driftfleet | And Let Us Gather 'Round [ Video + Action ]

Entry tags:

And Let Us Gather 'Round [ Video + Action ]

Who: Kirk and The Fine People of the Fleet
Broadcast: Yes
Action: On the Iskaulit, Specifically at the Melting Pot - Note: After the Broadcast
When: After they start heading away from the system

Video
_{[ Kirk appears on the screen, and probably like many people he looks tired and a bit beaten up. Scratches not yet healed on his face, one even covered with a bandage on his cheek, that sort of drawn look around his eyes after all the sleepless nights and the battles and general horridness. A little to pale, perhaps.

Even so, he gives as warm a smile as he can as he begins to speak. ]}

For those of you who might not know, I come from a world called Earth - or at least, one of the versions represented here. On my world, in the country I hail from, we celebrate something known as Thanksgiving roughly around this time of year if I've done my calculations correct. Some people call it Friendsgiving, but it's all the same really.

Essentially, it's a time to a give thanks for the good things in your life, your friends, and your family. In the spirit of that, I've arranged for a gathering at the Melting Pot - a thank you to Jarvis for that. Everyone who wishes to come is welcome.

I just thought we all could use a day, a place, to be together and to just enjoy each other. So I hope to see you there.

Action: The Melting Pot
_{[ The restaurant is set up to allow as much mingling as possible when people arrive - places to sit, of course, but there's gentle music playing for those who might want to dance and just to give some atmosphere (but not loud enough to stop conversation at all). Food and drink is laid out - things to nibble on rather than the usual feasts associated with a Thanksgiving. Not particularly ideal, but it's what could be managed. Unless, of course, anyone decided to bring something else to add to the spread.

Not a fancy party, to be sure, but it's warm and inviting, which is what Kirk had hoped for. A place for them all to come together and enjoy each other and just be glad they were all there and if not quite completely whole, then, well, able to be there. ]}

_{[ooc: Open mingle! Feel free to create your own starters and do as you like - tis a warm Friendsgiving party for the Fleet! ]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, of course. [No need to ask for specifics. He's good at all of the numbers.] You have number stuff that needs to be done?

I'm glad that you have your best friend here. I imagine that it makes this universe easier to exist in sometimes, even if you wouldn't wish an alternate universe on your friend.

[He gestures unhelpfully in her general direction. The pink drink is nice, but it's not helping his ability to formulate questions.] You don't look as though most your parts are artificial, or move like it. And how did... did you lose them, or...?

Yeah... I'm... [For once, she looks a little embarrassed.] I have a really hard time understanding numbers, and money is also a number thing. So like I never can tell if I can buy things or not with my account because the numbers just kind of... jumble together. Captain Vision used to watch my credits for me, but he's not here any more.

It's really great to have friends! I really wish my friends from home were here, since this is such a nice place. But I've got my friends I made here.

Oh! I've got military-grade stuff that's top of the line for skin matching. [There's a...less than fun reason for that little wrinkle, but she's not going to get into that since it's still not straight in her head. She'd rather talk about the other stuff.] So like... Okay, I lost most of my organs when I took a shrapnel shell to the abdomen. But artificial livers are pretty cool since you like never get drunk. Organic acid attack got my lungs because my helmet filters were malfunctioning. Lost my heart to getting impaled on wreckage after I got thrown clear of a trojan horse explosion. And I lost my right leg and my left arm later on the line after a bunch of dystropes pulled me off my cycle and fucked me up pretty bad and my partner had to cut them off so I didn't die. Um... so my right eye and all my bones went when I got thrown out of the 99th story of a building. So my bones are metalloid composite maintained by nanobots and they're almost impossible to break, which is cool. And my eye can like record video and shit, which is cool!

[She taps her chin with a finger, trying to think if she left something out.] I've got a lot of synthetic muscle fiber too, but that was actually a tactical improvement that I volunteered for, and then I had to get some more when they regrew my bones so that I could still move. I think that's everything?

I would be happy to do that. [He's extremely sincere about this.

He's also extremely sincerely horrified, fascinated, and disturbed by Wrath's comprehensive list of artificial body parts and the hideous injuries that made each of them necessary. So much so that he has to pause to take another drink of the pink stuff before he's capable of formulating a response. No wonder she thinks the fleet is a nice place.]

Wrath... how did you live through any of these things?

Really? Thank you so much, Pavel! That's really nice of you. [And a huge, huge relief for her.]

[She considers this question with due seriousness. It's a good question.] I mean, a lot of it I don't really remember the stuff that happened next that well? But like... I had a really good partner. Envy. I mean, his name was Octavian. And he always looked out for me, so I guess he hauled my ass to the field medics. That's what happened the times I can remember. And I always watched his back too and was ready to pick him up when he was in trouble. That's what partners do.

[Or maybe he meant in a more technical sense?] Like as long as your brain isn't dead-dead, they can drain and flash freeze you, right?

It's nice of you to talk with me. We can be even.

[He meant in a more technical sense since a lot of what she described sounds rather lethal.] No, they can't. Or that is not something that can be done when I am from. Our medical technology is remarkable, but...

No matter. I'm glad that your partner and your world's technology kept you alive. How is not so important.

What? I mean, I guess that counts as nice, but it's not like I'm doing you a favor. You're a cool person, so you're fun to talk to!

Oh, I get what you mean. Um. I'm not very good at technology stuff, sorry. I'm just a bruiser. [Sheepish smile.]

You're kind to say that. [Even if he doesn't really believe her.] I am slightly more fun when I'm not drinking. We will clearly need to talk again.

I very much doubt that you are just a bruiser. No one is just any single thing.

What? Then you must be super cool.

[She waves a hand airily.] I'm good at my job, so that makes me happy. Oh! And I paint, too. When I'm not on duty. That's kind of fun. I did the big mural in the Iskaulit. Like before I disappeared for a while.

[Her entirely baseless assumption about his level of coolness gets a smile.]

A fighter who paints? That is a rare combination. [He'll need to check out the mural the next time he's over there so he can give her some honest praise.] May I ask where you disappeared to? Home?

Oh, is it? That's cool! [She wrinkles her nose.] I didn't, that's the weird part. Like... Went to bed one night, and then boom, I'm back on the Marsiva and everyone says I was gone for months! And I don't remember anything so... that's not fun. Like I'm used to forgetting stuff, but it's super extra creepy here.

That would be unsettling, losing several months that way. I have heard of it happening--mostly in other places I have been, not here so much--but I imagine that knowing that you are not alone in such a thing doesn't make it less unpleasant.

Yeah, it's freaky. And since everyone else normally seems to go home, I kind of wonder what was different with what happened to me. Like... did I go home and then they just wiped me right before I got brought back? Maybe? Which just pisses me off to think about, since I'd like to see my friends.

Anyway, that's a shitty thing to be thinking about. Fun stuff would be way better. What do you do for fun?

I'm sorry that you did not have an opportunity to remember being home... but no, this is not a productive thing to think about. Not when we have no way of finding answers. [Still sucks though. If he was just a little more drunk, he'd probably give her a hug.]

...For fun? Here? I... [He frowns down at the pink drink, legitimately stuck for an answer.] I'm sure there are fun things that I do. What is it that you do for fun?

You need a hobby. Hobbies are very good for morale. [She reaches out a perfectly steady hand to lightly beep the end of his nose.]

Me? Lemme see... I knit! And play and train with Officer Snuggles. And fight. And fuck. And paint. That's pretty much all my stuff.

I believe I left my hobbies in another universe. [He is both amused and perplexed by that random gesture. What is she even doing.]

Officer Snuggles? [Still amused and perplexed. That's probably going to be his default reaction to her.] That's... a diverse collection of things to do for fun. I think only two of them are hobbies that I would be able to adopt.

Then we better find you some new ones!

[Oh, he hasn't met Snuggles... who isn't with her tonight. Whoops.] Officer Snuggles is my tactical fox. Well, he's pretty much the ship's fox now. I got him way back before I disappeared and Kitty and Kurt took care of him while I was gone, which was really nice of them. [Nod nod.] Okay, which two? [This is going to be A Project.]

...A tactical fox. [He does not understand how a fox can be tactical, but he's willing to take her at her word. He latches on to the part of that that made sense.] You are on the same ship as Kitty and Kurt?

Er, knitting and painting. I would be bad at both, but I would try them.

Oh, I used to be on the same ship as Kitty! And then she and Kurt watched Snuggles for me while I was away. I kind of wanted to transfer to their ship when I came back, but Winter needed a first officer and he's my best friend, so...

Well, you're always bad at everything when you first try it! That means there's lots of room for improvement and learning.

It was kind of you to go where your closest friend is instead of where you were accustomed to being. I think that, even if Kirk was to leave the Tourist, I would want to stay.

There is nothing if not time to learn between systems. [He doesn't sound too thrilled about that part of Drift Fleet life.] Painting, though... that takes artistic talent. There's only so much that practice can do, I imagine.

It's important to be in a crew that you can be most effective in. And have good teamwork! It's worth a lot.

I mean... I guess? I think it's more... there's this philosophy, I guess. The question is, how do you want to suffer? Because no matter what, the practice part isn't fun at all, right? But if you want what you're gonna get out the other side enough, it's worth all the pain of practice and failing.

Yes, I agree with that. That's mostly why I initially transferred to Kirk's ship.

I have never heard the process of learning something new described as suffering. That seems undesirable when the something being learned is meant to be a hobby... but, as a Russian, I do find the prospect of suffering needlessly appealing.

[If only she knew anything about Russians. If only. So. Um.] That's the spirit!

I mean... I think you end up suffering a little bit even when it is a hobby. Unless your hobby is just... um. Watching porn and eating ice cream.

Those hobbies may also involve an element of suffering. Probably less than drinking, which is apparently my only hobby now.

Suffering aside... maybe this is a strange question, but would you ever consider showing someone how to knit or paint?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And Let Us Gather 'Round [ Video + Action ]

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A THOUSAND YEARS LATE

NO PROBLEM!

bless

Re: bless

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fffffffffffff oh my god russians

that's the reaction I always hope for!