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

[save_the_souls]

[Allen doesn't look over, but nods very solemnly as he continues to control the katamari, leaning against Clay as he does so. He answers with a deadpan seriousness]

Yes. They're the cores of stars, but they need kindling to start up their bright fires again.

[Allen knows there is absolutely no science to this. But that won't stop him from saying it like he believes it when Clay's in earshot.]

[delincuente]

Leave science out of our video games, Ranger. Is nothing sacred?

[Alex is laying with her feet across Clay's lap, and her head on Stefan's, eating pieces of popcorn from a small pile she's collected on her chest. It's a picture of beauty and grace.]

You're just rolling a big sticky ball around and picking crap up. It's Intergalactic Lint Roller: The Game.

[geonomy]

[And Clay's got one arm around Allen while he lets the other drape across Alex's ankles, a bowl of popcorn in his lap so that they can all have easy access. What Allen says gets him to make a face, and he opens his mouth to counter it until Alex says her thing.

Well! Leave science out of video games indeed.]

And it's literally anything you can pick up. And somehow [POINTED LOOK AT ALLEN] it fuels the stars, even though most of them aren't made out of hydrogen or helium.

[stefanged]

So... it runs on video game logic.

[Stefan leans forward, brushing some of Alex's hair out of her face as he tries to wipe off that amused smile on his face. The effort is a failed one.]

You shouldn't ask him to leave the science out, habibti. If Japan really believes that intergalatic lint rollers light up the world, then... their science curriculum's way worse than I remembered.

[save_the_souls]

[He frowns in confusion at the nickname, distracting him enough to make him roll the Katamari off the ledge he was near] - It's Allen.

It fuels them because the King of the Cosmos lights them on fire. It's like a campfire, that's all. It's simple, and scientific.

[...It's a little hard to keep a straight face while he says that]

[delincuente]

You should write a textbook.

[She stretches out her feet across Clay's lap, so that she can nudge Allen's leg with them.]

Walker Texas Ranger.

[geonomy]

[And he SNICKERS at that nickname, even though he honestly has no idea where it came from. Walker Texas Ranger was waaaay before his time, but he can take a guess.]

If it's simple, it's not scientific. I could write a textbook on this.

[stefanged]

[His shoulders're shaking more than usual, especially at Allen's nickname, but he's gonna try and be a good vampire - no laughing from him.]

I think we'd better test your hypothesis. [Reaching for a fistful of popcorn now!] Simple and scientific, right? So let's do another level and see how this King lights up the sky.

[save_the_souls]

- What?

[That nickname is even stupider!! He'll shove the controller over in Stefan's direction as he gives an annoyed look at Alex]

It's Allen! And you should know I'm not a Texan!

[delincuente]

It's a TV show. I basically just called you Chuck Norris, that's an honor.

[But she just smiles relaxedly as she watches Allen pass the controller. She's always up for some teasing, but right now she's enjoying how happy this all feels. Tilting her head a bit, she looks up at Stefan.]

Feel the giant lint roller. Be the giant lint roller.

[geonomy]

Wait, that's a Chuck Norris thing?

[He leans over Alex, keeping a hand on Allen's back to keep up the contact, and gestures to the controller Stefan's holding.]

You use both controls sticks to move. Just push them both forward if you wanna move forward, to the side if you want - you get the picture, right? And move one stick up and one down if you want to turn around quickly.

[As he leans back over his place, he gives a little point at Alex's face.]

Anyway, Chuck Norris is actually a huge jerk. You know he tried to sue the website that was saying all those jokes? The Rock would be way better to be compared to.

[stefanged]

[OH HELLO sudden controller. Stefan shoves that handful of popcorn into his mouth, taking the controller and memorizing Clay's instructions as if his life depends on it.

Hastily, right after he's swallowed that last bit of popcorn:] You'd better not finish that with tasting the lint roller.

[Both sticks forward to move forward, both backwards to move back... It takes him a couple of seconds (and him bumping against a couple of trashcans and road signs) - but he's getting it, and it's super therapeutic to roll up ANYTHING in his path.

Well, within size limits right now. He's coming for those trashcans, just you wait...]

[save_the_souls]

[Allen meanwhile has no idea who these people Clay and Alex are referring to are, but he knows one thing-!]

Or you could both just call me Allen.

[delincuente]

[Alex picks a piece of popcorn out of her cleavage, and eats it. Both Allen's and Stef's comments go right out her other ear.]

Oh man, that must have been after my time. I mean, he's always been an ass, but not that much of one yet.

[She finally looks back over at the screen.]

Pick up the- no, wait, can you pick up the dog? Try to pick up the dog.

[geonomy]

[For a moment, it seems like those comments go right out his other ear too.]

Yeah, he's definitely a big one now. He keeps trying to use his old status as a way to reach out and speak out against, you know, basic human rights. He's pretty much a joke now.

[But as he leans back to his spot and slides his arm around Allen again, he kisses his boyfriend's cheek, then rests his head against his shoulder as he watches Stefan get used to the controls.]

I say he should go for the line of sushi on the ground. What do you think, Allen?

[stefanged]

He was half-way there, back in 2016. I guess he just kept going downhill....

[Stefan presses his lips together, gripping the controller tighter as he focuses his attention on the screen. Video games in general are foreign territory: he's seen them, sure, and even played a round or two of Mario Kart with friends. They're just not something he picks up with any regularity - but once he's got it?

He's got it down. Stefan shakes his head, going straight for that line of sushi and rolling them up in mere seconds.]

I'm not big enough for the dog. Another .5 km, maybe?

[He eyes some bento boxes and sighs, rolling around them. Soon, bento, soon.]

[save_the_souls]

[Allen, being from 1899, has nothing to say about Chuck Norris so he's quiet about that part of the conversation. And man, it's hard to stay cranky when Clay does that- so he lets a little sigh out of his nose as he settles back against him. Fine. You win this time.]

[Especially when there's talk of food]

Sushi's always good... [And noticing the bento boxes] - Oh! Try to get the bento boxes too! They're delicious!

[....Because clearly, in Allen's mind, you get to eat the katamari]

[delincuente]

You can't eat video game food, Allen.

[Alex tries to toss a piece of popcorn up in the air and catch it in her mouth. It lands somewhere in her hair, and she gropes around for it. Sorry if that's your leg, Stef.]