Meet and Greet

[cityship]

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicomms and comm rings. They are also told they must read information about their current situation and a survival guide with their new omnicomm. New crewmates might see a tall dragonish guy with wings (but don't call him that), a large afro attached to a smaller girl, and talking ponies 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. But thankfully this time, there's a system that was set up to aid the new crew members with a few more experienced ones.

[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. Big brother/sister, there will be a thread for you as well!]

Comments

Presea | Magic Knight Rayearth

[forging_on]

It was funny, the little things that bothered her right now. She was clean now, and clothed, so that was a big improvement. But she hadn't worn pants since she was a very little girl, and the plantsuit felt strange on her body, no matter how well it fitted. Her hair tumbled down her back loosely, instead of up and out of the way like it usually was. But her locker had at least contained her leather blacksmith apron, which had made her feel better. Maybe it wasn't the same one; maybe it wasn't even leather. She wasn't going to ask. She'd put it on, immediately feeling better when the weight settled onto her shoulder.

She was uncertain, but so many people were smiling and being friendly that she couldn't help but respond with the same. As for her feeling that perhaps she really wasn't supposed to be here, she was tucking it away for later. She was going to make the best of this situation.

It was probably for the best that she hadn't read about the destruction of her planet yet.

[bequiet_hescreamed]

It wasn't.

There was no way; it had to be--



Clef gasped. Her hair was down, and she admittedly looked a lot different in green, but there was no mistaking that apron. Or those eyes. Even with a whole throng of people blocking the view, he knew it had to be her. Knew it this time - it couldn't just be some wishful trick his mind was playing on him.

"Presea!" he called out, pushing his way through the crowd to meet her.

[forging_on]

It couldn't--

She hadn't even paused to think about having people she knew here. What were the chances? The people in this ship spanned hundreds of worlds. But then again, why not? If she was here, why not Ferio or Lantis or even her favorite person--

Because if she were the one trying to save all of the worlds in the universe, she knew she'd want Clef on her side. It just made sense.

She was beaming as she made her way toward him, so glad to see that kind and familiar face.

[bequiet_hescreamed]

When they were finally face to face - it really was her - it was all he could do not to touch her just to make sure she was real.

"You're here," he said, looking up at her with this mixture of joy and relief on his face. Then he had to look down, because he wasn't sure if he was about to cry.

[forging_on]

"You're here!" she said, and she seemed just as relieved. She wanted to reach down and touch him, to convince herself that he was real. This whole thing seemed more real now that he was with her, like a dream made plausible by familiar settings.

"Have you been waiting very long?" she burst out. This was important to her, suddenly, that he hadn't been here too long without her. He needed someone to look after him, especially if they were going to be fighting a dangerous battle. He was always the last person he took care of, something that had always concerned her during the last bitter war fought for the sake of their planet.

[bequiet_hescreamed]

He shook his head. Any amount of time was too long, but he didn't want her to worry.

"A few months," he tried to say reassuringly. As he was trying to think of something elaborative to say, a thought occurred to him.

"Are you--" it wasn't a good thought. "Have you read the informational pamphlet yet?"

[forging_on]

A few months? She spent a good half-second being angry at Stacey for waiting to wake her that long. But even she couldn't figure out how to properly punish a ship (not yet), and there were so many more important things to talk about.

As for the pamphlet, she'd taken it and fully intended to read it, but she'd been too distracted yet to sit down and do it properly. She knew that whatever they were trying to tell her must be important.

"No, I haven't," she said uncertainly. She wondered what in it was so important that he'd mentioned it right away.

Re: Presea | Magic Knight Rayearth

[monster_san]

It was so strange to see Presea without her ponytail that Fuu didn't find her familiar at all from the back. But when she got a better look at the woman and the apron she wore, it was quite clear who she was.

Her heart leaped. Fuu knew, a bit guiltily, that there were plenty of people who had nobody from their world here with them and that she ought to have hoped for them first, but the joy of seeing another friend overrode any other feeling for the moment.

"Presea-san!" she called, immediately--not running, because she didn't want to collide with anyone. But she did move as quickly as she safely could, a broad smile on her face.

[forging_on]

Presea turned upon hearing her name, and broke out in a broad smile to see who was calling it. How lucky was she? Two people here that she knew and trusted implicitly! She held open her arms for a hug.

"Fuu! And I thought I'd never see you again!" she said. It wasn't until she said it that she realized it was true. She'd been trying not to think about the possibility of running into anyone else, because it was so small.

[monster_san]

Fuu hadn't been sure whether or not she ought to hug Presea, but it seemed like that wasn't much of a question. She wrapped her arms around the woman quite willingly--even with the plantsuit and the smells of the ship, the apron still smelled like Cephiro.

"I was afraid of the same thing," she said. "There are so many different worlds now, and..." I thought you hadn't been rescued. That you might have died with Cephiro. Yes, there were blacksmiths on the ship, but that fear was still there. It was nowhere near the surety Fuu had about Hikaru and Umi being in the pods. "I'm glad to see that we were both wrong! Have you seen Guru Clef? He's here too."

[forging_on]

"I've never seen so many different cultures in one place," Presea said, eyes sparkling with fascination. It seemed that every time she turned around people were speaking about countries and people and technology she'd never heard of. It amazed her. Stacey's grasp was very wide. She wasn't yet sure how she felt about that, or the fact that she'd been chosen for this apparent fight, but here was more diversity than she'd ever dreamed about, and no one could blame her for being curious and optimistic. After all, she was awake. She had clothes now, very important. And there was so much to see!

She beamed at the mention of Clef. "I have! He found me right away. I hope you two have been taking care of each other."

[monster_san]

"Mm, yes. It seems like everyone is from a different place--there's so much to learn about." People with superpowers, others with magical ability, people from fiction, androids... Fuu still wondered if she could call herself used to it. And that wasn't even getting into all the strange things that these people built.

She nodded, smiling softly. "Don't worry. We've been doing our best to look out for each other here. And I'm glad that you're joining us." She paused. "Windam is here as well."

[forging_on]

Presea's eyebrows rose with her surprise. "Is that so?" She'd known that the mashin were very attached to their wielders, but she hadn't realized the depth of their attachment. The mashin were meant to protect Cephiro. And yet one had followed Fuu across the universe. There was something very big here, something she was missing.

"It will be an honor to have him with us," she said carefully. And then she smiled. "He'd be good to have at your back, I think. I'm glad to hear you've been all right. Hikaru and Umi aren't here, are they?"

[shiest_sunbeam]

Ronnae was doing her best to assist the new crew members settle in as best she could. There was a harsher road ahead of them than the one experienced by the previous poppers considering what lie ahead due to the current circumstances.

Nonetheless, it was still hard for the half-orc girl to get over her anxiety and she was keeping mostly away from the larger crowd, opting to help those that drifted away or seemed like they were lost.

That's when she noticed the girl nearby and offered a friendly yet timid wave.

"Hey, need any help?"

[forging_on]

To Presea, the woman looked rather like a forest spirit, only human sized. The idea made her smile.

"There are just so many people here that I don't know where to start! It's like walking into a new town and they've assembled a party in your honor," she said, almost laughing at her own metaphor.

[shiest_sunbeam]

The girl's cheeriness made Ronnae smile in turn. It was rare to meet a cheerful popper so this was definitely a breath of fresh air.

She shifted in place a bit timidly but nodded, "I'm not too good with large groups, but yes, sometimes the new arrivals come in smaller groups, but we've had really big ones as well. And the variety they come in is always rather impressive."

[forging_on]

"I've never left my country before," Presea confided, a little timid herself in admitting it. "I didn't even know there were this many living worlds in the universe! It's fascinating." Oh, but before her excitement ran off with her, it was probably polite to introduce herself. "I'm Presea, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

[shiest_sunbeam]

Ronnae smiled shyly and quickly bowed, her very long ponytails skimming the floor for a second before she stood upright once more. "Pleasure to meet you miss Presea, I'm Ronnae. Ronnae 'Mash Belore Ryllos, anything you might need, just ask." she added cheerfully.

"There's a lot I didn't know about before coming here and I've been blessed with having access to tons of information from the Media Library. It's a really nice place to visit."

[forging_on]

"Oh, there's a library?" Presea's eyes lit up with interest. The walls of her study at home were lined with books, a real testament to her fondness for reading, considering the nonexistence of the printing press at the time. She couldn't even begin to imagine how amazing the library would be in a place like this, where so many worlds and cultures intersected. She itched to find out.

"I think I'll need directions there later," she declared firmly, and smiled. "I might have to spend a few weeks in there catching up."

[theboywhodied]

Did Presea want a friendly person to speak with? Cedric Diggory was on the case! He approached her with a warm smile, though it was toned down to the reflect the somber situation.

"Hi. Did they tell you everything yet?"

[forging_on]

The smile was certainly welcome. There were so many emotions playing themselves out around her in small groups, some people crying and others beaming. People had told her some things, but not everything. She wasn't even sure what to start asking, but she smiled back.

"Is that even possible?" she said, with a laugh. "What should I know, hmm? I could think of million different questions, but I'm sure which are the right ones."

[theboywhodied]

"Oh!" Cedric laughed, embarrassed. "I didn't mean absolutely everything, of course. Just the main situation, what Stacy hints at when she releases us."

The dreadfully unpleasant situation, in other words.

[forging_on]

She sobered a bit. "The fight," she said. "Yes, it would be nice to know more about that." She glanced around. "It's hard to believe that everyone is here as a soldier."

[theboywhodied]

Cedric could explain that. His hand unconsciously drifted to the pocket where he kept his wand---his main tool. The stick shape stuck out from the suit.

"We're not all soldiers, actually. I was just a student. Most of us are training for it, but you don't need to fight. Some people are medics, or mechanics, negotiators, or scientists. I can use my magic to fight, but others use their skills in other ways."

[forging_on]

To Presea, that was a real relief. "I'm a weaponmaker," she told him. "I don't have much combat experience beyond a stray monster or two. But I imagine my skills could be useful if I could find a forge of some kind."

But a student! Was he even an adult? She was used to appearances being deceiving, however; he could be centuries old and look younger than her. And if he was a mage, he would be in training for quite a length of time. That was an involved apprenticeship, at least, assuming they educated in any way similar to her culture. Perhaps he wasn't. She really should be careful about making assumptions. She tried not to look too surprised.