A cry for help

[thespaceopera]

[a distress call has been tracked across the void, finally leading back to the source. a hulking crippled ship, teeming with hostile alien life, now lies before you.

what do you do? do you dive in or hang back? are you here to learn, play, build, or observe?

however you choose to proceed, your audience is out there somewhere, watching.]


ooc: here is a good ol' themed mingle to get you all started! and don't feel limited by the prompts and what they describe--they're just there as idea-starters, so feel free to go anywhere and do anything.

have fun!

info post→ here

Comments

[goldenglasses]

A.

[When Vash first enters the ship he's not as silly and jokey as he usually is. Still, not too serious just yet. Then the bugs attack and any trace of the old Vash vanishes as he works hard to make sure everyone escapes the onslaught alive.

Everyone escapes alive. That goes for the bugs too. Don't be surprise if there's a Vash suddenly tripping over his own feet and knocking you off your feet as you're about to land the killing blow on a bug.

Of course, he can't save everyone-er, every bug. Once the fighting is all over and some bugs lay dead he looks them over one by one. Tears in his eyes, but he's quiet about his sorrow over the loss of the life.]

B.

[Vash will continue exploring the ship. If he comes across the bugs he doesn't bother them so it doesn't attack him. Quietly watching them. He will stop people from bothering the bugs if someone comes close.] Why are you doing this? [Spoken out loud as he watches the bugs tirelessly working away.]

[poetontheinside]

[Ray doesn't attack any of the bugs- mostly because he doesn't have a weapon he's confident with, now that he doesn't have a gun, but also because it's easier to just stay out of their way if they're quiet. He'd figured that one out after a day of mad scrambling, and, yes, killing some bugs with blunt objects.

So he doesn't have to fear being pushed aside, and he almost moves past Vash until he notices his emotional state. Shit. Can't ignore that, even if it's awkward.]

You, uh. You doin' alright there, buddy?

[goldenglasses]

[Vash looks towards the voice that spoke to him and nods solemnly. Showing no shame over being caught looking upset and crying.] Yeah, it's just... we shouldn't have killed them. They had no idea if we were friend or foes. They were probably just protecting the others.

[poetontheinside]

Sure, yeah. [He fidgets, a little awkwardly. Male displays of emotion, what do.] But y'know, if they attack, it's a matter of self-defense, right?

[goldenglasses]

Protecting yourself, yeah, but that doesn't mean that everything has to lead to death.

[poetontheinside]

Yeah, I'll give you that. We got taught to aim for the legs, in the Academy, y'know. [He mimes shooting a gun, shrugs, puts his hands back in his pockets.] Guess that don't go for everyone, though.

[goldenglasses]

No, very few tend to do so actually. I'm glad you were taught to aim for the legs though. Although, I wish there was an easier way to keep fights like this from happening in the first place.

It's so hard when we can't understand each others language.

[poetontheinside]

[Ray doesn't have a frame of reference for wherever Vash is from, only knows his own world. He shifts on his feet, still looking a little out of place.]

You, uh, a soldier or somethin'? Seems like you've [seen things, but that is a little too much, right?] been places.

[goldenglasses]

Me? [Vash chuckles, but without too much amusement at the idea.] No, I'm not a soldier. Although I suppose I have seen some things in my time. It's just, even if I hadn't, don't you think it's a sad thing for any life to be wasted?

[wordmiser]

[What the fuck?! Jinx stumbles under the unexpected weight of a strange man falling into her. The stumble is quickly followed by her phasing her body through the weight. When startled that was usually her first reaction - particularly when she was being attacked by something.

It means she lost the chance to off that bug, and she had to go all the way through a person! Come on, man! That's hot and uncomfortable! She spins to face the stranger, glaring angrily.

Explain yourself, dude!]

1/2

[goldenglasses]

[As Vash falls to the ground and through someone, which he was not expecting at all, his eyes stay on the injured bug who decides to take the distraction to limp away. Good. As the last thing Vash wants is his distractions to lead to injuries to the fleet members. He's glad that the bug is taking the smart move and running away.

Which means he can now focus on important things. Important things like-]

2/2

[goldenglasses]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHHAHHHHHAHH!

I JUST WENT THROUGH YOU! ARE YOU OKAY!? DID I HURT YOU!? I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! IS THAT NORMAL? I HOPE IT'S NORMAL! I'M SO SORRY!!!

[wordmiser]

[Jinx scrambled back a few steps in shock.

What the fuck, dude?! Where the hell did that amount of noise reaction come from!

HOW WAS A GIRL SUPPOSED TO HANDLE THAT?!

She stares at him in pure shock, just purely befuddled. And then, in the desperate hope that it would shut him the fuck up she phased her hand through her own arm a couple of times.]

[goldenglasses]

[The man still on the ground squawks and covers his eyes a moment as her hand passes through her arm once more. Than he lowers his hands and blinks a couple times up at Jinx.] Oh... so that's normal? That's good. [He lets out a loud sigh of relief.] I'm so glad! I was worried I hurt you for a second there!

[wordmiser]

[She nods. Yeah. Normal.

That's the word. Chill, dude.

Even though this is all his fault, she holds out a hand to help him up. She guesses he can have that. You never know when you'll need to curry favor and all.]

Sorry this is so late! Was on a long holiday out of the country!

[goldenglasses]

[He chuckles shyly and slowly reaches out to take the offered hand. Half expected his grasp to go right though, but also assuming she wouldn't offer to help him up if she couldn't be solid now and then.]

Thanks, my name's Vash by the way.

There is no such thing as late in Jordanland! As you can tell by how late this is!

[wordmiser]

[She takes a firm grip on his hand, and gives a solid yank. Up you get, dude.

Chin jerk of acknowledgement.]

Jinx.

Good!

[goldenglasses]

Jinx? But I didn't say anything at the same time. [Naturally born genius here. No really, he is, when he chooses to be. This is not one of those times.]

B

[killedwithlove]

[Cole is exploring in his own way, fading in and out of people's awareness... and that of the bugs.

When he appears next to Vash, silently fading from the shadows, he had a pair of kitchen knives sharpened to weapon keenness on his back. They've clearly been used in combat.

His voice is a whisper]

There's nothing there to hear you. No mind. No soul. Nothing. It's... wrong.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash jumps. Having been so sure there was no one near him just moments before. Then he settles with a sigh when he sees that the voice doesn't seem to poise any threat.] They're not machines. They're alive. So they must have a soul.

[killedwithlove]

Hm.

[Cole rocks on his feet. He is wearing shoes, but they're probably not doing a lot for protecting his feet, thin as they are.]

I can't feel them. Nothing. Just... bodies, empty, echoing.

Not everything that moves still has a soul. Sometimes bodies keep moving and there's nothing there.

Sometimes, being dead is kinder. You want to be kind, because your life has been cruel. Your brother is so cruel. You want to balance him.

[He's not looking at Vash, watching the things he can only half sense move about.]

[goldenglasses]

[One of the few things to pull Vash's mind away from arguing semantics over what counts as a life or not is to bring up his brother. He was ready to respond with something about how these bugs must have a soul if they have life when Cole mentions his brother.

Vash tenses instantly. In nearly a hundred years he had not spoken about his brother to anyone except those on the floating ship and one other. And Cole was not her. Could his brother's influence really reach this far?

Yet, Vash doesn't feel the usual edge that the men and women following his brother seem to give off. It leaves him feeling extremely uneasy and unsure how to proceed.]

How did you know I have a brother.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole flinches slightly, feeling the ripple of pain, shock, caution, suspicion.]

I can feel the pain he leaves on you. He's gouged parts of you and nestled inside, twins, tied together, tangled and torn. He hurts you, so I know him.

I never met him, except through you.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash swallows. Finding it very hard to believe that someone could learn he was a twin without knowing his brother or speaking to him. Yet, for some reason he couldn't bring himself to doubt Cole. There was something about the man that made it seem he was telling the truth.]

How could you possibly know anything about us without speaking to him first? I haven't said anything about my brother since waking up here.

[killedwithlove]

Because he hurts you. Even now, he makes you ache, deep down. I know hurts. I feel them, see them, untangle the threads.

I can't untangle him from you. I don't know how to help that hurt for you.