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!]

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Probably, since I think everyone's account is unreachable, but you know... I do owe you a gift.

[He grins, glancing back at her. Stefan is dressed a little nicer than usual, with a navy blazer and pressed slacks, but he hadn't intended to buy clothes so soon. Nah, this was more from the unexpected job he'd gotten dragged into.]

Why don't you try it on, and if it fits? I'll buy it for you. Consider it repayment for Shirley's painting.

[ Her earnings might be a lot smaller compared to whatever Stefan's job is. She can't take up the jobs in any of the establishments and the tips she gathered really aren't enough to buy a decent, nice-looking piece of clothing. Her mouth gapes open slightly in disbelief, then back towards the dress. ]

Are you sure? Y-you could just get me a hair accessory or something...

Very sure. I don't need a lot of money, beyond things for my crew, so if it's within reason [which he kind of thinks it is], I wouldn't mind.

[He figured, though now he's wondering if he can rope Elize into his "unexpected job" too. He makes a mental note to compel his boss later.]

Come on, let's go in and see what else they've got in stock.

...okay. There might be something better inside.

[ Hopefully the pricing is within reason. It's a dress with some glowing strips, which seem to be all the rage on this station. Or maybe she might change her mind after looking around long enough.

She enters the store and already she's heading straight towards the girls section. There's more dresses on display on the mannequins, all with some sort of bright, glowing strip on it somewhere. ]

[It feels like he's stepped into a TRON movie. Stefan frowns a little at all those glowing strips, careful to not comment on them as he follows her over to the girls' section.

Nor is he quite commenting on his face being plastered all over the men's section. Some of the other patrons've noticed, but Stefan's as cool as a cucumber as he pulls out one of the dresses from a rack. He's careful to check the sizing first before he holds it out. The price isn't great, but in a place like this, there's always gonna be a mark-up.]

What about this one?

[ Her eyes are focused on the dresses, not quite noticing Stefan's face plastered over a different section across from them. Not yet. For some of the dresses, she makes a face at. Honestly, she does like the brightness, but some of the designs are just overload with too much glow. She doesn't want to blind anyone.

Elize's expression brightens up briefly as Stefan pulls a dress from the rack. She toddles over to him, to take a better look at it. It has a bit of cute poofiness to it and ruffles just how she likes it. And of course the design involves some of the station's love for glowing strips. Perhaps she can find a nice hair accessory to go along with it. ]

It's... cute. [ Then she frowns, turning red on the cheeks again. ] Is the glowing too much?

[He shakes his head, glancing back at the dress again. As far as glowing strips go, this is pretty tame. Some of these designs wouldn't look out of place in a cyberpunk world, but this was pretty minimalist. Poofy and with enough glow to make it shine.]

Nope. Honestly, it brings out your eyes. [She's got pretty eyes, like his kid sister. He furrows his brow, thinking about this as if it's a life or death matter, before he holds it in his arms.] Plus, it looks like something you'd wear.

[He's guessing, since the glowing strip's a faint green, rather than the blinding shades he sees elsewhere. Come on, store - there had to be pink glowing strips somewhere.]

Oh...

[ He may be right about the green. Back home, she had another dress that was bright with a lot of green and yellow. Not like the dark purple dress she arrived on the fleet with. A design with pink glowing stripes would be something she'd also jump on, but she's smiling a little now, eager to try on the dress that Stefan picked out for her. ]

Can I go try it on now?

Sure. [He holds it out for her to take.] I'll wait by the dressing room entrance.

[Since he's pretty sure he wouldn't be allowed in, even if he claimed he was her big brother (or some other close relation).]

Okay! Um...

[ She's still holding her doll and mage staff. Shifting both objects into one arm, she holds them out towards Stefan and takes the dress with her free hand. ]

Can you hold my staff and Hoppo for me, please?

Y-yeah, if you're sure.

[He accepts both the staff and Hoppo, holding onto them as if they're the most important things in the entire multiverse. His expression softens as he looks down at them. He can't remember seeing Elize without the little guy, so he might as well protect this with his (un)life.] I promise I'll take good care of 'em.

[ She's not as attached to Hoppo like she was with Teepo, but she has grown to love the doll. It gave her some sort of comfort and her arms felt less empty. ]

Thank you. I know you will.

[ Smiling, she then excitedly totters off to the girls' dressing room. Give her a few minutes in there. ]

[Stefan waits patiently by the entrance, holding Hoppo as if it's a matter of national security. Sure, he doesn't know the exact relationship - but when a kid gives you her doll, you protect it with all you've got.

The employee makes some remark about Stefan being a "good older brother," and he pauses for a moment. Huh. Guess that is a bit fitting.]

Don't tell her that happened, okay? [At this point, he's not sure if the doll could talk, but after Timcampy - well, he's not making any bets.]

[ No response from the doll. Just nothing but complete silence, so Stefan might look a little odd talking to it. The echore magic that allowed Hoppo to speak wore off a few hours on the day she received him. It was only prerecorded speech though and not really capable of any conversation.

Minutes later, Elize appears out of the dressing room, wearing the glowing dress. She received permission from the employee working the dressing room to show her outfit off to Stefan. Luckily for her, the dress looks to be a perfect fit on her. And fluffy. She's smiling awkwardly though, having already seen herself in the mirror. It's something she likes, but she needs a second opinion. ]

...Stefan? Does it look okay?

More than okay. You look amazing.

[He means it too, rushing up to greet her with a huge, genuine smile typically reserved for his medicine or his poetry. Elize looks precious without even trying, and this dress? Perfect.]

Better question is, how do you feel? Is it comfortable?

[ Nearby customers might be murmuring something about her, but surely it has to be about something good. They're smiling at her and they might be thinking similarly to Stefan. Luckily Elize's attention is focused on him. She'd turn even more red knowing people were whispering about her. ]

It's comfortable. It fits great and I like it a lot!

[ She can't help but do a spin, giving the dress a little swish. ]

[Thank goodness. Stefan would agree with their opinions, because she looks almost like a perfect angel. Almost, because Stefan doesn't actually know what an angel looks like.]

Perfect. [He grins, reaching in his pockets for his wallet so that he can properly pay for it.] Looks like we've got a solid keeper.

[ She nods, squeaking out a little delighted laugh. She loves the dress even more now that she has had a chance to try it. ]

I'll go ahead and change back!

[ Since she's not going to merely step out the store wearing it. She turns on her heel, briskly heading back into the dressing room with an energetic skip in her steps. ]

Sounds good.

[He can't exactly pay for a dress while she's changing, so he'll wait. The murmurs are getting louder, though - and for a brief second, Stefan almost wonders what that means.

Nothing, right? Has to be nothing. They're confusing him for the male model (read: himself) or confusing her for someone else or - something.]

[ After a few more minutes, she's back out of the dressing room with the dress bundled up in her arms. The murmurs growing increasingly louder doesn't go unnoticed. ]

Stefan, is something going on?

[ And just now, she finally spots a familiar face across the store. His familiar face plastered all over the men's section. ]

Oh! That... looks just like you!

[ A little loud there, Elize. ]

[He winces, careful not to turn and look back at the posters.

Quietly, like he doesn't want people jumping on him,] That's because it is.

[Hastily, he gestures towards the cash register.] Come on, let's get this and get out before...

[Before what, exactly? Autographs? People jumping on him?? He's not sure, but he doesn't want to know.]

It- [ Softer voice now. ] O-oh...

[ Elize says in a whisper, a flush spreading across her face when she realizes that she must have further blown Stefan's cover.

With a quiet nod, she quickly totters over to the cash register to make their purchase. ]

[Cover is very much blown at this point, with people pointing and staring at Stefan while he pretends not to notice.]

Hey, don't worry about it. Even if you hadn't said anything, it still would've happened.

[This almost feels like a normal day back home, except for the part where people're trying to get selfies with him in the background. Space selfies? Is that a thing??]

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Gumball Wishes and Taxicab Dreams

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