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

[astrobleme]

[Shinji stops moving. The sound of Ai's voice has intruded on his thoughts, bringing him out of his reverie. He blinks once, twice, before looking up from the floor. With the way she's standing off to the side, it isn't too hard to realize he was about to walk into her. He blinks a third time. It's rude to walk into people.]

Sorry. [He lifts a hand and touches his chin, his mouth, more than a little dazed. He looks around. He doesn't recognize where he is, even though he's explored this ship thoroughly. There's a disconnect between what he's seeing and what he remembers.] Sorry, I think I... got turned around, somewhere... [He looks back at Ai. Hesitantly, he asks,] Do you know where I am?

[outermirrors]

[Ai just stares at the boy. How was she supposed to know where he was she just got there. Her cheeks puff annoyed.]

I just got here, how am I supposed to know where you are?

[astrobleme]

[Good question. Shinji blinks a few more times, which seems to bring some awareness back into his eyes.]

Just got here? [he repeats.] You were assigned to the Heron? What's your augment...? [If she says pilot, he won't know what to do. He still hasn't introduced himself to the ship's original pilot.]

[outermirrors]

[Oh that was a quick segue. Unconsciously she touches the little bump behind her ear. She's never going to get used to it being there. Cupping her elbow she shrugs.]

Communications. [Aren't you lucky she's not a pilot. Not that she looks like she could fly anything anyway.]

[astrobleme]

Oh.

[That's a relief. Shinji has all too readily attached his self-worth, like a leech, to being the Heron's pilot. Not that he has much self-worth to speak of. Probably repeating the mistakes of the past, too. Whatever. In any case, Ai is not another pilot...]

Welcome aboard.

[Pause.]

I think this means the ship is over capacity now.

[outermirrors]

[Her eyebrows shoot up at that. Well that was a lovely detail to have thrown in your face shortly after arriving. He didn't need to explain she could just guess what over capacity meant and she didn't like it.]

Thanks, though I'm not how sure a welcome is good if I make us over capacity.

[Does she have to worry about being left behind or tossed out an air lock now?]

[astrobleme]

[Shinji was just stating a fact, rather than anything negative. He doesn't care one way or another, as long as he's left alone when he wants to be alone.]

Well, the ship has... plenty of food... medicine, too, if you need any of that. It's self-replenishing. [Which is great, because he feels a headache coming on.] And I should have extra blankets and pillows... There's always a chill in here.

What's your name?

[outermirrors]

[That's fine. But she's seen people get crazy over a pair of designer boots. It's fair to say they might get crazy over something like food. Not that she's planning on eating much of those protein cubes if she can help it. If they were anything like the ones on the Marsiva no thanks.]

Oh that's good. I am not looking forward to reliving last Christmas' boot sale. [Just blankets and pillows?] No bed?

Ai Ebihara. You?

[astrobleme]

Bed... a bed... [Shinji has spent most of the week curled up in a bed. He slowly shakes his head.] I don't know. The crew's really nice, so it shouldn't be too hard to find somewhere... [He considers just sacrificing his own bed, but it's the only material comfort he has right now.

That's a Japanese-sounding name, though. He perks up a little.]

Shinji. Shinji Ikari. Hello, Ebihara-san.

[outermirrors]

[Ai just nods. Yeah a bed. She's slept in a futon before but that doesn't mean she enjoys it. Something about it isn't quite as comfortable and a little too stiff when compared to a nice fluffy mattress.] I guess I'll just have to ask around.

[She flips her hair and crosses her arms. At least she didn't mind talking to people when she had to.]

Nice to meet you Ikari-san.

[astrobleme]

Yeah. Nice to meet you.

[Shinji rubs at one of his eyes, looking like a kid who's just woken up from a long nap. He still feels rather disconnected from the world around him...]

So, you're from Japan?

[Hopefully not the same Japan that he's from. It's kind of nice to hear about alternate universes.]

[outermirrors]

I thought my name gave it away.

[It's a joke, but she nods all the same. Yes she's from Japan.]

[astrobleme]

Mm, doesn't hurt to check. ["Kaworu Nagisa" isn't even a human being, so...] Where in Japan are you from, if you don't mind me asking?