My name is Max. (
theroadwarrior) wrote in
driftfleet2016-12-19 01:23 am
Entry tags:
video/action. one hobo and a baby
Who: Max Rockatansky and a small kid.
Broadcast: Fleetwide.
Action: Corona, Starstruck.
When: From now to a few days, until the panicked fam is found.
[VIDEO.]
[Max starts the feed looking entirely uncomfortable, and it's abundantly clear in no time at all why that is. He's standing in one of the halls of the Corona, and there's a brunette toddler a little over two clasped to his neck like a legitimate barnacle; she's not exactly afraid, and she seems to have sandwiched a teddy bear between her cheek and Max's chin, and furthermore, she's not remotely concerned about her current predicament. Balanced on one of Max's forearms, she's smiling a thin-lipped and impish sort of smile. One single messy braid hangs down her back.

Did no one teach this kid about stranger danger? Nope.
She's wordless, though — dark-eyed and wordless and not at all ready to unleash her claw-grip on the poor man. He'd been walking her around the area already trying to figure out where she'd come from, but it's really to no avail. She can't do anything but signal her age with two fingers, as if perhaps she's incapable of conversation — and he's found her sign language is mildly understandable in the way sign language is, though nothing at all from any place from Earth. Also, she says a lot in the fact that he can't set her down without her demanding him mule her around; he'd tried to leave her with other people, and even considered, for a moment of blind panic, to just leave her somewhere and figure someone else will do something about it.
... He's a pushover, really. And his paranoia over the safety of a kid in any world trumps his desire to never hold another sprog ever again. If he left and something happened, he would never forgive himself, and that's just the nature of his life. Leaving behind the small and needy is a constant battle, with this one. And he's totally failed the leaving part. Again.]
Erm.
I found a kid.
... S'not my fault; she knocked on my door.
Need some help finding where she came from. Dunno, must've wandered off. She doesn't talk.
[He looks pretty nervous about the whole thing, thinned lips and worried grimace telling.
For good reason. It makes him think about the past. Makes him wanna bolt.
He considers dumping her off on someone for the hundreth time.
She just taps her stuffed bear's nose against his cheek, a bear kiss. He looks mildly offended.
(distracted from his own misery)
............................. Please don't do that, thanks.]
[ACTION.]
[He can be found boarding the Starstruck with said Kiddo later on (it's all he's taken to calling her, and it's not a Name, but it's something), primarily to make a beeline for the medical bay (yes it's kidnapping, sort of, leave him alone). Nothing serious, the kid just has a runny nose and Max sort of remembers how to treat toddlers with mild illness. A little congestion is normal when you're surrounded by so many germs in one place. She sits precariously on his shoulders watching him shift through the bottles, babyish eyes round and interested. She signs at him something he can't decipher, but he's trying to figure it out.]
Gonna drop your doll. Not gonna pick it up again.
[It's a sulky mutter. He's gonna pick it up again.
He can also be found on the Corona itself, looking for the mother or father or family member who must surely be seeking the kid out. Asking people when you hate talking to strangers is really not his thing, he's totally dying here. Please help him. Pls.]
Broadcast: Fleetwide.
Action: Corona, Starstruck.
When: From now to a few days, until the panicked fam is found.
[VIDEO.]
[Max starts the feed looking entirely uncomfortable, and it's abundantly clear in no time at all why that is. He's standing in one of the halls of the Corona, and there's a brunette toddler a little over two clasped to his neck like a legitimate barnacle; she's not exactly afraid, and she seems to have sandwiched a teddy bear between her cheek and Max's chin, and furthermore, she's not remotely concerned about her current predicament. Balanced on one of Max's forearms, she's smiling a thin-lipped and impish sort of smile. One single messy braid hangs down her back.

Did no one teach this kid about stranger danger? Nope.
She's wordless, though — dark-eyed and wordless and not at all ready to unleash her claw-grip on the poor man. He'd been walking her around the area already trying to figure out where she'd come from, but it's really to no avail. She can't do anything but signal her age with two fingers, as if perhaps she's incapable of conversation — and he's found her sign language is mildly understandable in the way sign language is, though nothing at all from any place from Earth. Also, she says a lot in the fact that he can't set her down without her demanding him mule her around; he'd tried to leave her with other people, and even considered, for a moment of blind panic, to just leave her somewhere and figure someone else will do something about it.
... He's a pushover, really. And his paranoia over the safety of a kid in any world trumps his desire to never hold another sprog ever again. If he left and something happened, he would never forgive himself, and that's just the nature of his life. Leaving behind the small and needy is a constant battle, with this one. And he's totally failed the leaving part. Again.]
Erm.
I found a kid.
... S'not my fault; she knocked on my door.
Need some help finding where she came from. Dunno, must've wandered off. She doesn't talk.
[He looks pretty nervous about the whole thing, thinned lips and worried grimace telling.
For good reason. It makes him think about the past. Makes him wanna bolt.
He considers dumping her off on someone for the hundreth time.
She just taps her stuffed bear's nose against his cheek, a bear kiss. He looks mildly offended.
(distracted from his own misery)
............................. Please don't do that, thanks.]
[ACTION.]
[He can be found boarding the Starstruck with said Kiddo later on (it's all he's taken to calling her, and it's not a Name, but it's something), primarily to make a beeline for the medical bay (yes it's kidnapping, sort of, leave him alone). Nothing serious, the kid just has a runny nose and Max sort of remembers how to treat toddlers with mild illness. A little congestion is normal when you're surrounded by so many germs in one place. She sits precariously on his shoulders watching him shift through the bottles, babyish eyes round and interested. She signs at him something he can't decipher, but he's trying to figure it out.]
Gonna drop your doll. Not gonna pick it up again.
[It's a sulky mutter. He's gonna pick it up again.
He can also be found on the Corona itself, looking for the mother or father or family member who must surely be seeking the kid out. Asking people when you hate talking to strangers is really not his thing, he's totally dying here. Please help him. Pls.]

action; corona
Alright, alright, he's coming.]
After this, you go back to a, uh, adult you know.
[Not up for discussion!!]
action; corona
[She waits for him to catch up.]
Maybe you can come too! Both of you!
action; corona
He follows obediently, because lets be real - the women in Max's life have full reign over him.
And thus Beverly has a quiet hobbling hobo trailing after her, holding Kiddo by the hand.
This is torture. Verdicts out on if it's pleasant torture.]
action; corona
And, and, they have this big silver ball that you can touch and it'll make all your hair stand up!
[Or well... all her hair at any rate.]
action; corona
But then again, he's kind of interested in some of the things she's talking about.
As he walks with her:]
... How's that work?
The, um. Big silver ball.
action; corona
It's static electricity! There's a big rubber band that rubs against felt and that makes the electrons all confused and then they go up into the metal ball because metal is a really good conductor and then when you touch it the static goes through you instead!
action; corona
Cool.
[.....
Deadpan:]
Hairstyle'd be a good look for you. With the static.
Could be a ginger cockatoo.
[WHAT A LAME DAD.]
action; corona
You're silly!
action; corona
[There are worse things to be, he supposes.
Certainly there's worse than babysitting for a short while.]
action; corona
I'm going to take you to the um... concierge! He can look up all the hotel guests.
[She looks at Kiddo.]
What's your name?
action; corona
He breathes in, holds it. Sighs.]
M'name's Max.
This is... Uh. Don't know. She doesn't talk.
[A pause.]
I call her Kiddo.
action; corona
[Honestly! Grown-ups these days!]
action; corona
They'll recognize each other.
S'all we got. She's too young to get anything out of.
action; corona
Maybe she just doesn't want to tell you because you're a grown-up. And kinda grumpy.
action; corona
Sure am.
[He's not even gonna fight that fact.]
action; corona
action; corona
There's a lot to be grumpy about.
action; corona
[The questions won't stop, not at least until she's an adult again.]
action; corona
action; corona
You were grumpy before I started asking you questions.
action; corona
Because I predicted you asking me questions.
Re: action; corona
action; corona
action; corona
But Nana says questions are how we learn.
action; corona
It is.
M'just a bitter old smeg.
Try not to grow up into one.
[He already knows you won't, at least.]
action; corona
action; corona
action; corona