At least there's no elevator music...

[thespaceopera]

[At least two weeks have passed since the Drift Fleet passengers woke up on this strange wing of the Marsiva... Some new passengers have even joined the group instead of being Shuffled off to a fleet ship! The large monitor in the central room remains quiet for now, so how is everyone holding up?

Have you been relaxing? Enjoying the Earth media? If you can even remember them, how have Calibrations been treating you? Has anyone started getting a little stir-crazy?

Don't worry... This ship has no shortage of mysteries, and you'll be seeing a few more soon.]


ooc: here's another mingle for the current game event! players can start or continue threads here from any point during the event. the additional setting information is still being postponed due to sickly mods, but y'all are welcome to post additional topcomments for reactions and investigation once it's up!

Comments

closed to caesar

[forgetyourusedtobe]

[continuing this]

[Elena moans softly when the needle is pulled from her arm. She has enough sense to feel that dull throb of pain, but it's over nearly as soon as the needle is out just like he said. He promises not to go anywhere and--]

No, you shou... [The rest falls into a mumble and Elena draws another breath to try again.] If Klaus and Stefan...

[mylegacy]

Fuck them.

[He says it flatly and pulls her closer, not into a hug, not exactly, not if she doesn't remember him, but close enough that she can see his eyes, how very clearly he is not joking.]

They're not going to hurt me, and they're not going to hurt you either.

[forgetyourusedtobe]

[Elena makes a noise that's halfway between a laugh and a sob.]

You can't do anything about Klaus. No one... He can't... He can't be killed.

closed to ino

[nextlineis]

[continuing this]

[Oh, thank God. Joseph could not look more relieved! He can do this easier. Much easier. He can grab at a bunch of his favorites! Well. Except the ones that are just out of reach. Those he needs to lean or crawl a little closer towards to show her, but he'll make it work. He's more focused on chattering away about them to really mind taking the extra step.]

Granny got me this bear once when I was sick and its fur is really, really, really soft. And I like this airplane a lot because my father flew one like it. And I like these marbles because Uncle Speedwagon brought them back from America. Oh and these tinker toys! I don't really like the toy cars that much, but I really like this one 'cause Granny got it for my birthday last year. Ooh, ooh, and it's outside actually, but Granny got me a shiny, red wagon for Christmas last year that I like playing with outside! It can carry lots of stuff in it and sometimes I ride in it while Granny pulls when we go places.

Oh, and check this one out! [He's currently winding up the string on a gyroscope.] Hold out your finger! It's a really neat trick Uncle Speedwagon showed me!

[ino]

[ She can't help but laugh a little good-naturedly at his enthusiasm. She can really see why he's so spoiled, now -- she kinda wants to spoil him a lot, too.

She'll tuck her bangs behind her ear and hold out her finger like he asked, though ]

What's this one called?

[nextlineis]

A gyroscope.

[He manages to say it mostly without stumbling over it. It's a big word and he's missing a front tooth. Cut him some slack.]

[But okay, he pulls the string once he gets it wound up to get the center spinning. And then he places it on the tip of her finger to let it spin and balance there with a wide grin.]

Neat, huh!?

[Because this must be the coolest thing she's ever seen. It's definitely up there for him. Top ten at least.]

[ino]

[ She's actually never seen one before, so -- she is pretty impressed! ]

Wow! That is neat!

[ She's watching it, to figure out how it works ... ]

Will it balance on anything?

[nextlineis]

Mmmhm!

[There is some enthusiastic nodding to go with it.]

I even got it to balance on the string once.

[With some help, but with the level of pride he's carrying right now you'd probably never know it.]

[ino]

On the string, huh ... ? That must be tough, since it's so thin.

[ Well ... she's not above being the entertainment for a moment. She'll lift her finger up and down while it spins on it to test its weight ... before she pops it up into the air with her finger, tilting her head back to catch it and let it balance it on her nose ]

Ha!

closed to robin

[nextlineis]

[continuing this]

[Joseph's unsure how to feel about that. Or rather, he feels a little repulsed and kinda scared by either prospect even though he doesn't know much about priesthoods. But he doesn't want to seem like a little kid. You know, despite being a little kid all the same. It's hard for him to erase all the uneasiness as he swallows hard, lifting his chin and trying not to look bothered by any of it while still having a very worried brow.]

But if they found a buncha skeletons, why would they stay?

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[oh, he didn't mean to scare him... he laughs a little.]

People do very strange things. Maybe they just wanted to prove that they were brave.

[which is the kind of thought that prompts him to take another look around. it's then that he actually catches the helpful detail painted in front of the chest. Jojo. he remembers that name.]

Oh. [but just to check, he points.] That's your name? Jojo?

[nextlineis]

[Joseph is busy considering what Robin's said, brow furrowed as he mulls it over about proving that they're brave. That seems like a really risky thing to prove if you're planning on staying somewhere for good. It'd be one thing if it was just proving to your friends you could stay the night or something, but to actually stay forever and ever?]

[He perks up when he hears his name though before nodding. He looks quite proud of this fact, too.]

Mmmhm! Well, it's actually Joseph, but everyone calls me Jojo.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Oh, that's a great name!

[what a funny repetition--he holds his own face, grinning wide.]

Nice to meet you then, Jojo. I didn't mean to interrupt your playing or anything, but you've been fun.

[nextlineis]

[Damn straight it's a great name! Seriously, don't start in with the dodo stuff or this kid will have a freaking meltdown of epic proportions. As it is, he just grins wide and proud.]

You can play with me if you want!

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[no dodos this time. only joy. because he wasn't actually expecting the offer to let him stay, or anything...]

Oh, I could? You wouldn't mind?

closed to caesar

[nextlineis]

[continuing this]

[!!!]

[Joseph sits upright almost immediately because whoa that is a compliment if he's ever heard one before. Crap.]

You're more of a superhero than me if you're beating up bad guys!

[mylegacy]

[So cute. Gross. Ugh. This baby.]

I think the only reason you're not is because you're still small. Someday you'll be big enough to beat up bad guys all on your own. Maybe you'll even be taller than me.

[nextlineis]

[Hear that sound, Caesar? That's the sound of a small mind being blown because taller than Caesar?]

You really think so? I could be taller than you!?

[mylegacy]

I think you could. From what you showed me on the door, you're already growing a lot.

[He raises his eyebrows.]

Maybe someday you can help me beat up the bad guys.

[nextlineis]

[Joseph bounces a little in place. He could not be more elated with this prospect.]

Yeah! Yeah! We'd be the best team! The bad guys wouldn't stand a chance!

I bet they'd even run away from us!

closed to mal

[nextlineis]

[continuing this]

[Joseph's brow furrows. He's not satisfied with that answer in the least bit. He tightens his grip on his little bicep.]

So? There's lots of my stuff sitting out. It's my room. You can't just touch stuff that doesn't belong to you.

[deshabille]

[Hmmmm. She looks at Joseph. Looks at the toys. Looks at Joseph again.]

[Reeeeaches out to boop the horse. Ha ha.]

[nextlineis]

Don't!

[Congrats, you rude-ass motherfucker. You get another memory. Once she's back from the arena, Joseph's irritably pulling her hand off the horse and getting a swift kick to the shin.]

Stop touching things!

[deshabille]

[The kick doesn't even register. It doesn't budge her; she doesn't flinch, or even blink. She's too lost in the memory. That . . . she only doubted him for an instant, but even that instant seems awful now, a betrayal. There's too much good in him for anyone to doubt him.]

[It's actually kind of annoying, come to think of it.]

[Slowly, she looks from the horse back to Joseph, her brow furrowed in a frown. This - she's getting close to something. She can feel it, hear it, smell it in the fear on him, the anger. But.]

[She cocks her head to one side, her stare unblinking and inhuman. She wants to know. But.]

What are you afraid of?

[nextlineis]

Nothing!

[It's a quick, snappish response without any thought put into it. He's frustrated that she doesn't even seem fazed that he hit her. It wasn't the hardest he could kick, but it should have done something other than get her to slowly look at him.]

[Joseph lets go of her, folding his arms again. He stands as tall as he can, chin raised, and trying to give the image of someone who's used to authority. Sadly, Joseph's only used to getting his way more often than not, not being in charge. There's a distinct difference. Still, he tries.]

I want you to go. Now.