Calibration Post 1, "Daytime"

[thespaceopera]

[ 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. ]

Comments

[expellerhead]

It's good for flexibility. And it's got deep breathing exercises. [some of which you seem to be attempting to engage in without too much success, tbh. are you really chill? girl ur chill is like everybody else's 6 on the 'ready to throw down' scale]

[stormfist]

[ what is this "chill" of which you speak? is it food? or something bad? is it something bad - does she need to punch it? jayden no

But no okay, she rolls her shoulders to loosen up a bit and just... goes with it. She trusts him, after all. ]

Fair enough. That... does sound useful right now.

[expellerhead]

[he's gonna just start doing poses and shit and trust her to copy him as necessary, because she doesn't need her hand held and because he's kind of mostly just futzing around also. time to crack some backs and stretch out some hamstrings!

aizawa glances over to see if she's following along fine.] Had any other visitors?

[stormfist]

[ She's keeping up well enough - copying whatever pose he bends himself into, and not asking questions, no matter how strange it might seem. It's... definitely tugging on some muscles she hasn't thought about in a long time, and sure, breathing is always good... Okay, maybe there's something to this after all. ]

Mm, here? No. In my head? A few. Crowley, Felix, Opal. Two other people I don't know at all. You?

[expellerhead]

A couple people I know. [not ochako, thank fuck. aizawa switches to a set that helps stretch out upper thighs.] ...the only decent thing is that most people here aren't the nosy type.

[stormfist]

[ She hums in agreement. ] Yeah. Not intentionally. [ That one guy just, you know, accidentally triggered the thought of being Taken, that's all. It's fine. ] This whole thing still can't be over with soon enough.

[ But at least she's much less angry than she was before he showed up. Just gonna keep stretching now - arms above her head, leaning as far to the side as she can stand, and holding. ]

[expellerhead]

Won't hear any arguments out of me.

[but her posture could be more efficent. aizawa straightens out of his own stance to turn on her, reaching fir her waist to adjust the twist of her hips.] Do that too, it'll get your lower back.

[stormfist]

[ You know, if he'd been someone else, they'd probably get punched, but she doesn't even flinch. And yes, that... really did get her lower back, probably evident in the way that quite a bit of tension just leaves her body all at once - which is nice. ]

Jesus. ... Thanks.

[ Aaand his hands are still on her hips. ... Okay, that's kind of nice, too. ]

[expellerhead]

[expellerhead]

[SIGHS...]

I know what this sounds like, but do you want a massage?

[stormfist]

A massage? Really? [ She looks about as surprised as she sounds - if also amused by, yes, what that sounds like. Ha. ] What exactly did I do to deserve all this extra attention anyway?

[ other than just, apparently, "be really mad". ]

[expellerhead]

Making myself useful is what relaxes me. [it's not really the 'punching things' that calmed him down, it was watching jayden unwind. he might be overly analytical and he might be no-nonsense, but his heart's as warm as any other person who's dreamed of being a hero since they were a kid.]

[stormfist]

[ Jayden already knew he had a warm heart. That much has been obvious to her for a while. And anyway, right now? It's bsolutely thanks to him that she's feeling better at all. If it helps him too, then good.

It's her turn to kiss him on the cheek - little bit of a thank you, little bit also just for the surprise of it. ]

Sure. A massage sounds good. And I'll return the favor if you want.

[ Yep, still sounds much the same. But whatever. She means it. ]

[expellerhead]

If you must. [yeah right aizawa you haven't had a massage ever since physical therapy

fuckin get one] Your place or mine? [innuendo intended, this time. payback for that embarrassing cheek kiss]

[stormfist]

[ Boy, deal with it you're getting one. ]

Right here, right now too kinky for you? 'Cause that's our only option, hate to break it to you.

[ Two can play this game now that he's started it~ ]

[expellerhead]

We could at least go back to the rooms, you degenerate. [right here on the mats???? where anybody could walk in?????? at least find a dark corner, geez, he's not some mcdonald's date]

[stormfist]

[ Okay, that actually makes her laugh a bit. ]

Right. Lead the way, then.

[expellerhead]

[she's got a nice smile. y'know, objectively speaking.

aizawa's just gonna give her shirt a yank before heading over to collect his own jacket and shoes from where he'd dropped it near the mats, leading her back down the halls. they are going to get some nice massages and then they are gonna eat and then they're gonna sleep and not go brain spelunking, damn it. thank YOU.]