[Closed] Fuck this shit I'm out...

[padadin]

Who: Shiro + Thor, Ulaz, Baku, Makie
Broadcast: No.
Action: Yes.
When: Beginning of April.

1. Thor + Reactor building on the planet

[Shiro has always been the kind of guy that keeps himself busy, especially when there's stuff in his mind he's escaping from... like the bunker. Two steps in have been enough to know what's inside, and he leaves before a panic attack could be triggered - he does see in his mind some flashes of cells. He knows where things could be going.

This is awful, just awful. There are lots of things to be said and discussed, about terraforming and people playing god. But he doesn't want to think about that right now, he just wants to make things right. Remembering the deformed animals Ulaz saw and the conversation about radioactive energy that followed it, Shiro makes his way to the reactor building... only to find someone doing the same.]

I see I'm not the only one worried about that uncontrolled machine. Hey, Thor.

2. Ulaz + SS Caprine

[He's moving by instinct right now, his mind a blurry mess of emotions. This can't be happening, it just can't! Damn Atroma, damn their enjoyment of their drama, damn allowing himself to relax in here. He isn't sure how he gets to the pod or how he ends up on the Caprine really, he's on automatic - why the Caprine anyway?

As he slams open the lab door, face white and panting, it becomes easy to understand why. He can't drop the bomb on the team, not yet. Here's the only man that understands.]

Ulaz... [A pause. Deep breath.] ...she's here.

3. Baku + SS Caprine

[After the talk with Ulaz, Shiro is... okay, maybe not fine, but okay enough. He should feel bad for taking the Caprine's doctor to his ship, but he can't deny the comfort that Ulaz's presence brings him. Speaking of the Caprine... there's someone else here that he's fond of. Someone who has also offered help. Shiro stops in his tracks, hands closing in tight, trembling fists. He went to Ulaz for help... his team have been nagging him about it too for how long now?

The subject of his dreams is still delicate... but not more than Haggar. He needs to learn to reach out.

So here he's now, going from the way to the exit to the way to the rooms, and knocks on certain friend's door, nervous but determined.]

Baku? Do you have a minute?

4. Makie + SS Blameless (backdated)

[The sound of the confetti and the musical tune are very familiar by now - Shiro has been in the fleet for a year, and the Blameless changes crew members all the time. So he makes his way to the new arrival, welcoming smile on his face as always.]

New member, huh. Welcome to the SS Blameless. I'm Shiro, captain and pilot of this ship.

Comments

[rebuildyourruins]

[Shiro isn't the only one concerned about the reactor, it's true. He's also not the only one rattled by what they found in the bunker. Thor isn't used to inaction, to dwelling on the past, only he finds himself circling back to it again and again in this place. Much as he's tried to keep moving and not allow himself time to think... it happened.

It lead him to the reactor, though it was only a half-conscious thought. He'd broken into the power plant only a few days ago and rifled through all the papers there. The bunker had seemed more important to check first-- but now he would rather turn his attention to an inanimate object than ones that used to be living.

Thor turns his head when he hears Shiro approaching, nodding in agreement.]

Shiro. Given all we've learned about it, concern is just the start. Who knows how long this has been running unchecked?

[padadin]

Impossible to tell with the droids keeping everything as new, but judging by the bunker and the deformed animals- [He winces at the memory.] I'm willing to bet it's been a long, long time.

[So Thor is right, concern is just the start. They need to stop the thing before it gets worse, but without causing a new incident. Knowing delicate machines? Easier said than done.

Shiro approaches the building, tries to open the door and... welp. Of course.]

Locked. We'll have to find a way to break in.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor does nothing but hum slightly in response, his own thoughts going down dark paths whenever they turn to the bunker. There's time enough yet for he and Loki to do something to set their minds at ease ... but in the meantime, this reactor can take precedent.

He's not surprised when Shiro finds the door locked. He sighs, stepping up to examine the door.]

The power plant was like that too. That place did open up after breaking down the doors, though.

[padadin]

Let's give the droids something else to fix, then. Step back.

[Sure, Thor is a god and all, but old habits die hard. So excuse Shiro for the precaution. He he rolls up his right sleeve before raising his metal arm, which immediately starts glowing purple with energy. Not electricity or any kind of similar battery like any other robot, no. It works with his own life energy.

At first he just touches the hinges, as waiting for something to happen - melting, in fact. But nothing happens. Frowning but not ready to give up, he pulls back his arm, this time forming a proper fist that punches the hell out of the door--

Only to leave a dent. For quiznak's sake.]

...it seems we're going to need more power.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor raises his eyebrows at the suggestion, yet he does step back. One step. He isn't sure what Shiro intends so it comes as a surprise when he 'activates' his arm somehow, power surging through it. So, he's got some enhancements, as the Avengers would call it.

Whatever Shiro was expecting to happen clearly didn't. Thor rubs at his chin in thought as the echo of Shiro's fist hitting the stubborn door fades away. That's annoying, though he doesn't yet think it'll stop him punching through it. But, first thing's first--]

What was that, exactly? It didn't look like electricity or magic to me.

[padadin]

[His hand stops glowing while Shiro frowns at the door, trying to understand what's going on. He only looks up at Thor when he hears-- ah. Yeah, of course he has questions. Oh boy, where to even begin. Serious Shiro is serious.]

I don't understand the whole inner working of it either but - the arm is 100% connected to my body - bones, nerves and all. It isn't just a prosthetic. And as far as I know, it works with what we call quintessence. Something like my own life force. [His tone changes then. It's already been pretty tense during the explanation, but now his voice and eyes are just filled with the weight of the dark past that haunts him.] The witch that gave me this is able to manipulate quintessence, but also to create machines that harvest and make use of it. So no, I guess it's not traditional magic.

[And now that witch is here in the fleet. Ugh, he doesn't want to think about that. It's his human hand that touches the door now, as if that could tell him what it's made of.]

This is the first metal I find that I cannot melt or break.

1/2

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor takes notice of Shiro's change in demeanour. Witches are never good news, and if one is behind the addition of this arm, he can understand why Shiro might have mixed feelings about it.]

I can't say I've heard of quintessence. [He peers closer at Shiro's arm for a moment, before looking up at the man again.] But I do know of witches, and they don't often do things out of charity. Still, it sounds like a formidable weapon.

[Turning to look at the door again, he says:]

In most circumstances.

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Ulaz had already seen her, spoken with her, nearly been attacked by her when trying to put distance between them again. He knew Zarkon's witch was in the fleet. He had been trying to figure out a way to bring it up to Shiro since he knew her presence was not going to be a pleasant one for him.

Of course he didn't have a chance to do that because the lab door suddenly flew open with a bang. He turned back to the door, frowning when he saw Shiro. He didn't even need to know who the "she" was to know it was the witch]

I know. I've seen her.

[Ulaz crossed the distance over to the door and put his hand carefully on Shiro's shoulder]

Come in and we can close the door.

[Not everyone needed to hear about this]

[padadin]

You've seen her?

[The hand on his shoulder is comforting, the words he hears aren't. Or are they? It's a good thing he doesn't have to explain, but Shiro wouldn't wish the witch on anyone, not even Slav.

He does come inside as Ulaz asked him to, but his eyes are looking at his friend's body, checking for injuries.]

Are you okay? Did she attack you?

[scalpelofmarmora]

I have. In the library. You may want to cautious if you are alone.

[Ulaz shut the door behind them as they came inside. There were no visible injuries and he didn't seem the worse for wear after encountering her. But given his training, he might just be very good at hiding injuries]

She heard me when I was there and cornered me. I vaulted over her, she tried to hit me, and I threw a book cart at her. After that we did nothing productive for attacking each other until we realized we were getting no where and I left her there and she didn't try to attack again.

[Welp, have the whole summary of what happened.

Ulaz walked over to get a glass of water for Shiro. Shiro will probably see that when he picks up the pitcher there was a slight flinch in his face and the outline of the bandage he had wrapped around his arm became clearer under the shirt he wore. He was doing a good job at hiding it]

[padadin]

[Hearing that they fought only makes him more upset. He thought Haggar may be behaving under the circumstances, and it seems like she will, but now he has to wonder if it isn't more like "she will... mostly".

And oh yes, he does notice that flinch. Quiznak. Well, Shiro being Shiro, he takes this chance to worry about something else instead of his own problems. So when Ulaz hands him the glass of water, Shiro pretends to move to grab it but he grabs Ulaz's arm instead, moving the sleeve to find the bandage.]

She hurt you. [His voice and face go through so many emotions at once: worry, anger, frustration.] You need to see a healer. I know you have lab support as an augment, but some people have powers that will leave you as new in a seconds.

[scalpelofmarmora]

[If you could call her trying to defend herself thinking he was attacking her and him throwing a book cart at her as a distraction a fight. It's not something that he would consider a fight. Of course the fact he had run into fairly soon after she had arrived might have worked in their favor. She knew he was there and could blow whatever cover she decided to try and create here.

Normally Ulaz might have been able to evade Shiro's attempt to grab his arm or even pull it away once he had. But even if the injury was making that difficult now, he didn't exactly make the attempt, letting Shiro grab his arm and push his sleeve up to see the bandage]

It was actually the shelf that she fired at that did it. [Technicality... she hadn't directly done it though she had been intending for it to hit him] I have cleaned and bandaged it. [There was a pause. Yes, he's stubborn, but he can't exactly be the pot calling the kettle black when dealing with Shiro. If he would make Shiro do the same thing, he can't make the argument Shiro would] If you think someone should heal it, I will seek someone out.

[padadin]

[A fired shelf. Geez. Shiro sighs and shakes his head at that - he doesn't know if he should feel lucky or not for having missed that. He wants to be there for Ulaz and help him, but he doesn't know how useful he can be when it comes to going against Haggar.

And Ulaz has to go and-- wait. What? Shiro is surprised to hear the quick acceptance of the idea, he'd expect more of a Keith situation here.]

Good. No need to be bandaged up and taking care of a bruise if you can just heal it away. [He frowns a bit more at the bandaged arm and finally lets go when he decides to move on the topic at hand.] So you didn't only meet her, but you fought her.

[dreamvour]

[a few moments pass before the door opens, and Baku blinks slowly up at Shiro a few times before it registers that he's the one who knocked. She never expects visitors, at least not at her room - she usually catches people as they arrive, or as they go wandering through the ship]

Shiro. [she greets politely, head tilting as she studies his face. He looks . . . uncertain? Nervous? She's never been good at reading the intricacies in emotion, no matter how long she's spent watching] I do. Is everything all right?

[padadin]

[Ah yes, the million dollar question. He wants to say yes and not to worry her, but considering the subject they're about to touch? Better to be honest. He still forces a little smile for her, even if she totally guesses correctly: "nervous" nails it.]

I hope I didn't wake you up. [Since it took her a moment to open the door, just checking.] Everything is... complicated. I need to talk to you about my dreams. Somewhere private if possible.

[dreamvour]

I don't sleep. [though she does appreciate the apology, as pointless as it is. She considers him for a moment before she steps aside, gesturing for him to come in]

This is as private as it gets, I think. But no one will bother us.

[padadin]

Thank you, this works.

[He comes in, but doesn't sit anywhere. In fact, he paces - well, as much as one can pace in these small rooms.]

I think... I think I'm ready for you to start eating my dreams. [A pause.] ...nightmares, really. But even if you've seen a lot at your age, I want to make sure that you know what you're getting into, and that I can trust you with that information.

[dreamvour]

[Baku takes a seat instead, watching him pace as she sets her hands in her lap, neatly folded]

I don't speak about what I see with anyone. Not even to the person who's dreams I've eaten. [she tilts her head, slow, studying him] I know exactly what I'm getting into. Or are you worried about something else, too?

[padadin]

[When she says she doesn't talk to the owner of the dreams either, he stops pacing, considers things for a second and sighs before finally resting his body against the wall, arms crossed in obvious guarded body language.]

I can accept questions if you have them. My nightmares are a mix of real memories and dream inventions, and my amnesia probably makes them messier than they would already be after everything I went through. I'd rather you have a clear picture of what you'd be dealing with.

[He doesn't like the idea of talking about this stuff, but he will if he has to. Baku is a friend - maybe not as close to him as Sokka or Jim, but the circumstances are making him take tough choices.

A dry, sarcastic snort.] I worry about plenty of things. About your health after consuming such dark thoughts. About what you may think of me. About the person from home that caused those dark thoughts and just showed up in the fleet.

[therewerefifty]

[Makie is making her way off the bridge, having talked to Messer (or...not talked, as the case may be, he's quieter than she is). She stops short as Shiro comes into view, eyebrows lifting slightly in surprise. He's Japanese. Or... well, looks it, at least. The Fleet is an odd place.

She bows to him, though she's tired enough it's more a respectful incline of her head.] Thank you... Captain Shiro. I am Otono-Tachibana Makie...

[She trails off, before smiling faintly.] I think... I'm still tactical support. I suppose that hasn't changed.

[padadin]

[His smile grows when he notices the clothes and then the bowing, nostalgia hitting him like a bomb. Between his space adventures and the years at the Garrison, he hasn't been in Japan in forever. Properly at least, not counting hurried visits for the holidays.

He bows back and, just in case, adds an honorific that he hasn't used in forever.] Just Shiro is fine, Makie-san.

[Oh. That way to explain her augment can only mean one thing.]

Hasn't changed? You have been here before, haven't you.

[therewerefifty]

[Ah. He is Japanese; something in her expression lightens.]

I have. I was on the Twin Roses for many months, though I didn't recall that until recently.

[padadin]

I see. [He isn't surprised, not one bit. He's heard about this before, it's become part of the everyday shenanigans that is the fleet.] Sorry you were brought back here, but you were lucky you were allowed to keep your memories. I hope there are some friends of yours are still around, have you checked?

[therewerefifty]

[She shakes her head slightly.] It's all right. I... prefer it here. [No offence.]

And I do. They hailed me on the Marsiva, so... I'm glad for that.

[padadin]

That's alright. You aren't the first person to tell me that. I'm glad you're getting a second chance, then.

[There are some fucked up worlds out there. So if something good can come out from this stupid reality show situation, then great.]

It seems the most important thing is taken care of. Come on, then, let's get you comfortable. I don't thing much has changed but if you have any questions, I'm all ears.