(no subject)

[axeboyfriend]

Who: Shinjiro
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva, Hospitality Deck
When: Current

[ The video starts, but it would be easy to assume at first that the young man featured in it was still asleep. He's got a grey beanie shoved over his eyes in a manner that was definitely intentional. But after a long moment, he groans and sits up, pulling the beanie up so he can see what he's doing. ]

...Ugh. Where...

[ He does notice the camera after a moment, and he freezes. It's with an entirely unhappy scowl that he turns away after a moment, looking around. ]

What the hell is this?

[ He didn't ask for this, and he definitely doesn't seem impressed to be the latest member of intergalactic reality television. ]

Comments

video;

[enshields]

[He really needs to find a more cheerful way of saying 'congratulations, you've been kidnapped'. As it stands, Steve clears his throat faintly.]

You're on board a ship called the Marsiva. It's part of a larger 'Fleet that's currently in a section of space I don't believe anyone's seen or charted before. [A very slight pause.] We've been brought here for the entertainment of something called 'Atroma'.

[He's the best at sugarcoating. The best.]

My name's Steve Rogers, I'm one of the pilots aboard the Bloodsport, one of the smaller ships in the 'Fleet. You'll get placed on one of them after the weekend, if the pattern holds.

Re: video;

[axeboyfriend]

[ Shinjiro groans, shoving his hands into his pockets. ]

I'm in space now?

[ He takes a couple of steps back, giving the video feed— and the guy talking to him from it— a closer look. ]

"Atroma," huh?

[ He almost asks if they're anything like the Persona, except this guy's probably never heard of Aather, and anyway, the Persona never seemed to be using them for entertainment, perse. ]

video;

[enshields]

Nobody knows who or what they are, before you ask. I've heard speculation it's a person or an organization, but nothing's been confirmed one way or another.

[He doesn't sound (or look, by that slight tick of muscle in his jaw) very pleased by this, but. Thus far, they haven't been able to do anything to discern 'Atroma's true identity one way or another.]

Re: video;

[axeboyfriend]

A mystery "host," huh? That's ominous.

[ Is it possible for him to scowl harder? He certainly seems to be trying at any rate. ]

I'm Shinjiro.

[ It's not that Shinjiro's particularly into social niceties, but he doesn't see any reason to not introduce himself, considering that Steve had already done the same. ]

video

[experiencepoints]

Hi. Short version, you're aboard the Marsiva, a ship that kidnaps people from all sorts of different worlds. One second.

[She fiddles with her communicator, and Shinjiro will receive a link.]

Re: video

[axeboyfriend]

[ It takes him a moment while he's reading the link. He's not the fastest reader in the universe, but he can get by. ]

...What's wrong with the food?

[ Because clearly, that's a high priority to him. ]

video

[experiencepoints]

Calling it 'food' is giving it too much credit, honestly. It's protein paste.

Re: video

[axeboyfriend]

Protein paste?

[ He wrinkles his nose in disgust. ]

That's not food, that's a nightmare.

[ Aki would love it. ]

[experiencepoints]

Yeah. You can fake it with some of the flavors they give, but most of us just stock up on real food on the planets we stop at.

[resnipstance]

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

...

Actually it's mostly just bad news.

[axeboyfriend]

[ She's not quite human, but hey, his team back in Aather had a troll in it, so he can take her unusual appearance (by his standards) in stride. ]

Let's just go with the bad news first.

[resnipstance]

Well...

[Very quickly:] You're in space and there's no way to get home.

[axeboyfriend]

In space?

[ He runs a hand down his face and sighs. ]

Well, that's new.

[ He figures that just meeting someone is not the best time to say, "I was never planning on going back home," so he just ignores that part. ]

[passingthrough]

The universe's way of saying today is not your day.

[axeboyfriend]

[ Shinjiro snorts. ]

That's not a surprise. Hell, I'd be more surprised if the universe decided it was my day.

[passingthrough]

Then congratulations on keeping a semblance of normalcy in your life. The rest of it may be completely upside down though.

[axeboyfriend]

That wouldn't be a first, either. How upside-down are we talking here?

[ He shoves his hands into his pockets, considering her as he speaks. ]

[ action ]

[precedented]

[ Leto sensed him when he arrived. A faint ripple in time that called out to him. Following the strand of a future, he finds himself back at the Hospitality Deck where Shinjiro was finishing his message.

This shook him. Ruby. One of his. Here. ]

Sable.

Re: [ action ]

[axeboyfriend]

[ Shinjiro froze. He'd been running, he was willing to admit that to himself, but even if he hadn't... There was one person he'd never thought he'd get a chance to see again, for all the chances that Aather had given him at the end to visit infinite worlds. One person he'd given a farewell to with no hope of another meeting, for all that he hadn't wanted him to leave. ]

Dune.

[ He'd missed him. ]

[precedented]

[ He schools himself well - though he's not hiding much. ]

Did you ever make it home at least?

[axeboyfriend]

[ Shinjiro considers lying for all of two seconds before he realizes that he doesn't really want to. Besides, he's pretty sure it would be pointless. ]

I hadn't intended on going back.

video.

[truthvalue]

... Do you mean the ship?

["This" could refer to a lot of different hells, so.]

Re: video.

[axeboyfriend]

The ship, the camera. The entire situation. Take your pick.

[ Not that this seemed like any real sort of "hell," but he was being more or less generally annoyed. ]

[truthvalue]

Well, if you just woke up, you're on the Marsiva. As far as the camera ... you're on television.

[Souji offers a small, wry smile. Being on TV isn't all it's cracked up to be.]

[axeboyfriend]

[ Shinjiro drags a hand down his face. ]

I didn't sign up for this shit.

[ It's a weak protest, and he doesn't even think it would make a difference. No one ever signs up for being dragged into random worlds, after all. He knew that already. ]