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

[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.]

[monolike]

[Sorey fidgets, just enough to show he's thinking more about this than he probably should, but...

I don't expect you to babysit me, you know.

Sorey might get tunnel vision when it comes to things that interest him, but Mikleo interests him too. He hasn't missed that he's the one doing most of the calling, most of the flying over, and it's not that he's annoyed by the inconvenience of it or anything like that. It's more that he's...worried.

Mikleo thinks too much about him sometimes. Like when he'd confined himself to Sorey's house when Sorey got hurt, when he wouldn't leave the room after Sorey passed out in Ladylake. Small things, maybe things that aren't actually a big deal to him, but now Sorey can't help but wonder if Mikleo is taking what Gramps said about him eventually leaving too much to heart.]

True.

[But that doesn't mean he has to tear into that topic now. Or ever. As long as he just makes sure that Mikleo knows, it shouldn't be a problem.]

Just checking.

[nerdeology]

[That - the clear dismissal of a previous concern, the pause and quiet fidget - are signs that Sorey isn't being entirely up-front. It's not necessarily a bad thing- sometimes holding back what's unnecessary is what will prevent a fight about one thing or another. It's the important stuff that they've always, always shared- and when Sorey won't share it, he feels justified in getting angry. He's not quite sure which one this is, yet.

Tentatively, he allows his hands to move again, allowing the connection to give him any clues of whether or not he should push the issue, since he can't see Sorey's expression.]

It's not like I resent the reminder or anything...

[You okay?]

[monolike]

[continued here!]