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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[A. Blue Fish; No Replies from Allen.]

[Soon as the Blue Fish Docks at the FS Starlight, the crew of the Blue Fish will hear a high pitched SCREAM come from Allen's office in the lab, and then silence.]

[B. Blue Fish; Broadcast]

[Well that was weird. But about ten minutes after that scream occurs (and Allen gets down from his sheer panic attack), there's going to be a broadcast from your first mate! He's doing his very best to look calm and NOT AT ALL SCARED BY THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT]

Um, hello crew! We're now at the FS Starlight! Looks...splendid, doesn't it?

Well um, I hope you enjoy yourselves, but...before you set off, just one little thing to be aware of....

We're out of money.

[ITS THE WORST]

It looks like the station decided to freeze our accounts as they investigate the fleet so...for the time being, the ship's budget and any personal budgets you have are...gone.

Hopefully this will get cleared up soon though! In the meantime, if anyone has any cash they'd be willing to put towards the ship...or food...that'd be wonderful!

Thank you! Allen out.

[Well that was reassuring]

[C. THE STATION | OTA]

[For the rest of you, Allen can be found anywhere on the station. Usually? Trying different means to get money. Okay so I'm out of ideas but THIS IS AN OPEN PROMPT]

Edited 2016-01-24 22:04 (UTC)

The Cargo [At the Blue Fish]
[As fishy as it all may seem, Robb is guarding the cargo. He had no idea the Blue Fish is a ship built for transport but he does not dwell on that thought for long, after all, he is no expert on ships. The first curious visitor that may appear get stopped by Robb.]

They cannot be opened. [The tone of his voice is neutral and the look on his face one between pure boredom and that of an eighty year old man living inside the body of a teenager.] And I do not think looking at them will tell you anything. They are just iron boxes. [Probably weaponry or gold. It would be folly to encase something worthless in iron.]

[The Station]
[The ship is out of gold. Not that he has seen actual gold, the black box has told him that he has none. He wonders where the black box keeps his gold then. Mayhaps it is something...what is it called? Digital. And even though it is a dire situation Robb does not seem to be very busy with the lack of credits.

All of this is some odd dream. This entire place is something he cannot entirely understand. Warfare seems relatively easy compared to this.]

Ah... [Robb clears his throat before he talks, nodding in a friendly way before stepping closer.] ...is it so that our gold is something...inside of the black box? [Because if he knows that he should remember himself that he should keep his earnings outside of it, somehow.]

[A wildcard]
[Go wild!]

Edited 2016-01-24 22:30 (UTC)

[Riona's heard things but figured it was high time to see this mysterious cargo for herself. She steps down into the bay and is... relatively surprised to see someone guarding it. She raises an eyebrow as Robb speaks.]

Anything can be opened if one is so inclined. Granted, these beasts look like they'd take several men and tools we don't have.

...you haven't heard anything coming from those boxes, have you? I'm all for respecting property but if there are living things in there I draw the line.

[If Allen thinks Beverly's going to hear him scream and not immediately investigate, he's very misguided. She's in her quarters when it happens, so she first tries his comms. When he doesn't answer his, she heads for the lab, more than just a little freaked out.

Please don't let him be hurt, please don't let him be hurt.

Fortunately, just as she gets to the door of his office, ready to bust it open if she needs to, the broadcast comes on. Once it's finished, she slumps against the door frame in relief.

Well, kind of. What does he mean, "investigate the fleet?" She knocks on the door.]

Allen? Can I come in?

[ALLEN CAN YOU NOT SCREAM WHEN HALF THE CREW ARE TERRIFIED OF A PSYCHOPATH COMING IN AND MURDERING THEM ALL? CAN YOU NOT DO THIS THING??

Sokka comes barging in with a solid KICK to the door, the sword Toph created for him drawn and ready. Azula would totally murder him dead, but he might at least get a few licks in first. It takes a moment, in his adrenaline surge, to realise Azula isn't here and Allen is sitting alone.

He doesn't lower the sword. ]

Whaaaaat's going ooon?

[ANNND yep, Allen is very much alone, looking freaked as he tries to go through all the very Frozen money accounts. And very much jumping when Sokka kicks in that door with the sword]

What-

[OKAY FIRST THING IS FIRST]

Put that sword down!!

[Luckily he'll respond to this]

Yeah, come on in Beverly.

[Allen's inside, looking more than a little frazzled as he yet again tries to access his bank account-- to no avail]

Ehhhhh....

[Sokka takes another glance around, before lowering the sword. ]

What the heck were you screaming about? I thought-

[His locks were good, but if someone had actually LET Azula in or she found someway around them...]

What's happened?

[A. SS Paisley | Broadcast]

[Alex hasn't really been in the practice of making public announcements to her crew, but with nine on board now and something interesting happening for once, she kicks up her sneakers on the control panels and gives a short address.]

Hey, kiddos. Captain Russo speaking. You've probably noticed by now that someone's stuck us with a bunch of boxes and some pretty sketchy contracts, and promised us credits if we don't mess with them. Normally I'd be the first one down there opening that crap, but dudes, we need the money. So hands off, unless you want to get turned into a toad.

[Which of course means - do what you want, I'm not paying attention anyway.]

And I guess we picked up some new strays, so welcome, or whatever. Knock first, and don't wake people up. If you've got any questions direct them to my handsome first made, Stefan. Enjoy your intergalactic hell cruise, folks.

[B. FS Starlight | Action]

[The first evening of their stay, Alex has positioned herself outside a busy restaurant and seems to have acquired a small crowd of alien bystanders, watching her do... street magic?]

Yeah, keep the rabbit, I have more in my hat. Your mom's gonna be thrilled. Just... oops, yeah, sorry. It'll do that on your shoes.

[A little alien child wanders off with the bunny Alex seems to have pulled out of her hat, and with a last wave she turns back to her audience - before seeing your character. She smiles and waves them over.]

Hey, come be my assistant.

[He groans. Right. Sokka's been jumpy lately]

Sorry, I just-

[Was caught very much by surprise]

The station's authorities froze our bank accounts. In other words, we're broke.

...You're kidding?

[Wow. He just...wow. He gazes skywards, to wherever Atroma's stupid invisible cameras are at. ]

What is it? Screw Around the Blue Fish Month? Is that what this is? Could you quit it? It's getting really old now!

[Sokka's had a long and stressful week and this is just the cream on top of the Crap Cake. He's circling the cargo, eyeing it up. What are they playing at NOW? ]

When it comes to Atroma, it can equally be something dangerous like a bomb or something completely harmless like a box full of cabbages.

I'm not kidding. My account, the ship's account, the food account, the bail account- even my secret account is frozen!

[Why does he even have a secret account?? WHO KNOWS...]

I know. [He makes a frustrated] I know I have a bit of cash hidden in my room- but it's not nearly enough to cover supplies...

❝THE BISHOP❞
[ curious as she may be about the contents of those crates, she is not stupid enough to investigate. though she does gauge the curiosity of her crewmates with a message: ]

Have you seen our 'cargo,' by chance? I have to wonder what they may be forcing us to deliver. Hopefully nothing that will cause us any... distress. [ nice wording. ]

❝THE STARLIGHT❞

-[A]
[ being broke is hardly anything she hasn't dealt with before, but it is inconvenient knowing that, if she - or anyone else she knows - happened to need something desperately, she couldn't afford it. so of course when she hears about the job opportunities presented upon the starlight, she takes anything she can get.

which, honestly, isn't too bad so far as those clerical duties go. she likes learning new things and doing tedious work, it would seem, with how happy she is just going through the files and organizing them. there is a high chance she is taking advantage of her current position though, rifling through various texts when she should be working - that's not against the rules, is it? she hopes not. ]

-[B]
[ on the opposite end of the job spectrum, lioriley has also found some work in one of the bars. now this she is entirely unfamiliar with, and it shows in how she works so hard to balance trays of drink and food while simultaneously trying to weave around other servers and customers alike. she's tiny enough to duck under arms and nimble enough to (almost literally) dance around people to avoid collisions... most of the time.

much like the other jobs she has taken on during her stay here, she has a bad habit of getting distracted. she ends up spending a little too much time at certain tables, trying to talk to everyone and get to know them if they seem interested enough in engaging her. it's not necessarily bad until people start complaining elsewhere in the bar that their service has slowed. oops. ]

-[C]
[ AND FINALLY, when she's not working one of the few jobs she has decided to take, lioriley can be found all over the place. at the datary again, reading up on the familiar and unfamiliar still (though this time she won't get in trouble for reading on the job) and asking others if they are interested in any of the things they have found thus far.

or maybe she's at the park, taking in the sight of real trees, wandering around aimlessly and just... relaxing. it's easy to ignore the fact that you're stuck in the vast emptiness of space when you can rest under (what she thinks is) a real tree and doze off for a bit. ]

[WILDCARD]
aka choose your own adventure.

[That's...really not good. ]

I mean, I caught enough fish and meat on the last planet to see us through for a while, but-

[But the ship is very, very full. Food won't stretch the way it could before. ]

Did they give any reason?

It says that our ship has been flagged for unauthorized cargo by their scanners, and our accounts will be frozen until they can finish investigating.

Not sure what that means.

[A. The Huntress - Cargo Bay - GREED]

Well, there certainly was a shipment like the Atroma promised. Despite his initial desire to open it, he really didn't want to fudge with the whole payment system. Which has prompted Greed to sit himself on top of the containers until their arrival. Anyone who comes near will get the same warning.

"Don't even think of trying to open these. Not unless you've got a good reason for it."

[B. The Station - Market Area - GREED]

His account might have been frozen, but that didn't mean anything for his large personal stash he kept hidden in one of the many secret compartments on the Huntress. With his pockets filled with cash and a booming economy, Greed was eager to make his way through the stores and pick up anything that might suit his fancy. Some may find him emerging from the stores looking a touch more sharply dressed in a new suit and trenchcoat. Ling Yao might have some complaints about it, but Greed does so like being stylish. Add a pair of sunglasses and he's ready to own this city-station-thing.

[C. The Starlight Premier Hotel - LING]

Greed may have had some other plans to start a healthy cashflow, but Ling was eager to use his half of the funds to find something a little more comfortable than their bunk back on the Huntress. So begins their stay at one of the more expensive hotels in the city Although a famous fan of room service, Ling Yao has decided to take his meals down in the dining area where he goes from one plate to the other, seemingly going through every single item on the menu. If he's planning to spend his entire budget on one day, then he's certainly on the fast track to have it all gone by day's end. But if you're looking for a eating buddy or just an excuse to go up to his room and try out the hot tub, then Ling Yao is your go to guy.

[D. The Seedy Underbelly - GREED]

Somehow it doesn't take long for Greed to have fallen in with the The Wrong Crowd. Every city has an ugly side and Greed seems to fit in just fine with the kind of lowlifes that hang around in this station. One of the first places that he starts to look for a good cash inflow is from a small fighting ring. There's lots of people wagering on who will win what fight, but the real prize is the winner in the actual fight. The odds aren't much in the favor of some scrawny looking teen with an unusually deep voice - at least until his humongous tusked opponent steps out and Greed adopts his ultimate shield. He's able to handle most of his opponents with relative ease. Though, there could always be more difficult challengers waiting for him.

But that kind of thing will only go so far. Soon he's investigating other avenues of less than savory employment - but jobs like that aren't easily done solo. If there's anyone else looking for that kind of work, then it might just be time to become partners.

[E. Wildcard - GREED OR LING]

There's plenty of time to be found on the station and it won't be too hard to find either Greed or Ling, depending on who is in control. Ling Yao will often be found meditating in the park or eating at some different restaurant each day. Meanwhile Greed will be living the night life hanging out in clubs, sharing drinks with anyone he finds attractive enough to warrant an interest, and maybe even engaging in some casual loans to fellow flooters - with a little interest, of course.

Allen!

[Riona spots him from a distance and comes running up to him. She knows the ship has money... issues, and she knows it's something he's not taking well. (That scream scared the piss out of her).]

Have you had luck finding decent work?

[Well, that explains the scream from earlier. Toph simply hops off her cot and casually makes her way to see Allen in the lab. There are two sharp raps on the door before she flicks a finger and it opens. Pssht, security locks.]

Hey, Spud, we'll be fine.

This is not the proper use of magic.

[He has the good sense of murmur that, at least, as he comes to stand by her. Tugging his wand out, he shoots her a worn little smile.]

Are you all right? [As she takes a seat across from him at his desk, she searches his face carefully.] I heard you... before the broadcast.

[He'll look over and smile at her. He feels a bit calmer now that he's had a chance to get in some "fresh" air and walk]

Riona...hey.

Well, a few! Seems like this station has a lot of job opportunities, luckily.

[You know at this point, he doesn't even flinch at the door being opened on it's own. Oh Metalbenders]

But even your bail money's frozen....

I'm...fine!

I was just- caught by surprise! That's all!

[ SS HERON ]

→ new cargo

[ As soon as these crates arrived Jim was hovering over them -- finally they're sitting open and 'untampered' thanks to the engineering augment. ]

Gumballs...?

→ arrival

[ The announcement comes over the ship's internal comms as soon as they dock. ]

Our accounts have been frozen. Anybody who needs cash, borrow some from the chip box in the kitchen. Refill it if you can, no problem if you can't.

I've installed some new alarms; last person off the ship make sure you activate them before you leave. They're the series of green buttons next to the shuttle. Press 'em in order, left to right.

[ FS STARLIGHT ]

→ gardens

[ The gardens aren't his first stop. The money issue needs solving — but in the course of that he finds his job allows for breaks long enough to visit the library, and afterwards there's light enough in the gardens to go through all the new media he's borrowed. Jim can be found bobbing his head lightly as he hums Best of Queen, on a bench, reading, with a stack of exciting alien food to try, or wandering around with his notebook, examining the flowers. ]

→ for rogue

[ There's no urgency in his voice when he tells her he needs a favour. But still, she shows up as soon as possible. The Heron's empty, but Jim's built in a few alarms and synchronised them to his watch, ready to be activated when they leave, as well as a few well-placed anti-burglar traps. Nobody is getting on or off his ship without him knowing. ]

Thanks for coming. Y'mind just helping me with this?

[ The flesh sleeve is carefully placed on the desk, and he gestures to it. His hair is messy, having just been dyed a deep red, and the makeup kit sits open under the mirror. ]

→ for winter

« You ready for this, buddy? »

[ They're almost at the gate. A steady stream of merchants scuttles in and out, scrutinised by two guards. Both he and Winter are in disguise, dyed hair, a little makeup to smoothen out the harsher lines on their faces. They weave through the crowd — he already came here with Rogue and a different identity to scout out the people and determine which one was the least likely to talk. ]

→ wildcard it up

[ Jim can also be found in a bar listening to something that sounds a lot like slow jazz, in the fighting ring first aid station, and on the street with a small local crew selling robot toys that now do the Lindy Hop. ]

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Gumball Wishes and Taxicab Dreams

Allen Walker | OTA

Robb Stark / OTA

At the cargo

B; action

A??

OKAY JUST FOR YOU GOSH TF

no subject

YOU TREAT ME SO WELL

Alex Russo | OTA

no subject

no subject

Cargo

no subject

lioriley | ota duh

no subject

no subject

Greed + Ling Yao | OTA

C

b, action

B

no subject

no subject

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james barnes (au) | ota, brackets or prose welcome.