driftfleet | Gumball Wishes and Taxicab Dreams

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Gumball Wishes and Taxicab Dreams

[On today's episode of the Drift Fleet:

The cargo holds are full of mysterious crates! The crews are filling beyond capacity with new faces! Official alerts are informing the passengers that they are signed to contracts that they've never agreed to! They are docking at the dazzling FS Starlight, but are flat broke!

What are they going to do!? Stay tuned to find out!

...Meaning, this is a kickoff mingle for you all to enjoy the beginning of the latest plot setting. This is a convenient place to start threads relating to the first week of the event-- meeting new crewmembers, reacting to the mysterious cargo, arriving on the station and discovering that you're all broke, etc.

Tag around, start whatever you'd like, have fun. And, as always, feel free to make your own posts and mingles from here on in, as this will be the only mod-posted one for this event!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tch . . .

[You know what, you're getting elbowed in the side.]

I told you, I never had a pet, I don't know how to name one. Suzie, ha rubato la nuvola.

Rubato?! ...Ne ha restituirlo?

[Look at all of these good priorities.]

Oh, she's a girl! That's much better, names for girls are easier because you just have to pick a pretty one. Mm, what about Duchess? Or something white, like Lily...or maybe something that means white, like Bianca! Mmmmm, but...

[She tips her head to the side, regarding Joseph and the puppy, and then back again.]

Really, I think...well, pilots and clouds, they go together, don't they? So you should call her Cloudy, and it fits.

[And now she looks quickly at Caesar.]

Anche se ci ritorno, lei ha bisogno di un nome, nel frattempo, giusto?

[Joseph grunts and shoots Caesar a glare when he elbows him. But he can't keep his attention there for very long. The puppy thinks there should be less talking and more petting. She starts running back and forth between Joseph and Suzie, even when Joseph starts to pet her.]

Hey, you two, English.

[He doesn't know what they're talking about, but it's got Suzie worked up. So that's something to talk about in English, not Italian. He's looking back and forth between the two of them now, just daring them to start talking in Italian again.]

Suzie.

[But he can't not laugh at that. God, she's cute. Joseph's annoyed and it's cute. The stupid dog is cute. Everything's cute. He leans in and ruffles her ears, reaches to cup Suzie's cheek.]

I was telling her how you stole this dog. I like Cloudy, dolcezza, but someone will have to find her a pilot hat.

And cut little holes for the ears?

[There are like three people all with their hands up on this dog right now. How is this dog going to manage. Everybody wants a piece of her.]

Jojo, who did you steal her from?

[She's just going to have to learn how to adjust. Or be caught in an endless cycle of trying to determine who she wants the most attention from as she is right now. She'll either make herself dizzy or just sit down and give up at this rate.]

Okay first of all, [Joseph holds up a finger,] I didn't steal her. I would never do something like that.

[........He might think about really hard, but that's not the same thing as actually stealing. That's only half a lie.]

I was supposed to deliver her to a new owner, but they didn't show after like two hours. It's not like they lost out on any money. I wasn't going to get paid until she was delivered and besides, I couldn't just leave her there.

[Joseph picks the puppy up with a grin and brings her in close enough that Suzie's face is now being attacked with affectionate puppy kisses and snuffling.]

Could either of you left her there? Really?

Oh, so.

[He glances sideways at Joseph, mostly suspicious, a little bit affectionate.*]

[*Note: these ratios may not be to scale.]

You saved her. Like a superhero. Is that what you're saying?

Eep!

[...Look, you can't expect a meaningful contribution out of her when she is getting FLUFFY PUPPY KISSES ALL OVER HER FACE.

Coincidentally, this is an excellent method of getting her on Joseph's side, because all logic seems like sound logic in the face of FLUFFY PUPPY KISSES ALL OVER HER FACE AAAH OH MY GOD]

I think he definitely did the right thing! Poor Cloudy...!

[Joseph rolls his eyes a little at Caesar, but his smile doesn't dim in the least. Sure, what he did was maybe a little selfish, but it was either money or a puppy who needed a home. Like hell he'd take the money. And nobody's certainly complaining about it now. Joseph moves over to deposit Cloudy either into Suzie's lap or arms, whichever she prefers, (because cute girl + cute dog = y e s) and kisses the top of Suzie's head.]

See? This is why you shouldn't listen to Caesar. He made it sound much worse than what actually happened. I did a good thing and everybody wins because of it.

[Here is the gross thing about Caesar: he was not actually teasing about the hero thing. He sounded like he was, but he wasn't. He is disgustingly charmed by this stupid dog theft, and he is now experiencing the deep struggle of not being sure whether to look at Suzie or the puppy or Dog Superman.]

It could have been worse. And she's better behaved than you are, anyway.

[He is making such gross eyes at everyone right now.]

[Look at this. Put this on a Christmas card and send it to all of your friends, Suzie is cradling an armful of dog like it's a baby and aside from some token wriggling the dog does not appear to mind.]

Well, I'm just glad to have another girl on my side! Now it's even, two and two.

[She leans down, pretending to whisper in one of the puppy's ears, and then turning her head like she's listening to a reply — which probably earns her a wet kiss on the shell of her ear for her efforts.]

Oh, is that so~? I think so too, mmhmm!

[she is pretending to hold a whispered conversation with a dog. save us all.]

[Nope. This is unacceptable and Joseph is going to get there before Caesar does if only because he's closer. He wraps his arms around her middle, pulling Suzie into his lap.]

Hey now, you're not supposed to keep secrets from us, Suzie Q! What's she telling you?

[What. Pouting. So much pouting. He leans against Joseph's shoulder and sulks, reaching out to brush the puppy's nose with the tip of his finger. This dog is the only one who has not Betrayed him yet.]

Suzie . . . don't gang up on us!

Eep!

[And there she goes again, with her little squeaks; suddenly they are a matryoshka doll of puppy and girl and young man, all piled atop of one another.]

Well, I asked her who's the best-looking, of course!

[BEHOLD: THE GOLDEN PUPPY OF DISCORD. LET THE FAIREST WIN ITS FAVOR.]

[Joseph lets go of Suzie with one arm and covers Caesar's face with his hand, but he doesn't push him away because the moment Caesar starts leaning on him, Joseph leans back. Attention whores gotta attention whore though.]

Obviously she picked me, right?

Obviously she didn't.

[This is not going to go well at all, everyone is doomed. He shakes Joseph's hand off his face. If that doesn't work, fuck you, he'll lick it.]

Of course not, she picked me!

[She laughs, nuzzling against the puppy's fluff before turning to watch the...whatever it is that these two are doing with the hands and the faces and the possible licking.]

It'd be a perfect tie otherwise!

[Joseph is not moving his hand at all. Not even once licked. He doesn't say it directly, but he shoots Caesar a look that is clearly asking what his plan was there. Have you met him? Who got grossed out when they had water spit in their face? Caesar or Joseph? He just ignores it and keeps his hand there. But his attention moves back to Suzie when she gives her answer.]

She's got good taste then, doesn't she?

[Ugh. Awful. This time he grabs Joseph's wrist and wrenches his hand back, twisting it around to settle at his waist. Then he twines his fingers companionably in Joseph's hair and yanks hard. Asshole.]

She has very good taste. Which means she'll probably like Suzie better than you, Jojo.

Mm, mmm, I'm really glad you're around now, Cloudy! I need a lot of help keeping these two boys in line, just look!

[Just look indeed. This is their trio in a single image: Suzie comfortably cuddles an actual puppy, while literally two inches from her Joseph and Caesar have resorted to hair-pulling.]

[Honestly, Cloudy is just so happy to be here right now. Look at her. Don't worry about the two idiots behind you, Suzie.]

Ow! [Joseph's hand leaves Caesar's waist almost immediately to start trying to pry his fingers out of his hair while trying very hard not to shift around too much in order to avoid disturbing Suzie and the puppy.] Let go!

No.

[So serene. He is immovable. Just try it. But try it without upsetting Suzie.]

Maybe you should train her, Suzie. Jojo needs some work.

[WOW IS SOMETHING GOING ON BEHIND HER BECAUSE RIGHT NOW HER SOLE CONCERN IS THIS ADORABLE PUPPY, HOT DAMN.]

Nooooo, she's not mine! She's Jojo's, so he gets the fun and the responsibility.

[Joseph's life is suffering and he gives a small growl of frustration (to which Cloudy is naturally Alarmed! about at first before getting distracted with trying to give Suzie's chin more sloppy kisses). He wants to agree with Suzie and reward her for it, but the hair-pulling is the worst right now. So uno momento por favor. He'll get to you in a second, Suzie. He turns his head as best he can and starts trying to butter Caesar up with kisses to his cheek.]

Why are you trying to dump all the work off on Suzie anyway? You're going to help, too, you know. It's not like I can just leave her on the Caprine when I come to your ship.

[Damn, Joseph, that is the oldest trick in the book.]

[. . . and it works immediately. He stops pulling and finger-combs Joseph's hair back into order, leaning his head against his temple.]

Mm, how do you train a dog? Is it like babies?

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