Meet-n-Greet

[cityship]

After being released from stasis, having the slime removed from their bodies and clothed in the creepy, pulsing leaf-suit that everyone wore, and being taken to the Weapons & Possessions lockers to collect their belongings, the new arrivals would find themselves standing in the Observation Deck. Round windows lined the fleshy walls, revealing the bright display of lights that was inter-dimensional travel. They would also discover that there were people--members of the command staff and crew that had woken earlier--waiting for them.

Comments

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

Caden, looking quite morose, makes a very strong effort to keep to himself, eyes narrowed behind the black-framed glasses that he was quite glad to find in his locker, along with a ring Wyn had given him for his birthday the previous year before her... disappearance. The frown on his face looks to have been carved there, and he hopes inwardly that it's enough to keep people away long enough for him to get his bearings.

Honestly, the entire situation is so disorientating that his usual urge to shift and escape from the ease of human thought processes has abandoned him for the moment. Then again, that probably has more than a little to do with the fact that he got drenched the last time he tried to shift, and being hosed down when one is a cat is even more unpleasant than being hosed down when one is a human.

He sighs quietly, crossing his arms tightly on his chest, trying to ignore the pulsing of his new not-so-chic-or-trendy plantsuit. He mutters something about this being Wyn's fault, though he has no clue how she could have had anything to do with this. It makes him feel a bit bitter, though, and a bit of the tension in his shoulders disappears. He still looks agitated, though, and it's highly doubtful that this will change anytime soon.

[obscura-prodigy.livejournal.com]

"Hey," says Vega, wandering over. He's curious about all these new people on the ship, it's kind of exciting. He hasn't seen anyone he knows though.

"Who are you?" he asks brightly. "I'm Vega, I'm a Zoid pilot."

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

Caden's eyes fix on Vega, his scary, scary glare failing fantastically in dismembering him. He's rather disappointed with this.

"Uhm... hi. I'm Caden," he intones, looking unamused, unimpressed, and unhappy.

[obscura-prodigy.livejournal.com]

Vega's smile fades at that response. "Oh, are you okay?"

The kid seems concerned now.

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

Caden chants He's just being friendly, he's just being friendly to himself in an attempt to keep from turning into a mongoose and mauling him. Instead of the first option, he sighs and adjusts his glasses. "I'm not sure that 'okay' is the right word, but sure," he says, sounding rather grumbly.

[obscura-prodigy.livejournal.com]

"You miss home too, huh?" Vega nods. He remembers how he felt when he woke up, so it makes sense that this guy would be upset too. Vega won't admit that he was afraid, but he was.

"The people here have been really nice so far, even though we're all stuck on this weird ship," he offers. "They say we're all going to get home. So don't worry."

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

Caden sniffs, deliberately not looking at Vega as he internally acquiesces to the assumption; he does miss home, even if home is filled with concern for Wyn and a forced cooperation with one of his least favorite people on the planet caused by the concern for Wyn. At least he can do something about the mess when he's at home; here, it looks like he'll just be sitting around waiting for something to happen. He figures he could ask if anyone has seen a very short, very annoying blonde, but that would just be downright lucky, and Caden knows damn well that luck makes a conscious effort to avoid him.

"Why are we stuck on this ship? Other than this 'Greater Purpose' that the ship-lady mentioned, there hasn't exactly been an informative symposium..."

[obscura-prodigy.livejournal.com]

"Well..." Vega thinks. "I think it's because there are some bad guys that she wants us to fight so that the universe doesn't die." He shrugs, apparently not too worried. And with very little detailed information at hand.

"We're stuck because she won't let us out or tell us anything. I kind of want to get home because otherwise I'm going to miss the Royal Cup."

And he will be sooooooo bummed.

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

"Gee, thanks," he mutters, more than a bit put-out by the fact that Vega seems just as uninformed as he is. "So... are we an army or something? Stacy actually expects us to fight for her?" Now comes the incredulity, and oh, is it incredulous.

[obscura-prodigy.livejournal.com]

"Well, I don't think we're in an army. Nobody's tried to boss me yet." Well, not really. Leon and Claire and Kira and Lacus don't really count, because they were honestly being nice and just worrying about him because he's a kid.

"I think it sounds kind of exciting. I just hope my Zoid's here, otherwise I'm not gonna be able to do a whole lot."

No, Vega is not bothered at all by a random spaceship asking him to fight as long as he has his giant robotic T. Rex on hand.

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

"Ah, well, that's good then," Caden replies, staring over Vega's head a the mass of people around them. If it's not an army, then what is it? He has no clue, and wonders for what is probably the tenth time if the Jaime guy the old man taking names had mentioned was around. Surely he would have answers...?

"Two questions: What's a Zoid, and do you know a guy named Jamie?" Asking an actual question geared towards Vega's own history isn't something that Caden would ordinarily do, but he has to admit, the word pulls him in. It sounds like some nifty sci-fi type thing, which is totally something he can get behind.

[obscura-prodigy.livejournal.com]

"A lot of people don't know Zoids here," says Vega. "It's really weird, they're all over the place at home. They're these big robot animals that we pilot and use for battles and things. Somebody said that maybe my Berserk Fury's here, just locked up real good. If I could find him I might be able to really help out." It's probably a good thing the Fury's hidden, if it is here. The crew probably doesn't need a 40 foot tall mech with an attitude problem running around.

"I know two guys named that here," says Vega, nodding. "There's Jamie Hemeros, he's a Blitz Team guy from where I'm from. And there's Jaime Reyes, he's a super hero and he's head of Team GTFO. Nobody'll tell me what that stands for though."

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

He blinks. "Well... that's kind of awesome. Tell me if you ever find yours; I think I want to meet him." Yep. Definitely something he can get behind.

"Team GTFO, huh?" He snorts, shaking his head. "Well, that's covert. I think I'll take Jaime number two. You seen him lately?"

[notastaffchick.livejournal.com]

Hunter is making an effort to stay along the outside edges of what's going on. Not only is he not-so-great with large groups of people (... well, actually, he's not so great with people in general), but the combination of the plantsuit, the living walls, and the crush of people is making him more than a little claustrophobic.

In his effort to stay far away from, well, everyone, he might accidentally trip over the feet of a man with black-framed glasses and a seriously agitated expression. "I-I'm sorry." Hunter says quickly, taking a hurried step back toward the wall.

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

Caden tries very, very hard not to turn into a panther and snap the quivering teenager's neck. But, then again, the quivering teenager's head looks like it might explode from fear of the black glare on the highly, highly agitated twenty-six-year-old. He clears his throat, eyebrows lifting as he stares the kid down, refusing to respond to the apology. He's fully aware that taking his double-plus ungoodness out on some rather frightened, rather sick-looking guy is not the most protagonistic thing he has done of late, but Caden finds that really, he doesn't much care.

[notastaffchick.livejournal.com]

... this is just confirming Hunter's desire to stay far away from everyone on this ship for a while. Have a look relatively similar to that of a just-kicked puppy, Caden, while Hunter waits for you to acknowledge his apology.

Hunter also can't back up any further without burrowing into the wall, so Caden probably shouldn't come much closer.

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

Caden sympathizes with the puppy part, having been a puppy a few times himself, but the just-kicked part just plays towards his not-quite-completely-hidden sadistic inclinations. Summoning up his sickest smile, he takes a step forward, unfolding his arms and just barely restraining himself from putting his hands on either side of the teen's head. Really, though, screwing with people makes him feel so much better.

"You're sorry? Well, good for you," he says, eyebrow lifting just enough to make his already horrifying expression that much worse.

[notastaffchick.livejournal.com]

Well, Hunter's changed his mind. He's not so much kicked-puppy as he is absolutely terrified now, although he's managed to think clearly enough to collect a handful of green sparks. These aren't the healing-sparks though; those will probably come after Caden collapses to the floor unconscious. Hunter's not too sure about how well the floor will cushion for impact, so, there'll probably be some bruising.

Now all he has to do is make himself touch Caden, which... will be difficult.

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

Sadly, Caden isn't very fond of green sparkles; green is not his color. Thanks to spending nearly his entire life switching from animal to animal, he has developed pretty decent senses, and the sparks cupped in the kid's hand aren't very inconspicuous. Taking a hint from the implied threat, he takes a step back, folding his arms across his chest again, eyebrow still quirked.

"Self-defense is for ninnies," he says, rather sad that his prey isn't defenseless. It would have been fun to terrify him out of his wits, but hey, you can't always get what you want. (But if you try sometimes, you'll find, you get what you need...)

[notastaffchick.livejournal.com]

... well, Hunter's a rather pacifistic healer. He just threatened you with anaesthesia, Caden. ... of course, he's not going to complain about the tiny little not-really-a-threat working. "O-or for when people threaten you on a weird living spaceship." Hunter points out, stuttering a little.

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

What Caden doesn't know won't hurt him. And, apparently, neither will the green sparkles.

"Was I threatening you? No, I wasn't. I believe the technical phrase is 'screwing with your mind'." He has to admit, the stuttering is a little cute. Not that he's going to tell Hunter that. His glare fixes itself back into position, replacing the eerie smile and the quirked eyebrows.

[notastaffchick.livejournal.com]

"Hasn't today been mind-screwy enough?" Hunter mutters in resignation. The green sparks still haven't gone away entirely, but they have gone down in number. Just in case, you understand.

... Hunter doesn't want to be 'cute', and he can't help the stuttering.

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

"Stop bitching; we're all confused as all getout. Anyway, it's not like I hurt you... or compromised your virginal purity or anything. You're still whole and untainted, Sparkles," he mutters, scowling and running a hand through his hair. He's not really paying attention to the green sparks anymore; he's more concerned with the returning awareness that he has no clue where in all holy hell he is.

[notastaffchick.livejournal.com]

"Not everyone's confused. Or did you scare off all the people trying to answer questions?" Hunter points out, more politely snarky than Caden had been. (Not that it would have been more difficult to be more polite than Caden, but it was the thought that counted.)

"And my name isn't Sparkles."

[deadpan-shifter.livejournal.com]

"Oh, very witty," Caden exclaims, feigning mirth at Hunter's own snark. "And anyway, I got the only answer I need from the old man taking names, thank you very much."

He waits expectantly, eyebrows raised. If he's not provided with a name, he can and will continue calling Sparkles Sparkles, and he might just keep calling him Sparkles no matter what. He has grown fond of the name in the few seconds since he made it up.