a brand new stray

[worn_wings]

Who: Daryl Dixon + open
Broadcast: Not intentionally but maybe you'll get lucky channel surfing sometime?
Action: The Tourist, assorted planets thereafter
When: 5/5 and onward

1. tourist arrival

He doesn't get his bearings at all. Everything when he wakes up is shining and unfamiliar and the only comforting thing is it's definitely not the Sanctuary, as surely as it's not any of their familiar settlements. He gets his back up against the wall, and then he's somewhere else.

The burst of confetti and music just suffices to confuse the hell out of him, so he ignores the chocolate pudding and ducks back against the wall, dead silent and kind of panicked and doing his best not to show it.

Left to his own devices, eventually he'll slink off into the rest of the ship-- looking for anything he can use as a weapon and watching for threats.


2. planetside in the yadrolla system

It's been literally years since he saw a functioning city, and the first time he touches down on one of the more populous planets, it's totally overwhelming.

The upshot of this is he'll be a little friendlier to Fleeters, because at least if someone's vaguely familiar they're closer to being a known, safe quantity. Mostly he stays to the side-streets, watching like it's all new.

Eventually he manages to get a lift to one of the wilder worlds-- not because he wants to sight-see, though incidentally he might end up spectating some of the outdoor events-- but because it's better than being stuck on the ship. Feels too much like a trap-- nowhere to run.

Later in the month he'll take up fishing and hunting-- there may be food on the ship but he's not sure how far he trusts it. Besides, he's good at this, there's some comfort in grounding yourself.


3. choose your own adventure

[ want something different? We'll make it work! ]

Comments

[candothat]

How what?

[An honest question! There are a lot of potential hows here and he doesn't want to try this man's patience by going for all of them at once.]

I will answer to the best of my ability.

[worn_wings]

[ There are a lot-- an awful lot-- of questions. Truthfully, Chekov could just pick his favorite and start and it wouldn't make much difference, Daryl would be equally suspicious.

His jaw is clenched, tense, as he tries to keep his temper in check. For now. ]

Where the hell are we and how'd I get here?

[candothat]

[The anger just keeps coming! Chekov is probably not as worried about his new shipmate losing his cool as he should be, but he does wish that he would calm down a little.]

You are in a ship called the Tourist in the Yadrolla System, fifteen days out from the Lone Breaker System. We were all, allegedly, brought here from other universes by the Atroma, who have not shared details about their transportation methods with us yet.

[worn_wings]

[ If it's any comfort, most of the anger has nothing to do with Chekov. Hell, a lot of it has little to do with the present situation. That's the forefront of his anger, but he's got a lot pent up from home. Right now he's all nerves, which translates into being pissed off because that's the safest option. ]

Never heard of any of that.

[ which... Okay, is maybe obvious, but he can't help but be suspicious. Of what, he's not sure; it's not like there's any plausible explanation here. He's seen out the portholes. They're nowhere near where he ought to be. ]

[candothat]

[Nerves and suspicion are entirely understandable! Suddenly being in a different universe populated by strangers encourages that sort of thing!]

No, of course not, that was a bad answer. [He's never the first person to greet newcomers, this stuff is hard.] We are in space. Where in space relative to places that we would like to be--if those places exist in this universe at all, which I'm inclined to doubt--is unknown. The Atroma are the mysterious entities who abducted us and are supposedly using us for entertainment.

...Is that more helpful?

[worn_wings]

Not really.

[ Honestly, there's only so much a litany of "we don't know" can do for you, right? But it's an answer, of a sort. Maybe the best answer this random kid can give him. Certainly he looks earnest enough. ]

Who're you?

[candothat]

[He is both earnest and trying his best. He's also pleased to get a question that he can answer properly.]

Pavel Andreievich Chekov. [He holds out a hand to shake.] And you?

[worn_wings]

[ It's been a long time since-- well, was he ever really in polite company? He stares just a minute too long at the outstretched hand before he makes sense of it and obligingly shakes, even if there's still something wary in his posture. ]

Daryl.

[ He could say he just got here, but he kind of figures it's obvious. ]

[candothat]

[That was one of the most awkward handshakes Pavel has experienced in a long time. His new shipmate looks a little less like he'll throw a punch, however, so he's tentatively considering his approach successful thus far.]

It's good to meet you, Daryl. [He clearly means that even if this hasn't been the smoothest of introductions.] Would you like a brief tour? ...Or I can leave you alone, if you prefer.

[worn_wings]

Guessin' you can't point me back where I came.

[ Otherwise he'd probably already have been shown the door. Daryl has no illusions about the fact that he comes across like a feral animal most of the time. He's got reasons, damnit.

Really, he would rather be left alone, but... He's lost, here, maybe getting less lost isn't such a bad idea. ]

[candothat]

I can't do that, no. I can point you to the door, but I recommend against going outside.

[Since... space.]

This is the bridge. The corridor goes to the rest of the ship, including the galley, which is the most important thing on the Tourist. Jarvis makes breakfast every morning.

[worn_wings]

[ Is that a joke? Daryl grunts, not quite a laugh.

But he's going to be as good a sport as he can manage. Follow along and learn his way around. ]

Yeah?

[ Very casual, like he doesn't care. You won't win him over with food so easily. (You might win him over with food, fairly easily.) ]

[candothat]

[It's hard to pick out the jokes when everything is delivered earnestly, isn't it?]

Yes, and it's much better than the gels that the kitchen stocks. You were put on the best ship, you know. None of the others have a Jarvis.

[And now they're in a fairly narrow corridor with high ceilings. Daryl was offered a tour and, since he didn't outright refuse to take Chekov up on the offer, he's getting one.]

These doors go to private rooms. There are three empty ones, you can pick whichever of those you like. Bathrooms and showers are there. There's a tub also and I've been told that it has a jacuzzi feature, which I have neither tried nor understand the purpose of.

[worn_wings]

[ It's simultaneously the best and worst complement to Daryl's habitual deadpan. They're gonna get on like a house on fire. ]

How many people here?

[ He's not going to be swayed by the promise of a shower... yet. If people find the faint air of death he carries offputting, all the better. ]

[candothat]

[Houses on fire in space are generally a bad idea.]

Including you and I, six. James Kirk is the captain, Mr. Jarvis feeds us, Anders is our medic, and Kara is... I'm not certain what she is officially, but she's one of my favorite people here.

[worn_wings]

[ Everything's fine once you run out of oxygen to burn, Pavel. ]

And you're tellin me we just fly around outer space to make some alien assholes laugh?

[candothat]

[Okay, technically, yes.]

Mostly. [A shrug.] Sometimes we also run around on planets to make some alien assholes laugh.

[worn_wings]

[ That does make him laugh, a short, incredulous huff. Well, it's his own fault for asking. ]

Fuckin' crazy.

[candothat]

A little, yes.

[Thank you for reminding him that all of this is hilariously improbable and ridiculous and funny in an existentially alarming way, Daryl. Sometimes he forgets that this sort of thing isn't normal.]

I would advise not thinking about it too much when thinking isn't productive.

[worn_wings]

[ It's not normal. Definitely not normal. Then again, Daryl's normal includes having to worry about rotting, undead monsters, so maybe normal is a relative and not all that useful term. ]

Kinda hard not to.

[ Like, Daryl tries to just stay on his toes and live in the moment, but holy shit, dude. ]

[candothat]

It will get easier. Soon you won't remember that all of us are presumably here to entertain more powerful beings unless someone mentions that fact to you.

[He frowns at himself.]

I meant for that to be encouraging.

[worn_wings]

[ It is... not particularly encouraging. Daryl's got places to be. Assholes to kill. He can't just hang around in space for the rest of his life!

He'll feel marginally better in a few days, when he finds the people he knows. ]

How long you been here?

[candothat]

[They've all got places they'd rather be, Daryl, c'mon.]

Eh... four-hundred eighteen days? Approximately. But it's fine, I have been in other universes longer.

[worn_wings]

[ Being an eloquent fellow, Daryl just stares blankly at that.

How even. ]

[candothat]

Seven-hundred twenty-four has been the longest for me. Most people don't stay so long... hopefully you will be lucky.

...What is it? [Did he say something strange or unbelievable?]