driftfleet | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: The Crew of the SS Bishop + visitors
Broadcast: No.
Action: Yes (SS Bishop, potentially planetside...?)
When: February

[So, how is the Disaster Crew doing? Good? Good. (It's a mingle, hello.)]

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John's ambling in, ostensibly to check everything over. Granted, there's not a whole lot for either of them to do considering things have been relatively peaceful, but he can at least check in on the office. He is, as has become usual over the past few months, followed by Alexander the snow leopard.

"Yo, what are you up to in here?"

Dr. Mantis is always available provided that people don't mind the sporadic office hours. He waves hello, only to point at Alexander when he turns his head as well to see who it is.

"That's an endangered species back home. And you have one for a...pet." He sighs and shakes his head. "Have a seat, if you want. I sat at a lecture on cross-stitching at the craft hall. I need more things to do between systems."

“I like animals,” John replies with a shrug. “Besides, he’s cute, and he’s never gonna get much bigger than this if those folks were right about him.” Upon finding out what Mantis is up to, however, he raises his eyebrows, amused.

“You really must be bored if you’re doin’ embroidery.”

"It's never too late to pick up a hobby." He plucks the loom out of the air, and turns his head back to John and his fuzzy companion. "Is your cat tame? I had a coworker back home who took care of wolfhounds, but they were generally angry things that only really liked her and a scientist."

"Relatively." He's spent the past month or so trying to get him tamer, but he's a reasonably well-behaved cat. "I mean, his namesake ain't all that tame either, come to think of it, but he's not here."

"That will have to do for now." He clicks his tongue and makes a beckoning motion to Alexander. "I still can't believe that you managed to find one. I've heard cats of their kind use their jaw strength to crush skulls and necks while hunting."

"You didn't see? They had a lot up for adoption back at the last planet." He gives Alexander a fond look. "I couldn't resist, he's too gorgeous not to."

"I did, it just still amazes me to see such a familiar animal this far from home." He turns back to the loom, pulling the thread through a few more times. "Maybe I'll look for a pet of my own. There seems to be a growing number of animals on these ships."

"We didn't have anything like this guy back in South Carolina. Too warm down there." He reaches down to give the cat an absent ruffle.

"If ya want, do it. I ain't had time for pets in a few years, and it helps keep the boredom at bay when we're not fighting for our lives." A wry lipquirk. "Or when I'm not yellin' at our captain."

"South Carolina? I can't remember the last time I heard the name of a US state dropped like that. I lived in the country for a bit of a while before working on my own."

He chuckles. "Always question authority. I never let my Commanding Officer have an easy time making decisions."

"Yeah? Whereabouts? I'm from outside'a Charleston originally, but I haven't spent much time there lately. Mostly I was up north or traveling back home."

That lipquirk is turning into an outright grin. "Questioning authority is one of the things I do best, man."

"A little bit of everywhere. I never really settled down in one spot due to my government work. It was the price I paid for amnesty, but it also meant I saw all sides of the country and how people lived."

Mantis is smiling a bit himself. "He's an old friend, too. It is a duty and a joy to make sure he's not acting too much like his father."

"Yeah, same here. I mean, I guess it's a lil' different during war time, but I got to see a lot of it." He never really got to the 'working for the government' part of his story.

"Can't say I can make sure that happens with my commanding officer, but I have stood for his honor a few times."

"What war were you a part of? I've gone between battlefields, but most of my work was behind the ones who carry the guns." Mantis lets the loom rise up again to study his work.

"I don't believe in the full scope of his ideals, but...he was the best thing that I had going on in my life. As long as I could do as I wanted, it didn't matter what he asked of me."

"The revolution." Since he's already said he's from South Carolina, it should be easy to decipher that.

"I -- get along better with the general than some'a my friends, but we don't exactly see eye to eye on everything, either."

Plenty to decipher it with. The loom drops suddenly out of the air and clatters onto the desk. Mantis turns slowly in his chair, holding a hand up to his head.

"Adams and Hamilton! You're part of the naturalization exam to get citizenship." His voice drops as he speaks. "How far back in history can Atroma reach to bring people here?"

He laughs a little, raising his eyebrows. "No shit? I've heard Alex did well for himself after, but I didn't know that. Can't say I know Adams well--only through letters, but my father worked with him for a while." A shrug.

"I dunno. I'm fairly certain there are people around from earlier than me, though."

"I feel a bit foolish for not having put the clues together. Those names are centuries old where I come from and not usually uttered out of the confines of historical textbooks and dramas."

Mantis makes a surprised noise at the notion. "Older than you? I find that hard to believe."

"I mean, I wouldn't wanna say Adams' name, either; he might show up." He shrugs.

"They're not from our world, maybe, but I'd like to think I'm a little past Rowan and his folks."

"How does that phrase go... 'Speak of the Devil', right?"

Mantis shakes his head. "It's enough to make me feel young. I always seem to be, but this is something else."

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