Gumball Wishes and Taxicab Dreams

[thespaceopera]

[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!]

Comments

[nerdeology]

They certainly thought you were.

[Silly humans, taking everything so seriously. Not like seraphim at all!

And he can definitely hear that smile in Sorey's voice, and it's very satisfying.]

[monolike]

You know, I probably can't go back to that park for a while. [nudges his side] Since that's your fault, you're going to have to make it up to me and keep me entertained.

[nerdeology]

[Mikleo scoffs faintly, his voice taking on the bored, flat tone he uses to imitate Sorey.]

"Oh no, I have to spend hours at the library with my best friend, what a terrible fate."

[monolike]

[Sorey does a little dance, outwardly squirming with satisfaction. Yeah, he's already over it. Annoying Mikleo is really rewarding sometimes.] And you're going to make the books float and we'll probably get kicked out of there too.

[nerdeology]

No doubt. You've cleverly deduced it, my new mission- to make sure that you're evicted from every interesting locale on the station.

[monolike]

If you just wanted my company Mikleo, all you had to do was tell me. [purposefully bumps into him]

[nerdeology]

[Bumps back. He can do this all day, too.]

Don't put words in my mouth. I was doing just fine on my own until you got us kicked out of the park.

[monolike]

Uh, you got me kicked out of the park. You can go back whenever you want.

[...now that he's thinkin' about it,] Say, if you infused me with mana, could you make me invisible?

[nerdeology]

[.........Only Sorey asks the weirdest questions]

I'm pretty sure it only works with non-living things.

[monolike]

So my clothes? Would that mean I'd just look like a floating head and a pair of hands, or would I just look naked? [the IMPORTANT questions] Hmmm.

[nerdeology]

[He will probably regret indulging this, but.]

Considering the objects infused are merely transparent to those without resonance, you'd probably look naked.

[So, you know, if you want to embarrass yourself.]

[monolike]

Hm, that's true. I guess that wouldn't work. [Not that he's looking to be invisible, but it'd be a fun experiment to try.] What about hair? It's technically dead once it comes out of your scalp.

[nerdeology]

Hmm... shall we find out?

[He reaches over, as if to pull on Sorey's hair. For the sake of science or something.]

[monolike]

Sure, do it! [But then Mikleo grabs his hair and he has sudden reservations.] Wait, you know how to reverse it, right? [Gramps did, but hell if Sorey knows if Mikleo knows.]

[nerdeology]

Mm, probably.

[Of course he does. But he's curious to see how far Sorey will take this.]

Still want to try?

[monolike]

[Sorey hesitates, but then looks Mikleo dead in the eye and grins.] Let’s do it. I trust you.

[nerdeology]

[....P-pffft. So trusting. How is he supposed to make fun of that?

Whatever, he's committed now. So with a faint sigh he finishes his reaching and buries both hands in Sorey's hair, gently infusing it with mana. Sorey's resonance is high enough that he probably wouldn't even see the change, but- well, who knows if it'll actually work?]

Feel anything?

[monolike]

[no but you could stand to mess with his hair more because that feels real good] Nah. I think you'd better do it again. [gestures] Maybe move your fingers around more?

[nerdeology]

[you

self-indulgent nerd]

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with hand gestures.

[He says, as he cards his fingers through Sorey's hair as requested anyway.]

[monolike]

[Hmmms because that's nice. Sorey closes his eyes and grins, bowing his head down into Mikleo's hands. He gets a couple weird stares from people, but some mime kid is far from the strangest thing on this station.]

Yup, I think it's working.

[nerdeology]

Does that mean I should stop?

[He pauses in his motions, not pulling away just yet, but stationary.]

[monolike]

[GRABS AT HANDS]

Oh no, I'm pretty sure that means you should keep going! Unless your hands are getting tired.

[nerdeology]

[Clearly he knows you too well.]

Will you at least pick a bench and sit down? People are staring, you know.

[monolike]

[That's how they end up side by side on a bench, Sorey bent over and leaning against Mikleo to stay within his comfortable reach almost to the point where he's got his head in his lap.

This is really nice. Really comforting and nice. And it makes Sorey relaxed enough that he wants to bring up something that had bothered him a little earlier.]

Mikleo...you know that love your company, right?

[nerdeology]

[Mikleo doesn't mind indulging him like this sometimes; Sorey's hair is soft, and his body is warm, and when it's his choice whether or not to touch, and for how long, it's easier to do whatever feels natural. Not only that, but Sorey's presence has always had a calming effect on him when it's quiet and they're not egging one another on- the other's enthusiasm brings out the maturity in him, for necessity, for protection, for sanity, sometimes, and it's a habit he's fallen comfortably into while growing up.

That's not even taking the pact into account. No matter how far apart they are, he can always feel it: the gentle thrum of energy connecting them, the heat of Lailah's power, and the soothing bubble of Sorey's domain. Even with malevolent beings peppered throughout the station, he's safe. He can relax enough to just sit here and brush his fingers gently through Sorey's hair for as long as either of them feel like it.

His movements pause briefly at Sorey's question, surprised by it and unsure at first how to answer. Why is he asking that now...?]

I suppose you wouldn't be here if you didn't.

[He keeps his tone somewhat blasé while he tries to figure out where Sorey's going with this.]