driftfleet | Calibration Post 1, "Daytime"

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Calibration Post 1, "Daytime"

[ Not long after the shuffle, there's a ripple of static over the network - loud, sudden, and seemingly with no origin. It's puzzling, but there's no indication that it's going to happen again...

Until a minute later. Another surge of static comes in over the speakers, and then a voice - one some may find familiar, though not necessarily welcome, after all of this time... It's Diamond. Long time no speak, hmm?

Clearly, not all is well. She sounds very far away, for one. For another, she sounds... skeptical, almost alarmed. There may actually be real concern in her voice. ]

Again? Twice in one c--

[ Her sentence is cut short with a strangled gasp, followed by a moment of silence. What follows may be the sound of metal dragged across metal, but it's hard to place. When she speaks again, it's uncharacteristically monotonous. ]

... Bring them in.

[ A blip of lost time passes right after those words, before every passenger mysteriously wakes alone in their own unfamiliar room. The style of decor resembles that of the Marsiva's Hospitality Deck, if any passengers should remember what that's like. It sounds and smells the same as the host ship as well, all clean and chrome, but this set of rooms has only been used once, and for the very same purpose that befalls the fleet contestants now.

As for their hosts, there is no immediate sign of them, though some may recall a series of hideous, half-electronic screams before their memories begin to blur upon arrival...

Welcome back to the Marsiva, dear passengers. It's time for round two of calibrations. ]

[ This mingle will cover all non-calibration room interactions. Please continue to come back to it for the duration of the plot! You are, of course, free to post any other mingles/posts/etc. that you'd like. ]

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[Lord child, slow the roll -- Sam can only take in so much before he wags his hands, a "whoa whoa" gesture.]

Wait a second here -- a little more caution, throwing hunting around, huh? Cups can wait.[He sighs out of his nose; alright, so maybe someone from his universe. He doesn't recognize her, but the accent gives him a clue why. Question is, how hard will it be to change her ingrained way of thinking here?] I mean, it's obvious you're one, but we've -- uh, got non-humans on board, and you're going to get yourself in trouble out the gate.

[This ain't my first rodeo.]

Edited (Omg auto correct ) 2017-06-25 12:03 (UTC)

Look, if something's doing no harm, I'm not gonna knife up even if I had one. That's [she waves a little and gives him a weird look] a stupid way going about it. Wow, I am not cool with the stabbing everything.

[She points down the hall to where he was headed.]

So, cups. [He's really, really, freaking tall. Lord have mercy.]

I mean, new universe just got dropped on my head. And you're a Hunter so, drinks, food, discussion of shit. And no hunting, Cowboy, message received. Also. Psychic, so, lots to talk about. Like, why is America so goddamn stabby?

Uh, it's not that you'd stab them; it's that you're mentioning that you hunt creatures they might frequent bars with...

They're not gonna just assume you won't-- [... She really is a chatty hunter, too. And full of her own concerning assumptions. It reminds him a little too much of Britain's kind of -- scholars. He pinches the bridge of his nose. Okay, cool. Hunter and psychic. Got it.] Why are people outside of America so eager to tell us how stabby we are while they also like to stab things? Come on.

[Seriously. First British Men of Letters, now Australia.]

Here, now, sure. And [Okay, she actually looks really hurt at the assumption.] I don't enjoy stabbing things. But for all intents and purposes, that's all I hear about America. Doesn't mean it applies to you or a handful who don't. All I know is what I hear and the Hunters I gotta stop from killing the wrong shit. There's a balance I gotta keep.

[Merlan kinda shrinks back into herself, half eyeing him like he might bite. She's not even trying to read him because it's shit manners. But he sure did a good job taking wind out of her sails. The next time she speaks, it's pretty quiet.]

I'd rather be getting another degree than hunting anything. Learning about things is better than any of the things I've had to do. You Hunt. You should get it. Maybe to everyone else out there I'm just a science nerd trying rack up as many degrees as I can between road trips with my auntie. That's what it should be.

Edited 2017-06-25 13:10 (UTC)

[Jeez, he's only just met her and she's going a mile a second.

Sam might be a little more social than he was back home, but he's feeling a little trouble navigating this one.]

Okay, well. Now you know how I feel.

Relax a second.

[Because he can't seriously keep up with all this.]

... How about I just point you to the kitchen, huh? One thing at a time? You can ask me about, y'know. Whatever this place is.

...sorry. I'm a little. Freaked out. World view just took a serious header. [Breathing is good. One thing at a time. God. There's too many things going on in her head and she's babbling. She's been babbling. Lillian would have smacked her upside the head.]

Yeah, okay. I can do that. I don't...people well. I do creatures better and books even more so. [No hunt, no focus, nervous energy leaking everywhere. He's right, she needs to collect her shit because this is really not presenting a good impression. What if her molecules like explode? No, pressurised atmosphere equals a safe environment. It's fine. Nothing is killing her, nothing is hunting her, and there is no reason for this stupid panic mode.]

I'm steadier with cup of tea in my hand, I promise.

Edited (tweaking this a bit) 2017-06-26 14:35 (UTC)

Hey, I get it. It's a lot to take in. [It's easy to get all caught up in this and short-circuit. So he'll just — give her a second to get situated, patient.] I'm not exactly the most graceful guy around, but I've gotten good enough at people to say you're gonna be alright; deep breaths, and all that.

[He smiles a little, offering a hand to shake.]

Um. Name's Sam. American. Ecstatic about stabbing.

I have to do it at least five times a day or I melt.

[What? He can tease, you totally deserved a jab.]

Edited 2017-06-26 23:08 (UTC)

Hi Sam. Like on the door, Merlan. [She grins at him broadly and winks.] So, I assume you live in a fridge, you know, for the days you might melt?

[[She baulks at the handshake a little and holds up a finger before opening the door and ducking back in and waving him in behind her.]

Um. Handshakes are good. Just, um. Help me find a pair of gloves? Pretty sure they were the tan ones, leather, like driving gloves.

Huh? Oh, uh. Sure thing. [He stares at the door for a moment like a turkey out in the rain before he steps in. Just one step, just enough to be in the door. Must have to do with something like... you know. Germ fear. Or something more ominous than that. He'll leave it be.] Usually they send you in with your stuff, yeah. I mean, I had a few things on me, but things this month are...

...

Complicated.

Complicated? Wow.

[She lets out a soft exclamation of joy when she finds her clove cigarettes and eventually does find her gloves. Her jacket gets stuffed with the rest of her things and pulled on, though there are some things missing. Like her Tarot cards.

The gloves feel better on her hands. Much less like she was naked.]

Alright. [She offers a gloved hand easily, now, her hazel eyes bright as she grins.] Hi, Sam, I'm Merlan, and it's really nice to meet you.

[Ah, got it. There it is. He gives her hand a short but firm shake.]

Likewise.

Now, um... you're on a space ship, and you're not in your universe.

We should probably start there.

.........

Any questions?

[She reaches to touch the augment questioningly.]

I know this is an augment and that I'm security, which surprise, surprise means weapons, but exactly what are we all doing out here? It's probably a question you have to answer way too often, yeah?

[Her expression's apologetic.]

Ah, and, are people gonna miss us back where we came from? I guess that one's an important one.

First — [He holds up a finger, as he starts walking a bit slowly; casual walk-n-talk, you know.] — time should in theory be in the same state it was when you left it. Which is really handy. Secondly... I'm still trying to parse deeper motives, but, uh. We're currently trapped in a reality show set in space.

...

Apparently.

Okay. That first one is good to know. It means I don't have to worry about the, um, shit I said earlier. The second, however... [She gives Sam a long look lets out a slow sigh as she follows him.

Just her luck.]

Great, so basically, Big Brother in Space.

[Merlan wrinkles her nose.]

Please don't tell me there's folks being voted off the ship via airlock.

[Not yet, no, is what he thinks. His filter (that Dean tragically failed to inherit) stops him though.]

No, no. It's usually pretty mild, actually. We visit different planets, mostly. You're paid depending on how well-received you are... I guess. But I don't recommend causing trouble for cash, because then everyone'll probably give you the stink-eye.

[He's joking a little, but really, don't do that.]

I'm not usually in the business of trouble causing, especially for cash. That sort of stuff usually finds me, though. [She lets out a soft, bright, laugh] Stink-eyes, too.

Honestly, I'll take some exploration. Visiting other planets sounds like it's my jam. Alien life, plants, people? Now that's some fantastic stuff.

[She grins up at him.]

So, what's the coolest place you've been so far?

Oh, good. Stink-eyes.

[But he's pleasant enough, as if he's had his own fair share.]

Crazy, but fun. I mean... not all fun. There's some pretty nasty crap conspiring under the surface. Luckily, the community here is pretty great — everyone looks after each other, you know?

[The kitchen isn't too far away from them; he leads her in to let her do some of her own exploration.]

I really liked the underwater world; we could actually breathe in it.

Really out there, you know?

That sounds absolutely amazing. I have the dreams, the ones where you're underwater breathing it and just exploring. But you've lived it. Quite a thing to have done.

[She finds hot water and some plain old English breakfast tea, thinking as it steeps. Afer awhile there's a soft sound.[Forgive her if she looks as if that's a wonder.] That's how it ought to be, really. Everyone watching out for each other. And honestly, if it were all fun, the lot of us would get bored.

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I mean, for most people.

[He settles down in a chair, letting her do her thing. See, now he's shorter.]

I've gotten used to this whole... other world idea. This place isn't the first I've been to.

Last place was a little different, though; less technology, more supernatural.

I guess it would be crazy for most. Not so crazy for people who've seen some very strange things already.

[A little milk, some sugar and she joined him in her own chair.]

Supernatural? [Her eyebrows lift as she blows to cool her tea a little.] That sounds kinda cool, actually. And probably dangerous.

Oh yeah. Definitely dangerous.

We were being kept in another universe by grumpy gods. I mean, that's not really... that crazy, for me, but — they were too powerful to combat for a long time. Either they or the enviroment... I'm still not really sure, but... one of those two would cause a lot of weird shifts. Like. People would suddenly be afflicted by weird crap.

One time, I grew, like, six stories high. [He sips his own drink.] Just because.

Grumpy gods with a sense of humour. You're like almost two of me stacked as it is. Six stories is like some [Merlan had to set her drink down to laugh for a moment] really shitty angel joke.

[She gave him a long, frank look and took a measured sip of her tea.]

I sure hope they were kind enough to make your clothes grow with you. Something tells me the local department store woudn't be having your size. [Her tease is a gentle one.] Bit rude, that.

Yeah, they were at least that merciful.

[ehem]

So, you're a psychic, huh? Pretty upfront about that kind of thing.

[Sam never was. It was something that was... y'know. A source of concern in a hunting community. Psychics like Missouri were one thing, but Sam's powers were sort of a source of danger and misery; after all, Dean was more than pissed to think Sam had started using them again, even for good.

But that was a long while ago, and Sam's changed a lot.

Hopefully, Dean, too. He only hopes Dean wouldn't shun him quite so vigorously these days, though Sam's not too keen to ever see if he still has any of that Dumbo magic. Traumatic, okay.]

Is that what the gloves are for?

[She stifles a soft laugh and glances away for a moment, colouring a little, but a second later her hazel eyes are back on his.]

I know you're not going to take me down for being [There's a beat as she gestures at her spoon and it rises to stir her tea.] like this.

Edited 2017-07-07 06:23 (UTC)

[His brow quirks and he smiles as he leans on an elbow and watches the spoon move.

Sometimes he almost wants to try himself.

Almost, but never quite enough.]

Oh, are you sure about that? I could be all black and white.

One of those shoot first types, or whatever.

[Not that he particularly sounds it, right now.]

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