+1 tragic grump

[vartex]

Who: Messer & you!
Broadcast: NA
Action: The Blameless
When: after arriving in the new system


( a: On the Blameless! )

[His brief stint on the Marsiva had given Messer a chance to wake up, acclimate to the idea of his new location- and with it, a tentative understanding of why he's even alive. Walking through the hall and finding the empty expanse of space ready to greet him through the window was at least a comfort, something familiar, peaceful, almost. It's not Ragna, it's not Elysion, it's not even Al Shahal (though that's a relief). His hand drifts to the back of his neck, feeling for the augment, taking quiet note of the new information pouring into his mind, and trying not to be overwhelmed by the disturbing nature of this place.

His calm demeanor is interrupted when he's suddenly teleported to the bridge of another ship, confetti and pudding on hand to add to the absurdity of it all. It isn't "his" ship just yet, however, and his professional instincts kick in, so rather than explore the rest of the ship he finds himself a corner of the bridge and pulls out his communicator, reviewing old logs, researching everything there is to see on the network. That's where he'll be until he speaks to someone with some authority. Rank and file is important, after all.

Once that's settled, then he'll venture into the rest of the ship. Find his room, meet the crew, gather intel. And... organize the cleaning robots, apparently? His new job is so weird.]


( b: A ghost on a ghost planet )

[It’s strange. He’s never been overly fond of crowds as a concept - he likes to keep to himself too much - but the lack of any is far too alarming. It leaves him an open target on the street, nowhere to lose himself. Sticking to the edges of buildings can only help so much. And being armed with one of the guns from the Blameless armory is little comfort. (He needs to find a place for target practice ASAP.) The way this planet functions is suspicious as hell, so rather than looting he’s stalking around the place, collecting information, and watching everyone and everything. He’s more or less waiting for the other shoe to drop. Pounds and pounds of free food everywhere, and he doesn’t touch a crumb.

...He should probably steal some clothes, though. This one outfit isn’t going to take him very far.

The way he wanders around with a quiet, calm expression instead of gawking at everything probably makes him look more like a native of the planet than a new arrival, and it doesn’t help that he watches every single member of the fleet that passes him by, either. So that’s a thing.]

Comments

b- closed to kaname, freyja, and messer

[axi]

[Lack of communication, landing procedures, and even visible civilian life have put a good number of the fleeters on edge, Kaname being no exception. She and Freyja take a shuttle to the more suburban residential areas of the planet, and after lecturing the younger girl thoroughly about being cautious and not running off, they set out to take a look around.

Kaname, armed with a firearm from the ship's arsenal, keeps her eyes peeled as they look around the first of many houses on the street. She leaves the upstairs bathroom and calls down the hall to Freyja.]

Anything yet?

[livesfastdiesung]

[Freyja is a little on edge herself, though she's not one to usually show it... even if her rune is a little dimmer than usual, all the same. She's taking her time to investigate the bedrooms, and when she hears Kaname's voice she's quick to respond.]

Nothin'! I don't see anythin' at all, Kaname-san!

[axi]

Meet me in the master bedroom, then. I don't think we've checked that one.

[She closes the medicine cabinet, eyes skimming over the pristinely polished everything. It gives her the chills. Kaname moves out to the hallway and into the room to meet Freyja.]

Are you all right?

[livesfastdiesung]

I'm fine. It's just... [She frowns. It still feels weird, and her rune only serves to amplify that.] I dunno, how can an entire planet not have anyone on it?

[axi]

That's what we're looking for answers to. [Her own expression is more serious than usual. She opens a nearby closet and looks inside, closing it when nothing out of the ordinary sticks out to her.]

Check under the bed, I'll look in the drawers...

[livesfastdiesung]

[It doesn't take her long to confirm that there's nothing of importance under the bed, it's not like the light of her built-in-flashlight is making anything unusual obvious... but at this point, it feels like they've been through the entire house with nothing wrong.]

Nothin'. It's the same for everythin' in the house, we should try somewhere else... should we go back outside?

[axi]

[Kaname closes the last drawer, shaking her head to indicate there's nothing there either.]

Probably. We'll try another house on this street, then move on to a different one.

[The pair leave the room and head back downstairs. She gives the living room a quick visual once over before they exit to the street again.]

Other side, four houses up?

A

[padadin]

[What welcomes Messer is... a bark! Coming from a purple dog that runs away after seeing the new guy. And he comes back a moment later, this time bringing Shiro with him, who raises an eyebrow at Messer and his claimed corner of the bridge.]

A new crew member, huh? You can get more comfortable to do your thing - I promise we don't bite.

[vartex]

[Messer's on his feet as soon as the dog enters the bridge, so he's standing up when Shiro arrives. The offer gets little more than a nod, and he's very careful in how he watches the movement of both Shiro and the dog. A little suspicious, a little stern- not aggressive, but watchful of any sudden movements, certainly.]

Are you the ranking officer of this vessel?

[padadin]

[Shiro won't blame any newbie for being watchful and/or wary as hell. It's not easy waking up here after all. Been there done that - technically twice. Also excuse Procyon while he sniffs your feet, Messer.]

This vessel is the SS Blameless - and yes, I'm her captain. I'm Shiro. [He offers his metal hand to shake.] Welcome to the fleet. How much do you understand so far?

[vartex]

[Ah, good, a captain. Messer offers up a brief salute, more formality than anything else. It's best to start off on the right foot in new places, military or otherwise.]

First Lieutenant Messer Ihlefeld. I'm aware of the basics, but any additional information would be appreciated.

[After a moment's pause he does accept the handshake, though it's more physical than he's used to.]

[padadin]

[...ah. A salute. He hasn't been saluted at in forever. It's a funny feeling, remembering the days at the Garrison, and he isn't sure what to make of it. Thankfully Messer keeps it brief, accepts the handshake and-- well, forget keeping it simple.]

You prefer First Lieutenant Ihlefeld or just Messer? [Yeah, let's ask to be safe. Rank doesn't mean much around here but let's not offend the guy.] People from different universes and timelines are brought to the fleet by Atroma - they have a reality show and we're the participants. You have an augment in your head now that will tell you your assigned job. We visit new planets every month, decided by Atroma too, and you can earn money by taking jobs there, but we have different amounts deposited in our accounts too if you're doing well with rantings. Other than that, as long as we do your job and don't wander away from the fleet, we're free to do as we please.

[vartex]

[Messer lifts his shoulders in a very slight shrug.]

I have no preference. Use whichever you want.

[Rank and order never stopped literally anyone in Xaos from using his first name, so he's stopped caring.

The rest is useful, so he ponders it quietly for a moment, considering his options. They're few and far between, but...]

...We're intended to become performers, then?

B

[passingthrough]

[Kitty doesn't like the planet. It reminds her both too much of home—coming across abandoned cities where Apocalypse hadn't culled, but people had fled in advance, trying to get to Europe or anywhere marginally safer than North America. It also reminds her of the last place where mysterious overlords abducted her with unending amounts of goods and foods available to them at all times. She doesn't trust it and so she's being more critical than usual, certain there's a trap or a trick to it all and she'd rather find it than one of the others. She's protective of her crew and the fleet at large. She's exploring, taking in everything there is to see.

Someone who knows her might realize she's more cautious than usual since she's wearing her blue uniform from home, complete with metal gauntlets on her forearms. The claws aren't exposed for now. But it isn't someone who knows her who she comes across. It's someone she's never seen before not even in passing on the network. Of course he also looks typically human rather than the orange-tinted humanoids they typically come across or any of the other races they've met. And it seems like he's watching her too.]

Hello.

[vartex]

[The cautiousness is both recognizable and understandable- he's feeling much the same, after all. He also takes note of the gauntlets, defining them not so much as weapons but as some form of defense, and he files that info away as a "just in case". Better to be cautious than bleeding, and he's already been there.

He hadn't expected a greeting, with them both equally on edge and unknown, and after a moment he returns it with an acknowledging nod. Sup.]

[passingthrough]

Chatty fellow. [She might have hoped for more but she's not reading it as threatening. It feels familiar. Maybe more distantly familiar now that she's been in the fleet for two years and another place for a year before that. She's had time to settle into her surroundings and accept the scope of experiences she encounters. Things aren't usually as rough as back home.]

Been here long? [She doesn't define whether she means the abandoned town or the fleet. She'll take either or both.]

[vartex]

[He quirks a slight brow. What was she expecting, his life story?]

I've only just arrived.

[Which is accurate about both the fleet and the planet itself, so it works either way.]

[passingthrough]

[That or hi.]

I'm Kitty Pryde. Captain of the Twin Roses. [It's a little odd to give that title instead of "Member of the X-Men" but when in space...]

[vartex]

[He clearly greeted her, that's hi! Gosh you people and your need for words.]

Messer Ihlefeld, of the Blameless.

[It's such a painfully ironic name. He's gonna mentally file away both her and her ship, though; information-gathering is the key to getting things done, and even if he's not here to make friends a network is important.]

a (this is not late. nope.)

[dandyofawolf]

[Sandalio can smell the new person and he knows he heard the confetti go off not that long ago. So after he's sure his captain has taken care of the new arrival, he makes his way over to him. Might as well get to know who his new crew mate is right? Far better to be familiar with the faces than not.

So he gives him a smile as he approaches him, holding out his hand for a shake.]

You must be our newest member. I am Sandalio de Rabiffano, Communications Officer aboard this ship.

s'all good!

[vartex]

[Messer's still trying to get the damned confetti out of his hair - it'll probably take three showers to just find it all - but he dusts his hands together and accepts the handshake when it's offered, his grip steady and firm.]

Lieutenant Messer Ihlefeld, Maintenance.

[dandyofawolf]

A pleasure, Lieutenant. I heard you already met our captain. We have a unique crew but I hope it will not be a problem for your time here.

[He notes the confetti and...]

Perhaps I could show you to where the showers are so you can freshen up?

[vartex]

I'm sure it's fine.

[He's worked with some weird crews in his time, and so far these guys seem normal enough.]

That would be appreciated, thank you.

[dandyofawolf]

This way please.

[He has all the makings of a good butler honestly. Of course he's from money so he's nothing of the sort where he's from. Especially now.]

The showers will have hot water for fifty minutes. They are not entirely spacious but there is certainly enough room for you, I am sure.

[vartex]

I have no doubt that it'll be fine. I'm used to such limitations.

[Such is the life in space, really.]