tentatively extended a hand. Everyone had been mostly helpful so far, but he couldn't help but be wary. The current situation was one that brought out all of his apprehensions. "I'm a trauma surgeon."

[bigbad]

Spike glanced at Simon's hand for a moment before shaking it. "Spike. I'm a vampire."