driftfleet | arrival

Who: Bruce Banner + anyone else!
Broadcast: Yes
Action: SS Caprine
When: June 18

[broadcast; video]

[He's managed to make the transition to the Caprine without too much difficulty, but now that's he's "settling in", Bruce is realizing just what being on a ship long term means.]

So, this is it. We just play along with this show, act like nothing is wrong, and hope we eventually get to our destination? That's optimistic. How do you manage to live on ships like this for so long? I've never- This is... it doesn't seem like a good idea.

[He smiles uneasily. He has to resist the urge to pick at his own body, making him twitch a bit. At least he hasn't had any issues so far?]

The food isn't very good either.

[Action on the SS Caprine]

[At least he's used to lab work! Bruce is relieved that is assignment is something he's familiar with (although he did manage to fly a ship once...) and he spends a good amount of time poking around at the ship's equipment, testing both what it can do and what knowledge seems to come to him, because he definitely hasn't worked on a space ship like this before. Or worked around people this casually either. Not to mention the enclosed space makes him very aware of how tight it would be if he were bigger.

That's a great thought.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The. The Iron Bull?

[The? Is the article part of that name? Bruce should probably not latch onto that little detail but at the moment it's the thing that seems both safe and different enough to stick out. He does grin when Bull says that everything is messed up and that people pretending otherwise are lying. Yeah, that rings true. He likes that.]

Ah, I'm Bruce... Banner.

[He's not sure whether that really means anything in the Fleet, but it still makes him hesitate to say his name out loud.]

That's it. I like the article at the front. Makes it sound like I'm this big, mindless weapon of mass destruction. I'm the leader of a famous mercenary company, so that really works for me.

[ He shrugs. ]

Bull's fine, though. Most people forget it.

[ He nods. ]

Nice to meet you, Bruce. [ But the former spy caught that hesitation, and he leans in conspiratorially. ] The family a secret? Do you need to kill me now?

[ For some reason, Bruce finds himself thinking this big, intimidating mercenary is actually nice. The way he describes his image would normally make him cringe, but Bull is so upfront and easygoing that he actually smiles. A little wryly, but still. ]

Being a mindless weapon doesn't sound like much fun.

[ And then Bull's question makes him fumble a bit. ]

Ah, no, it's just. People usually react differently when they meet me.

[ The Bull chuckles at that, rolling one of those huge shoulders of is in a shrug. ]

I'm the captain of the Bull's Chargers, Bruce. I'm not advertising a fun guy. I'm advertising a guy who can get shit done. [ He does grin, though. ] And I know this might surprise you, but I really like hitting things.

[ Bruce's reaction gets a laugh out of him, though. ]

Take it easy, Bruce. I was just fucking with you. [ Though he does lean back from the comm a bit and cross his arms. ] So, you did something and it got you a rep, right? People are wary of you? [ And a nonchalant shrug again. ] You haven't murdered a building full of innocent kids recently, have you?

That doesn't surprise me.

[He purses his lips slightly, eyebrows raised up like he's trying to simultaneously show interest and resist grinning. If there's one thing he would expect from The Bull based on appearance alone, it's hitting things. But saying so is probably rude. He's doing his best to appear normal himself, with pretty mixed results it seems. His knee-jerk reactions aren't doing him any favors. His smile becomes even more unsettled as Bull touches on his worries.]

No. No, I haven't hurt any- any people seriously. Recently.

[It isn't like he looks that dangerous anyway, but Bruce is still awkward.]

Then we're good.

[ He nods. ]

Tell you what, big guy. You head over to the Iskaulit, I'll buy you a beer. If not, you can just get comfortable and I'll see you around.

[ Big guy. That's definitely a nick name Bruce wasn't ready for. But he's starting to warm up to The Bull, maybe because of that. ]

That- that sounds great actually. I think I'll take a drink.

No time like the present, right?

[ He smiles. ]

The shuttle things aren't hard to figure out, I'll meet you there.

[ It's funny, that comment. It sounds so innocent. He's heard other people say it before a hundred times. There's no time like the present. Why not? Why not just seize the day? But Bruce has never been able to just act, even before the Hulk, he always struggled with too many implications of anything he did. Being in the Fleet, lost in some unknown reach of space, talking to a stranger as if he's normal? That makes him laugh in spite of himself. It's a soft noise, but still there. ]

Okay. All right. Yeah, yeah, I'll see you there.

[ You are a normal dude, Bruce. There are guys a lot weirder out there, trust me. ]

Great! Don't keep me waiting too long, big guy. Your beer won't stay cold forever.

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