Chocolate-flavored Dessert Cream on the House

[thespaceopera]

[The bunks are filling up, but the new faces just keep appearing!

Are you a travel-weary passenger having trouble keeping your crew roster straight? Perhaps you are a fresh new recruit, finding themselves dumped into a new (and much less shiny) home. Or, maybe you've been around for a little bit and just haven't bothered meeting the other weirdos on this ship yet--what is their problem, anyway?

Well, this is the place for you!

All new passengers from the last few Shuffles, especially those who haven't met their crews yet, are welcome to post starter-comments here to invite those living on and visiting your ship to come and interact. Newbies could be just arriving on the ship, busying around where others can find them, or you can offering multiple options for interaction--however you'd like to set up your thread is fine. Just make sure to include the name of your ship in the header, so your crewmates can easily find you!

Everyone else-- go meet those newbies! Whether they are new to your own crew, or on ships you frequently visit, now is a great time to bump into them.]

Comments

[nerdeology]

[It's hard to hear any answer but an immediate yes, but to an extent, Mikleo understands. It can't have been easy, going from an obvious end to one's life to- whatever this is. They may not be aware of all the details of Dezel's life, but it was obvious that it hadn't been entirely pleasant. The thought of going back, even just in theory, might be difficult to come to terms with. They can't rush him.

He figures Sorey would be upset to hear it, though, since he'd jumped at the opportunity, so he quietly rests a hand on his friend's shoulder, just in case it's needed.]

We have no immediate ideas about how to do it yet, so there's still time. We won't get ahead of ourselves.

[Just think about it.]

[monolike]

[Sorey starts like he's about to plead with Dezel (because he had, he'd been plenty ready to beg) but Mikleo's hands falls on his shoulder and he catches himself.

He wants the answer to be yes, so badly, but...in the end, it's Dezel's decision.]

...in the meantime, is there anything we can do? I can go around with you, help you meet your crewmates. I know most of the people on the ship anyway, I used to be assigned to this one.

[sylphystia]

[Sorey's hesitation there is really enough. He feels like he got stabbed in the stomach all over again. He regrets turning on the damn communicator at all, as stupid as that sounds, as if the thing is to blame for all his personal turmoil.

But he reels it in. He'll... he'll think about it. It's not like he has much of a choice.

He touches his hat, feeling like everyone can see right through him. It's so uncomfortable. Maybe if he pretends to be unfazed, it won't be an issue.]

... I don't care. I can manage on my own.

[nerdeology]

As someone who's had to deal with half the crew not being able to see or hear me, trust me when I say it would make your life a lot easier if you let Sorey help.

[With Sorey on the Huntress now, it simplifies matters a lot, but Dezel's going to deal with the same situation that he was in originally. And it's not fun.

Also- come on, you ass, throw the puppy a bone. Look how hard he is trying to be helpful.]

[monolike]

[he try SO HARD]

Well, you also have a communications augment. Which, y'know, was kind of mean of them, honestly.

[Sorey takes a seat on a nearby crate so he can swing his legs and hopefully feel less fidgety as a result. He still wants to grab Dezel into a hug and make sure he's there, so he traps his hands between his knees and just settles for staring at Dezel like he's descended from heaven on a golden chariot, baring some super awesome cool books about ruins.]

What's your augment, Dezel? Is it something you think you'll be good with?

[sylphystia]

[Mikleo has a point, as usual, but Dezel also just... doesn't want to cause more trouble for either of them. It's bad enough that he's alive and making them have to reconsider what they were doing before. Now he has to rely on them for basic social interaction? Stupid. Once again, the crummy seraph is having to depend on other people.

He sighs.] Fine.

[He's only giving in this time because he's outnumbered. And he knows when to pick his fights.]

I'm tactical. [How he manages this with a straight face is anyone's guess.] As if I needed it.

what the eff this notice was buried in mikleo's folder

[nerdeology]

[Thank goodness. He's pretty sure Sorey would be the least subtle mess of emotions for like a week if he couldn't help in even the smallest way.]

I'm beginning to think the selection for augment is either completely random, or chosen for irony and little else.

[monolike]

[INWARDLY FIST-PUMPING IN VICTORY......]

You know, which is weird! Clay made it sound like there's not a whole lot of fighting and things that happen here. Obi-Wan said as much too, said that most of the conflict is all just fights between friends and stuff. [Folds arms and thinks.] Plus, why would someone kidnap somebody and then give them knowledge on how to fight? Your situation aside. [you scrapper] It's all very weird.

[sylphystia]

Like sparring.

[Well, that's different. Here he thought he'd be fighting hellions all over again, but even people with malevolence don't seem to... care.]

The ship is equipped with weapons for everyone on board. [He hmphs.] It's a safe bet that whatever they give us will be useless against our hosts in the long run. I plan on rearming myself my own way as soon as possible.

[He's just gonna invisibly mug a fortune teller out there, nbd.]

[monolike]

[well and also] You can still use your seraphic artes, right? I'm sure we can find a pendulum somewhere. ['we.' because if he can't get you to go back with them, you can sure as hell bet you're still part of his team here.] Plus, there's always armatization...though I'm not sure if it would work if we were on separate ships. The distance is so great you might be out of my domain.

[nerdeology]

I wouldn't worry about that. It's different from a distance, but I could still feel your domain when we were separated. And I've had no problem with my artes, either. I expect Dezel will be no different.

[sylphystia]

I can still use them. [He'd be running into shit if he couldn't, honestly. Until he got used to it.]

There's a lot of malevolence. You aren't going to do anything about it?

[monolike]

Ah... [Sorey glances at Mikleo, rubbing the back of his neck.] It's more that, at this moment...we can't do anything about it.

[nerdeology]

Not the way we did back on our world, anyway. There's plenty of malevolence, sure, but no hellions. We can't just go around trying to purify people.

[sylphystia]

[Even with unpurged malevolence around, Dezel thinks he'll be fine. He always managed to survive even before he had Rose. Sorey's domain isn't anything to laugh at, either; Dezel can tell he's grown stronger.

But there's always a risk. Dezel is the kind of person to always expect the worst. He is, after all, a walking disaster. He frowns a little more deeply than normal.]

We'll see how long that lasts.

[He's seen firsthand how easily humans can turn when they're around him.]

[monolike]

[Still, without Rose around as Dezel's pure vessel...]

As long as we can manage. [Sorey glances between the two.] If the malevolence gets out of control and begins to cause harm to anybody, [that's including you guys,] then we'll handle it. But unfortunately, as it is right now we'd be causing more problems than solving them if we tried to purify it. And that's if we could purify it completely; it might just be impossible without Lailah's flames.

[nerdeology]

We can still make a difference, when we're allowed. Even if all we can do is dispel a little bit of malevolence at a time.

[sylphystia]

Hm. [He folds his arms. It's true that Lailah is necessary for basically... everything the Shepherd does. That's why she's the Prime Lord.] That'll have to be enough.

[He doesn't volunteer anything about his personal status. He's fine, even if the Fleet's combined malevolence makes him want to projectile vomit. Considering he spent time in human cities he is basically used to it.

For now.]

[monolike]

[2 bad for ur coolness dezel that sorey has been worried about that from the start]

But Dezel, seriously, if you ever feel overwhelmed- [like get on a ship and get back to sorey asap he will purify the fuck outta your air buddy]

[nerdeology]

The purification process may be weaker here, but Sorey's domain is fine. Though it's... a bit jarring, going inside him.

[It was better the second time, but that first time was really rough.]

[sylphystia]

Something wrong with it?

[That's... new and unexpected. Part of him is curious, but most of him is happy to just not poke things and make them worse.]

[monolike]

It's just a little uncomfortable at first. [Sorey shifts his weight.] Did you wanna try, to see what it's like? Y'know, before it comes down to you having to do it. [God, this is awful. Having to approach this like Dezel didn't used to beam into Sorey all the time for the convenience of it, like he's asking a stranger instead of a seraph with a pact with his Prime Lord. This unfamiliarity is painful.]

[nerdeology]

We should at least try what it's like with two of us at some point in the near future, if not now. In case a situation comes up later where it's required.

[He doesn't want to cause Sorey to stagger again like the first time if they need to make some kind of quick get-away out of a bad domain.]

[sylphystia]

[Dezel likes being able to walk around, but he understands the necessity.]

Now is fine. [It's not like he has a full schedule or anything. And that's the only warning Sorey gets before Dezel turns into a little ball of green light and slams into him.]

Whoa!

[Yeah, exactly.]

steals ur narrative

[monolike]

Yeah, exactly. [Urgh. This is like the first time he and Mikleo did this. Sorey leans over, hands gripping his knees as he tries to just breathe through the uncomfortable feeling of his insides shifting ever so slightly.] Are...are you okay? [Mikleo had seemed to dislike it just as much as Sorey had; Dezel might be having a similar experience.]