trans_9 | Just Need to Stretch My Legs [Open]

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Just Need to Stretch My Legs [Open]

He'd been in the pods way too long. Even on the ship, Tony felt horrifically cooped up and penned in. Which is why he found the newly-opened natural area to be far better then any simulation that the sensoriums. For a long moment he stood in the grass and took a deep breath - clean air, natural sounds. Things that he'd never had living in the middle of some of the biggest urban sprawl in the United States. It still touched that part of him that was Garou (even if his tribe lived in cities). He took one step and then another.

After a moment there was a ragged-looking wolf running through hydroponics, simply enjoying itself. He could forget about everything for a little bit and indulge.

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Zouichi wasn't sure if he was interested in the Sensoriums; what would he want to see that wouldn't remind him of Earth? He was, however, interested to learn that there was an area of the ship dedicated to hosting various flora and fauna.

There were many plants he didn't recognize, but that was all right, since he'd never seen actual plants before anyway. The sensation of grass underfoot was considerably different from the feeling of concrete or metal. He thought that the plantsuit might be part of the difference, too; he usually wore heavy boots.

He caught sight of a large mammal as it was loping by. It was an Earth canid, a wolf. He considered approaching it, but decided to remain still. Wolves were carnivores, and unlike dogs, undomesticated. Its reaction might be unpredictable.

Plays paused in his run and skidded to a stop as he noticed he was being watched. He turned his head to look at the newcomer, nose coming up slightly to sniff the air. He didn't recall this person being on the ship before - maybe they were new? He cautiously trotted in Zouichi's direction, trying not to look threatening - he didn't want to get shot or stabbed or otherwise injured because someone thought he was about to attack them.

It had noticed him, which he supposed wasn't particularly surprising, but then it approached him, which was. He hadn't thought the animal would be particularly interested in him -- unless, of course, it was used to the bipedal creatures wandering about the ship, which was certainly a possibility.

As it approached, he remained still, hands at his sides, avoiding a confrontational stare.

"Hello," he said, not loudly to avoid startling the creature.

The whole encounter would become much easier if he were human. As much as he enjoyed becoming a wolf, he'd still been born a human - so his native form was still the most comfortable and easy for him. He gave a little wag of his tail and then he shifted. Muscles changed, bones creaked and mass inexplicably vanished or added itself. And in a moment there was a young man standing in front of Zouichi instead of a wolf.

"Hey, dude."

At the first sign of the wolf's unexpected metamorphosis, Zouichi had reached for his sidearm, bringing it forward and leveling it swiftly at the creature.

That was not supposed to happen. Normal wolves did not turn into people. And protocols for approaching animals were markedly different from protocols for approaching mutant humanoids.

"Who are you? Identify yourself."

Tony blinked and quickly raised his hands, trying to put Zouichi at ease. Getting shot was not on his list of things he had to do today. "Whoa, whoa, hold on...! I'm Tony. You can also call me Plays-in-Traffic. Please put the gun away...."

Plays-in-Traffic? But he had, at least, answered Zouichi's question, and didn't seem immediately hostile.

He lowered his pistol slightly. "Kanoe Zouichi. Are you a member of the crew here?"

"Yeah. Have been for a while. I got repodded though and I just came out... Thought I'd stretch my legs, you know?" He smiled, hoping to God (and Gaia) that this guy wasn't about to shoot him. Although if worse came to worst, he could always go war-form and ride out the bullet wounds. Not that it'd be pleasant.

He reholstered his gun in one smooth motion, looking a little chagrined. "I see. I apologize for the misunderstanding; on Earth, creatures that can change their form like that are infected."

If Tony had been around for a while, he must have survived many battles. Clearly someone worthy of respect.

"You were... repodded? Were you injured?"

"I dunno. Think it had something to do with my soul or something. At least that's what I've been told..." Tony shrugged, feeling rather more at ease now that he didn't have a firearm pointed at him. Wait, what had this guy said?

"Infected? Infected with what? Who are you, anyway?

"Your... soul?" That was a bit of an alien concept. What did souls have to do with being in biological stasis?

"Infected with a virus that has compromised the genetic material of most of humanity," he said. "My name is Kanoe Zouichi, a Toha Heavy Industries Synthetic Human. I was supposed to be tracking down the source of a potential cure. However, it appears I ended up here instead."

"Sounds pretty nasty..." Tony knew all worlds weren't roses and sunshine. His was pretty damn far from it. Wait a second. Had he said, synthetic human? He felt his hackles go up a bit. As much of a Gnawer as he was, he still had a grave distrust of the Weaver. "...synthetic human? You mean like you're a robot or something?"

He paused. "And don't ask about the soul thing. Hell if I know how it works."

"No, not a robot. I was created using organic and mechanical components and most of my vital systems are biological in origin. Although structurally, I suppose I don't have much in common with a human being."

He paused. "Are you human?"

Huh. So he was like a construct or something. Weird. Not that he could talk, but Tony was natural. Created by the Spirit of the Earth and so on. Tony shrugged. "No. I'm Garou. Part human, part wolf. A shapechanger."

Zouichi wasn't really sure how you could be part human and part wolf, barring some genetic splicing. Or this magic he'd been hearing about.

"In other words, it's a natural ability? Is there some reason that you don't trust... robots?"

"...where I'm from, the spirit responsible for technology and things like that is called the Weaver - it tries to bring order to the universe, all of that crap. Except the Weaver decided it would be better if everything was ordered and it trapped the Wyrm - entropy, destruction - in its web. So Wyrm went crazy. And now Wyrm is trying to destroy everything, when it shouldn't be. So the Weaver is partially responsible for that. Not to mention we don't get along with her children, 'cause they want to cover the world in her webs. Concrete. Technology. Make everything ordered. No more chaos, no more wild places. And that would hurt the world."

He shrugged. "So... technology ain't exactly my friend."

"There is a spirit...responsible for technology?"

He was trying to wrap his head around that one. "I find it difficult to believe that technology and order is inherently evil. Or that it has sentience. Nature itself has heavily ordered elements, and without them, life as we know it could not exist.

However, you are the second person I have met today who expressed distrust of machines. Personally, I find it more unsettling that so much of this ship is so... organic."

"Well, it's not that order is inherently bad, it's that too much order is bad. Things have gotta have a balance, you know? And back home that balance is all out of whack," Tony replied and ran a hand through his hair. That was becoming a habit.

"Yeah, it's kinda weird. Reminds me of too many horror movies..."

A balance. Yes, that made sense.

"If you don't mind me asking, have you fought the Ohm very often? You don't have any weapons on you."

"I haven't. Not yet. And I don't need weapons. I got these," Tony grinned and raised his hands, clenching them slightly so they looked a bit more like claws.

Zouichi blinked. "So you fight in wolf form?"

"War form, actually. About nine feet tall with chainsaws for hands and enough muscle to bench-press a damn semi-truck."

Well, maybe he was exaggerating a little.

"That sounds menacing," he said mildly. He wondered how many forms Tony had. Five? Seven?

"But about how threatening is your average Ohm?"

Only the five, really. Tony shrugged again and pulled a face, "...pretty threatening, considering they're bugs the size of tanks or some shit. It's pretty crazy shit. But I was born to fight a war like this one, so might as well get in there and do it, yeah?"

He nodded. That was a sentiment Zouichi could understand, although it usually wasn't humans -- Garou -- that he heard it from. Usually there was more crying. And screaming. And bargaining with various religious figures.

But for now, there wasn't much point in speculating about the future.

He turned back towards the rest of Hydroponics, considering. "It's quiet here. Different from the city."

"Yeah. It's nice..." Tony shrugged and set his hands on his hips. "Bit nicer, I guess, but the city has a lotta places to hide out in."

"Do you do a lot of hiding? I thought this ship was fairly safe."

Oh.

My.

Gaia.

THAT SMELL WHAT-

IT COULDN'T B-

PACK!

Bella went hurtling along the scent trail, nose to the floor and sniffing furiously as she tailed it down to hydroponics.

Here. He was back! He was okay!

"PLAAAAAAYS!" she bayed, galloping over the grass with the full intent of finding him and tackling him.

Plays paused, nose lifted - there was a familiar scent in the air, not to mention-

The sound of her howl sealed it. Bella. He half-turned in time to catch the ball of fur hurtling at him. "Bella-!"

"You are back! You are back! You are back!" Bella was sort of incoherent with happy.

"You're alive!"

She had been worried. Bella didn't trust the "ship spirit", she didn't care if it told her that others were safe, it might be a lie.

She scrambled off him, remembering proper decorum did not include jumping on top of people who were your boss.

To be honest, he didn't mind it all that much. Bone Gnawers generally didn't always follow the rules. He nosed at her for a moment, a bit pleased at the welcome.

"Of course I'm alive. Good to see you too."

"Well look what the giant alien spaceship dragged in." Wags said, looking down at Plays from on top of an outcropping of rock.

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Just Need to Stretch My Legs [Open]

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Herp, sorry.

Re: Herp, sorry.

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