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

[limitstorm]

[ (a) quietly, when no one is around... riku is at the computer panel. gasp! it's rare that he's actually doing that, since he usually reads or listens to music, but no. he's at the screen with a small stack of movies, it seems... suspenseful music plays, and he hunches his shoulders as he watches intently. the volume's down, but that certainly is some sort of flesh-eating zombie ambling across the screen... riku, however, is completely and totally engrossed in it. he's leaning forward, eyes wide, and when the music grows and a zombie catches up with a poor, unsuspecting human, eating their brains, he jumps slightly. he's not actually scared, though, seeming far more engrossed. excuse him as he paws for where he last left his tea, he doesn't want to take his eyes off of the movie... the stack of movies next to him seem to all be horror, too. never let it be said he doesn't love a genre.

(b) in one reading nook, you may find riku closeted away, legs crossed, eyes closed. for those who've stumbled upon him before, it's not unlike when he was meditating on the previous planet--his brows furrow and smoky, inky black energy spews from him once or twice before he reels it back in. it's hard, his face concentrated and exhausted, but it's necessary. don't get too close, you might find a small explosion of darkness will startle you off of your feet. ]

b

[experiencepoints]

[All she wanted was a place to read her trashy lesbian vampire erotica in peace, damnit.

Still, as she approaches Riku, a cool wind blows in his face, like it's trying to blow the smoke off, and maybe just cool him off a bit. She's not quite close enough for an explosion to trigger yet, though, unless that wind is enough to startle it into happening.]

Hey, are you okay?

[limitstorm]

[ thankfully, it's not enough to trigger his darkness into thinking of a threat. riku relaxes a bit before he looks over his shoulder--

ah. nightingale.

he hesitates, looking back ahead instead of at her, almost like he's going to ignore her, before he sighs. ]

I'm getting there, I think.

[experiencepoints]

What's wrong?

[does she need to murder xehanort again? because she is totally down for that.]

[limitstorm]

I'm just trying to get a handle on my powers again. It's not as easy as I thought it'd be.

[experiencepoints]

Do you need a hand with it?

[limitstorm]

... I think you've been through enough without having to deal with my weird powers.

[experiencepoints]

You've been through too much of my shit, too, for me to not offer.

[limitstorm]

[ ah, so she was going to bring that up. he hesitates, and then slowly pushes some of his hair behind his ear. ]

... I guess there is something you can do.

[experiencepoints]

Name it.

[if it involves stealing another sword from that fuck she's so game]

[limitstorm]

Can you... center me while I meditate?

[experiencepoints]

... You'll have to tell me what that means, but sure.

[limitstorm]

Uh, it's-- [ //// ] Just hold my hands so I remember there's people around. Without a center, you can forget yourself and fall too deep.

You don't have to--I know it's weird.

[experiencepoints]

[Before he's even gotten to the 'you don't have to', she's dragged one of the couch cushions over with her wind spell to sit on and get comfortable, and is holding out her hands.]

[limitstorm]

[ to that, he just kind of... stares. ]

I really don't get you, Nightingale.

[experiencepoints]

... Sorry, did I do something wrong?

[limitstorm]

No, no, [ he's very quick to shake his head firmly. ] you're fine. I guess... I'm surprised at...

[ his voice trails off, and he tugs at the bangs. ]

You're being really helpful and I'm not used to that, that's what I mean to say.

[experiencepoints]

... You know, there was this thing my team would do sometimes. It's practically our team's special secret technique.

[It's going to segue into something else, I promise.]

[limitstorm]

[ oh, subject change... ]

Uh--okay? What?

a

[multiglyphs]

[ weiss hadn't meant to linger, she swears. it would have been just too rude to, obviously, especially when the user of the space seems thoroughly engrossed in his own business. but she'd never quite seen a movie quite like this before — it certainly wasn't """"proper"""" that's for sure, and she can just imagine how her father would recoil at the thought of her indulging in it...

which is perhaps exactly why she stays, or maybe she's just genuinely gotten enthralled herself, but either way, she's there, standing just a little beside him. close enough, at least, that when he reaches over to grasp at his mug of tea, he winds up bumping his fingers against her foot, instead, and somehow it comes at just the right time a new jump scare happens on the screen.

which means, yes, she is suddenly jumping up and shrieking in her surprise. ]

[limitstorm]

[ the shriek made him jolt, and riku sharply looked to her with wide eyes, surprise plain on his face.

at least, until after a second, and he just raised an eyebrow at her. ]

Uh... sorry?

[ ...? ]

Wait--were you watching?

[multiglyphs]

[ she at least has the grace to look embarrassed about her little outburst, her pale cheeks a bright pink hue as she attempts to compose herself. ]

I — No, of course not — I'd only —

[ yeah, she's not so good at this. ]

Yes, [ she admits, looking deflated for a moment before she puffs up again. ] Only for a moment, though. I hadn't meant to intrude.

[limitstorm]

[ he pauses, before he just... laughs. it's not a derisive laugh at all, he just tips his chin away and looks almost fond. ]

You don't need to be embarrassed. [ says the one doing this when no one's around... ] Movies like these usually have a habit of pulling you in, you know?

You didn't intrude. [ he extends a hand to her. ] I'm Riku.

[multiglyphs]

[ at first, when he laughs, she feels a spike of that usual indignation and defensiveness flare up inside her. but upon closer inspection of the — fond?? — kindness tinging the laugh, she finds her cheeks warming in further embarrassment instead. ]

I wouldn't, actually, [ she says quietly, matter-of-factly. ] I can't say any of these films would have been approved by my father. [ or winter, either, for that matter.

when he holds out a hand, though, she only hesitates briefly before taking it into a firm shake. ]

Weiss Schnee, [ she introduces in return. once upon a time, she used to say that name as if it meant something. but it's been a long time since it had any actual weight. ]

Are you... doing this for fun? [ she says it like it sounds like an absurd idea. ]

a!

[stefanged]

[Stefan hadn't meant to intrude, but he can't quite help tilting his head as he peers at the screen, then over at Riku. It takes him a couple of seconds, since horror isn't his thing (it's too inaccurate to be his thing) - but he does nudge the cup of tea closer to Riku as he sits down beside him.

With a small laugh as he holds his own mug,] Think you'd be okay with some company?