driftfleet | Entries tagged with psycho mantis

Who: Mantis and You

Broadcast: Yes

Action: Bishop

When: Today

No more calibrations. No more Interceptors. No more of the run-around trying to get back to the Bishop and some sense of normalcy in the Fleet. Mantis can almost feel secure in his position in life. He’s holed up on the bridge of the ship, enjoying the view of not the damned Marisiva for once. Damn that calibration room and damn his memories. He’s not supposed to be sensitive and laid bare like that. Mantis is muttering to himself from his position, which isn’t any particular chair, but rather the open air where he can look over his Foxhound trench coat and be satisfied that it is in immaculate condition.

Somewhere in the middle of it, he lets the broadcast feed start and waves at the camera. “I’m glad to be able to stretch my legs again. The more I learn about who actually controls part of this Fleet, the less I can honestly be sure of. Conspiracies and overarching plots to the scale of global domination were never my thing. I left that kind of thing to people like Revolver Ocelot.”

He lets the jacket float above his head and turns with it mid-air to see it from all angles. “Some things never change.” A little laugh echoes under his mask. “This jacket is part of who I am. The great Psy…cho…” The little turns he and the jacket make in the air of the bridge slow with his speech. His breath is loud in the sudden silence.

He drops out of the air with the jacket, the communicator showing him landing with limbs akimbo before clattering to the floor. The device lands on his crumpled jacket, showing a bit of Mantis laying on the floor. There’s a good minute and a half of Mantis simply laying prone on the floor before his shoulder twitches. Then his arm. His breathing becomes louder and more ragged and he lets out a scream: angry and frightened and his body jerks as he sits up suddenly. Some burst of energy sends the jacket and communicator skidding away and the feed settles to show more of him.

Mantis is backed up against one of the chairs. His hands clutch at his chest as he hyperventilates. A name slowly starts slipping in between the breaths until he starts whispering, “Ocelot. Ocelot. Ocelot…”

[[OOC: Canon update time! He is now brought up to speed to the end of MGS4.]]

ginger_firebird

Who: Mantis and all

Broadcast: No

Action: Marasiva

When: Today

Pirouette, two three. Eight en point steps...

[Of all the things one would say about his body, Mantis never expectws to hear something remotely close to "graceful". It didn't stop him, but he knew that he lacked the burd-like physique ballet called for. There wasn't much else to do. Once the night cycles were over and he stumbled from his dream or someone else's, reality was unbearably disappointing.

His exhausted mind was completely done with Marasiva. He needed off. Stimulation. More than wandering halls and locked doors in every corridor. Humming allowedthe to use his voice a little, ragged as it was. Sometimes it was the Hymn, sometimes an aria he'd long forgotten the words to, sometimes songs from the radio over the years. Today was a day for ballet. Some might recognize the tunes of the many little songs from The Nutcracker. He half-assedly moved his feet with each songs. Hopping with Tea. Slowly turning with the Arabian dance. Or, like now, carefully trying to come close to the pirouettes of the Sugarplum Fairy.

Stare if you want, ask him what he's singing at all, the man needs something to do besides sleep.in thay tent at the edge of the desert...]

Pirouette, two- Two. [It's there. What exactly he has no idea, but he feels it. Mindless, but there. Like a comatose patient. Bodering on still. Words. He hears the words. Clear as day.] "To see an almost certain horrible death-"

[Mantis collapses against a wall, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.]

ginger_firebird

Who: Mantis and you

Broadcast: Yes

Action: Bishop

When: Today

[You might smell a special kind of hot coming from the kitchen today. Not mere heat of gas or electric stove or warm food, but the old school kind that tricks the body into thinking it’s in pain. Mantis is standing at the table with a bag full of chips and several bowls in front of him. There’s a lot of bottles of plastic and glass with all manner of spices in them. The contents of each bowl are stirred with a spoon unique to each one. Just off to the side is a bottle of milk.

Slowly, carefully, he takes a chip out of one of the bowls. It’s covered in a fine powder and he lifts his mask out of the way to smell it. Then he breaks off the smallest piece and pops it into his mouth.

The coughing is almost instantaneous and he slams a fist onto the table before grabbing the milk and taking a great mouthful and holding in in there for a good half a minute. Then he swallows and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.]

All right. That worked. [He coughs again and nods at the camera.] Vash, I have several batches for you to try. I’m working on arranging them from a general sense of safety to one that will make you feel like your tongue is bleeding. [Cough. He takes another swig of milk.] I hate spicy food, but this is the most effective means of testing what I made without involving other people first.

tiedonastring

[There's a bunch of noise and static before people see a cat paw clawing at the screen and a curious meow coming from it. Eventually the screen becomes less blurry as they see an up close view of an orange tabby kitten trying to chew the top corner of the data pad.

There's some noise in the background of someone taking apart a heavy metal piece. That quickly stops and there's some clanking as tools are placed down and a wary sigh follows.]

Millicent! What did I say about leaving that alone?! You have your own toys to play with.

[The feed is abruptly turned off as a gloved hand picks up the orange tabby and pockets the device.]

brooklyn_boy

Who: Steve and you!

Broadcast: Video, yes: Fleetwide

Action: SS Bishop
When: Yesterday, after arrival

( At least this time he wasn't frozen... )

ginger_firebird

Who: Mantis and All

Broadcast: Yes

Action: Planetside (Magic Tree)

When: Today

With all the childhood smoke inhalation, Mantis was not left with a particularly impressive voice. It had scratches and bruises in it and rasped when he laughed. All this did not deter him from singing. No aria or power ballad, but a subtle hum that kept him going as he approached the tree. The feed came on as he hefted the bag from his shoulders. Oh, what a long walk, but this presence! He could drown in this peace and joy that the tree gave off.

“Na he ja he ja na ha nu ja…” He pulls his mask away from his mouth and takes a deep breath in. A massive cloud pours out from between his lips and he fiddles around in his jacket pocket for something. He pulls out a necklace with a wooden charm and holds it up in the light coming from the tree.

He walks forward, but his feet fail to remain in contact with the ground in the short distance between him and the bright tree. He floats easily and bobs slightly as if being pulled by the slightest breeze coming by. The feed catches him floating around the tree and pausing above the branches. He reaches out and brushes his fingertips against the nearest branch and hangs the necklace upon it.

“I admitted to being emotionally vulnerable when I hate admitting I feel anything.” He comes down lower around the branches, almost lost in the light. “I shared my hot chocolate and I give up this necklace from my past. Whatever you might give back, I accept.”

At first there’s nothing that could be called a response. Mantis circles around the tree several times, the communicator going with him as he goes back to humming his song. Then… Then he looks over his shoulder in the feed and gasps quietly. Gone is the necklace, but draped across another branch is a brown jacket. It has a sharp design going around the shoulders and several belts going around waist, chest, and arms. He picks it up with care usually saved for things like fine china.

Mantis clutches the jacket tight to his chest and bows his head before darting quickly from the tree. The new jacket floats around him as he sheds the one currently protecting his form from the weather. Buckles come undone with a wave of his hand. He’s laughing a little under his breath that switches in and out of the song that he had come in singing and soon the brown jacket is wrapped around his form, belts and all. He tugs the cuffs into place and does a quick spin in the air.

“I haven’t seen this jacket in over a year. This is the full image of who I used to be.” He holds his arms out and laughs low in his throat. “Psycho Mantis, psychological warfare specialist of Foxhound.”

He takes the communicator in his hands and brings it close to the point where it’s mostly his mask in the feed. “What I wouldn’t give to have any of the other five here. I can only imagine what things they would get from this tree.”

ginger_firebird

Who: Mantis and you

Broadcast: Yes

Action: Planetside/Bishop
When: Today

Action (Planetside)

He can almost hear dogs barking in a distant part of the base. The briefing file from before they moved in mentioned herds of caribou at the start of spring. If he focuses hard enough, he can almost hear Liquid calling out orders of the speakers to the guard patrols.

Blink. He’s holding a bowl of stew in the middle of a feast. A number of locals were insistent that he eat something, he’s so tall and thin. It was nice, in a way, to be fretted over. He could feel part of something rather than merely observing from the sides. Not that he wasn’t observing, but it was from the midst of something warm and alive and calm. You had to make your own joy when life is primarily a frozen wasteland. Home never felt so close in the year he’d been part of the fleet.

From his perch at one of the tables, he sits cross legged and listens in to conversations, spoken or otherwise. The sheer wealth of minds gives him almost as much of a sense of peace as the planet itself. Land and people hum together as one. He’ll smile as people pass him by. It’s a beautiful night.

Broadcast (Bishop)

The feed floats and bobs as he stomps warmth back into his body and shrugs off his coat. He pats his arms and shivers a little. Then his gaze is upon the screen and he waves.

“So we, well, most of us, can agree the planet has something odd going on. You can hear it in the air, over the communication devices. Another planet that sings.”

Mantis walks through the Bishop all the way to the kitchen. Jacket lands on the table and an approximate bottle of milk comes out of the fridge as a small saucepan comes down from a different shelf to the stove. The fire gets going all on its own, the milk pours itself, and he fishes a container from one pocket of his jacket as the cooking gets going.

“Cocoa powder, or something close to it.” He holds the tin up to the camera. “Whatever the source of this humming is likes calm. I’m willing to bet it’s this tree that bestows gifts on people. I’m going to go and find it. It’s almost…fairy tale. You have to do three deeds to even catch its attention.”

He finally walks over to the stove himself and waves a hand over the saucepan. “A kind deed. A heartfelt truth. A sacrifice of something that holds meaning to you. I know the truth I can tell, if someone is willing to hear me out, but for kindness… For that, I will do almost anything. I will respectfully retain some of my dignity.”

He shivers again and rubs at his arms. “Does anyone really need help right now? So many of us seem to know self-sufficiency these days.”

fightorflug

Who: Flug, Red Fish and you!
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Red Fish
When: NOW after Flug gets back on his feet

"Greetings Red Fish, this is your captain speaking!"

[And fresh from the medical ward, if the IV drip Flug is sporting is anything to go by. His goggles glint with mischievous glee as he steps away from his desk to reveal a seemingly inoccuous dial adjacent to the hallway doorframe.]

"Presenting Red Fish's prototype teleportation and travel station! Through these terminals I have installed, long trips of carrying heavy cargo, escaping potential threats and lengthy evacuation procedures are a thing of the past! With the turn of this dial, many doorways are now interchangeable! Just remember the terminals will only recognize you and a specific amount of mass your space occupies. Should you need you to add a guest or adjust these parameters simply report to me."

[Or just adjust them yourself through the terminal at the bridge; it's easy enough to identify through the copious amount of sticky note instructions Flug plasters over everything. But hey, he likes to feel important.]

"Observe!"

[And suddenly Flug strides into the kitchen... along with the potted plant from his room which also came along for no discernable reason. ]

"...Occasionally some bugs may occur"

[Private network]
[As useful as the teleporters were, having a side project helped provide good cover up for the other collaborative effort the fleet got up to. Ensuring all lights and cameras are off Flug boots up a different device...]

Initiating beta test protocol.. two.. three.. please respond. I trust everything is still operating efficiently?

OOC: Teleporters on Red Fish! You didn't ask for them, you might not even want them; regardless you now have them! As expected of something cobbled together from a junkyard, they are prone to malfunctions; maybe sometimes you'll wind up in a different room than the one you intended or perhaps your tiny stereo likes to turn on and off randomly when the signals get crossed. It's yours to play with as you please! With that, I am officially back from hiatus. Fluggyboy collapsed after working too hard If you would like to assume you have helped him (in building or forcing his ass to get medical care, feel free!) I'm excited to see new faces :> as always feel free to PM or hmu on plurk!

goldenglasses

Who: Vash and you
Broadcast: Yes
Action: The Space Bar
When: Right now

[Vash stands in The Space Bar as it takes a moment for him to talk himself into making an announcement. Perhaps it was because part of him had hoped that Nami would be coming back.]

Hey. [There's a pause. He's heard these types of posts so many times. More than any other person in the fleet except for one, but he still didn't know how to start them.] So, Nami has been sent home. [Or at least he hoped so. Vash still had his doubts about that, but it still sounded nicer.] I guess I just wanted to let everyone know the bar is still open for business.

And, I suppose we should have a staff meeting. Figure out who's going to run the place. [Because he's not management material.] And maybe think about hiring someone else full time?

luckyescape

Who: Freya Vaughn & YOU!
Broadcast: YES
Action: If you want to swing by the engine room or her room on the Heron, go for it.
When: November 5th

[The screen flicks on and Freya has her boots pressed against the wall with her torso resting against the floor. It's hard to tell which direction gravity is flowing except that her hair spanned around her head in a golden halo.

She's wearing her little red ridding hood costume though only the bright red hood was really visible.]

Remember, remember, the fifth of November.
The gun powder treason and plot.

[She sings the song in a sweet voice that makes it come off as a creepy ring-around-the-rosy type of deal. Freya can't keep the monotone tune up for long before breaking into a warm smile, her light stormy gray eyes glittering as if a sun was peaking out from behind the clouds.]

Couldn't resist that. ANYWAY, I'm calling out because I'm going to go ahead and start a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I have been making dice but they currently suck! So if anyone has dice let me know or I'm going to just program a random number generator and make people use that. [It's super easy to do with any computer.] So, I'm thinking of ways to make the campaign more interesting to those who are here, so if you're interested but it sounds boring, hit me up anyway. We'll talk.

Who knows, might be fun.

The idea is to have fun. If you aren't going to have fun then- [She waves a hand.] Well, ignore this.

Anywho, that's part 1. Part 2 is about candy. I will eat anything that's left that isn't chocolate. I miss sweet things and I can eat a lot. So if anyone has any, that isn't chocolate, then let me know. I'll take it off your hands.

Also if anyone has pepperoni. It's not a totally random question but related to another conversation.

I think that's all I got right now.

]She flashes the screen a happy smile, flashing her canines in the process.]

Later Drifters.

monolike

I love it when new books show up in the library...it's not very often, but every once in a while there's a new book to look at. I found this really neat one, it was a fairy tale about a girl whose mother casts a spell on so she sleeps until the wars of her land are over.

And then she wakes up and she explores the new world, and she makes new friends and she finds her mother as an old, old woman and tells her all of her adventures. It's a little bittersweet at the end, but it's really good, if anybody would like to borrow it.

Does anybody have any legends or stories like that? People going to sleep and waking up new places, or traveling to new worlds? I'd like to hear 'em.

coinstability

Who: Connor + you
Broadcast: Yes, fleetwide text
Action: Marsiva and the Starduck
When: November 2nd - 4th

the marsiva - action.

[Connor can't say that he likes waking up with no idea where he is or how he came to be there, but he'll concede that it's something different, at least. He rolls that concept around just long enough to get a look out of the viewing windows at the unfamiliar planets below before he gets to work.

The communicator is the obvious place to start, though Connor quickly realises that he can't bypass any of the security systems in the network. All he can do is scan through what's available. He does that over the course of a minute, frowning down at the device in his hand, before he pockets it and starts looking around the hospitality deck instead. Anyone coming across him there will find him in the process of placing his hand on various electronics and robotic equipment - the skin of his hand sliding away leaving only white plating - with an ever increasing look of mild frustration on his face, the LED on his temple spinning bright yellow.]

the starduck - action.

[Well, he knew it was coming thanks to the network information, but it's still startling when the sudden jump to another spaceship happens. Connor blinks with surprise, then takes a moment to brush the scattered confetti off his hair and jacket. The plate of pudding nearby gets only a passing glance before he leaves the bridge. He can't eat it, after all.

Instead he seeks out the other crew members of the Starduck, checking the other rooms until he finds someone.]

Hello. My name is Connor. I'm-- the newly assigned Communications officer on the ship.

[Nearly said something else there for a second before he caught himself. That's a habit he needs to break.]

fleetwide text.

I understand from going through the network that these communication devices sometimes activate on their own. Is there a pattern or cause for when they do this?

[He's got some theories himself, but the network isn't the full story. Best to get an idea from the actual people trapped here.]

tough_love

Who: This fighty princess
Broadcast: Video
Action: S.S. Bishop for interested parties
When: Earlier today (morning)

[Looma not being terribly social wasn't news in itself- if anything, many people probably considered her keeping to her own affairs to be a good thing- but what might have raised a few eyebrows was her ship. Over the past few weeks, the S.S. Bishop had been steadily been adding new weapon emplacements one after the other, until it was just bristling with weaponry. Everything from point-defense weapons to a variety of heavier artillery pieces. Several of which might look familiar to anyone who'd been involved in any of the fighting back in the Lato’li system a year ago.

Though there was certainly a more unfamiliar addition, in the form of a much larger cannon mounted to the underside of the hull. And while that single turreted cannon wasn't enough to turn the ship into a proper warship ~~or let the captain glass a planet~~, it definitely looked as though the ship was turning into something far more capable of holding its own in a scrap.]

I require assistance. The Bishop has recently completed a large-scale refit, and I would like to conduct a series of tests on the new weapons systems. And for that, I require a pilot.

[She's making that request with her usual enthusiasm, which of course means none at all. And if anyone thought that meant she'd been pressured into asking for assistance from someone else, well, they'd be right. And any lingering doubts an outside observer might have had would likely be cleared up by her continued grumbling.]

To be clear these tests do not require a pilot, but it has been stressed that there might be concerns if I began test-firing everything while in such close proximity to the rest of the fleet. To say nothing of the settlements below.

So, see it as performing a kindness for everyone else. Because I will conduct these tests before we leave the system, one way or another. I will not allow this ship to leave before first ensuring this project was completed to my satisfaction.

ginger_firebird

Who: Mantis and all

Broadcast: Yes

Action: Planetsidat the Arena

When: Today

A – Action at the Arena

He carries in a large pole which gets planted into the ground. People cheer him on and boo in equal measure. It is his place. His new kind of glory. When he looks up, the scrap metal pig’s head gleams in the sunlight and he is proud of himself for having commissioned it. It was a small price to pay for the kind of credits he got every time he stepped in for a fight.

At the other end of the arena, he can hear the roar of some strange new beast that has been plucked up out of the ether. He knows not to kill it, but that doesn’t mean he won’t make it regret getting up in the morning. Mantis steps away from the pole and holds out his arms. The swell of the crowd fills his bones, his skin, his pores. He is powerful here. He is the king here. He is so going to like this. Just before the beast is released, he tightens a cut of red fabric around his left shoulder.

The beast is set free. He darts to and fro in the arena and a song of sorts starts to resound as he dodges swipes from clawed paws. This is what people come to see and he is glad to give it to them. Bits of rock and metal around the arena start to fly up and strike the beast without any indication of how they became airborne. It’s angry. He wants it to be angry. After a devastating dive, he leaps up and lands on the beast’s back, holding tight to the back of its head and laughing loudly.

He keeps his grip like this for nearly a minute, his laughter carrying on as the beast tosses itself around, until the beast suddenly slips on the floor of the arena. It falls onto its side. It pants loudly and tries to get up, only to fall again. Mantis is likewise panting as he slowly stands up upon the creature and stares down at it. He scratches the creature behind the ear and looks up at last at his people. He throws his hands up and feels alive as the voices cry out in joy and frustration all at once.

As he half stumbles back to his pigs’ head on a spit, he can hear his name being called out over the speakers in the arena. It isn’t completely okay to bet on himself, but he has a lot more credits than usual waiting for him. Anyone there to watch the matches can come say hello as he collects the pole he planted before the fight and moves out of the arena. Fans surround him and beg him for an autograph, how does he keep doing that, can he teach them…

Mantis, stands in the mass of voices and smiles behind his mask. He’ll be glad to have a conversation after a match like that.

B – Broadcast

Later on, in the day, Mantis is lounging in a rest area for arena fighters. He’s laid out on a couch cobbled together from scraps of metal and fabric alike. Very rarely is he one for being quite so comfortable in public, but he trusts the people on this planet and their desire to protect their entertainment. He waves vaguely at the feed and sighs happily.

“If anyone wants easy money, I win my fights at the arena. They’ll bet on anything in there.”

ginger_firebird

Who: Mantis and All

Broadcast: Yes

Action: Bishop

When: Today

It’s not the biggest box in the world, but the overall size suggested at least a few items inside. Mantis took it up from the cargo hold after recognizing his own name written upon the delivery slip. He appears in the broadcast feed as he makes his way to the bridge. The feed bobs as he walks and the box itself floats in front of him as he turns it over trying to find out how to open it correctly.

“Not used to things like presents. I think this is one of those legendary sponsored gifts, or maybe something from a fan.” He turns his head to the feed and shrugs. “I doubt it will launch any hazardous materials in my face, so why not?”

The bridge of the Bishop comes into view and he finally hones in upon a latch and succeeds in opening the box. Confetti pours out initially and he pauses, camera feed and all as he pulls out an item wrapped up in yellowed newspaper. He lifts his mask slightly out of the way, revealing the downward curve of his mouth in the process. The scars pull in different directions as he holds the item close to look at the printed words.

“This is from my planet. The year… The seventies?” The mask slides back into place and he gently pulls at the paper by hand. It tears here and there, but gives way easily.

Mantis gasps loudly. It’s a gas mask not unlike his own, but sized for someone far smaller than him. The box and feed stop still as he stares at the smaller gas mask. He falls to his knees, taking the communicator and the box with him. There’s a bit of static as the feed corrects itself and shows that Mantis’s hands are shaking as he runs his fingers over the mask, touching the lenses in particular. Then he looks to the fallen box.

He sets the small gas mask gently upon the floor and pics up two other items from where the box had fallen: bundles of brightly colored and patterned fabric that had been folded up. Mantis sits cross-legged on the floor and slowly opens them up. He makes a choked sound at the back of his throat. The first bit of cloth reveals a necklace made of cord with a wooden charm shaped like a lion. The second is a necklace decorated with several small and sharp teeth. At last, his head turns back to the communicator and the feed re-orients itself as he sets it right. His breath comes out in short gasps that seem to send shivers down his whole body.

“I- How did they…” His voice cracks with a sob. After taking a deep breath, he manages to whisper: “Why did Atroma do this?”

fightorflug

Who: Escha

appletart , Flug Slys

fightorflug , and anyone else ready for some SCIENCE
Broadcast: Yes! Joint broadcast Fleetwide
Action: At the Wonderduck and gracing your screens ans ears, unfortunately
When: Now! The week of augment glitches

[ Here's Escha, standing in the middle of the Wonderduck lab! She's got a long band of bright red ribbon in her hands, and she looks excited! Very excited! ... Too excited, maybe - is she vibrating? We may never know for certain. ]

Ah! Hello everyone! [ Escha is talking incredibly fast - her words are practically running together.] We found out a lot of things about the ribbons, because we were doing a bunch of things to them, like putting them through stress, and fire tests, and examining them under lenses, and trying to break down their components-- Ahh, sorry! I got carried away again. But anyway, we wanted to tell you all what we found!

Turns out, they're flame resistant! Um, mostly. I mean, it takes a lot for the to catch fire. Which you wouldn't expect from fabric! So there's got to be more to it than just that, right? Well, that's what we thought, too! And we kept looking into it! And we found out some other amazing stuff!!

"That's right!"

[And just like that, two rubber-clad arms reach to pluck the camera from above, bringing us to the easily recognisable 'face' of Dr. Flug... What is somewhat less recognizable is the fact that he appears to be upside down. He too is talking rather expediently, but well, that's just Flug.]

"And not just fire, electricity In particular! This fabric has a peculiar reaction to electrical currants. Observe!"

[On cue, we cut a piece of the ribbon stretched above an almost taser-like device that flashes brightly, little flashes of light sparking in brilliant patterns.]

"If Atroma doesn't brand us for thieving, I have the mind to test some of these in a few inventions. It could be very useful to have a highly dura--" [He pans to an still smoldering piece of burnt ribbon from an early test.] "MOSTLY durable fabric to use in place of what would usually be a metal alloy's job."

[ She laughs a little, sheepishly, at the ultra-fried ribbon... but then it's back to excitement as she stands on her tip-toes, so the camera catches the very top of her head! ]

I bet we could all do some amazing things with these! They'd be perfect for conducting bridges!

“Or extending battery life--!”

OOC: The ribbon investigating has begun! Want in? We already have Lab Support and Engineer augments covered. Help us investigate-- if you can get a word in! Between Escha's hyperactivity glitch and Flug's misbehaving gravity there may be some issues. Feel free to specify if you want anyone in particular, otherwise you may get either or both (Possibly at the same time!). Threadjacks welcome~

straightouttacarbonite

Who: Han Solo... solo. ~~shut up it was funny in my mind~~
Broadcast: Yep, to anyone who will listen
Action: not really but he's probably around the Caprine if you want him
When: a couple days into the drift

[ sup Fleet. Han is somewhere on his ship, though it's hard to see much over his shoulder. He looks fairly normal and maybe a little bit bored. ]

So the thing about trafficking stolen cargo-- not that I'm doing that or saying we should do that-- is, it's pretty pointless to steal something no one wants to buy. I guess it happens, if you don't know what you're getting.

I'm sure there's a black market for ribbon somewhere...

[ He looks a little perplexed, not troubled, just deep in thought. ]

I mean, there's gotta be, right?

youdontneedapictureofme

Who: Maggie and YOU
Broadcast: yes
Action: Various locations
When: Throughout the month of September

video

[When the video kicks in, Maggie can be found with the Gym in the background. Her device is perched in her lap as she addresses the network.]

I've been here a while, but I don't think I've seen anyone offering lessons for a long time. I'm not too bad with throwing knives or hand to hand if anyone wants to learn or wants someone to practice with. It's always good to keep sharp, right?

[Maggie looks like she's ready to go already, her hair pulled back and gloves on her hands.]

Anyway - for anyone who doesn't know me, I'm Maggie. I'll be in the Gym if someone's lookin' to blow off some steam.

Closed to Glenn - on the SS Goldstone

[With the ships drifting, there really isn't much of a chance to take a shuttle out and find somewhere to explore. This leaves things up to improvisation as Maggie takes over a small corner of their spacious Cargo Bay, setting out a blanket and a makeshift picnic basket. It wasn't much but it was something.

Maggie had a plate of food in her lap and a fork in her hand. It wasn't the fun world exploration she would have liked, but it was something. The last planet hadn't exactly been that spectacular, but hopefully the next would make up for it. No matter the location, she was just glad to see it with her husband. Speaking of, she can't help but look up at him, a small smile on her face as she enjoys her food.]

I know a lot of this is rations and synthetic stuff, but it's not too bad, right?

Gym - open

[It was always good to blow off some steam once in a while and Maggie is no exception. She can be found practicing getting in a few punches and kicks on some training equipment, her focus completely on beating on the piece of equipment in front of her that jostled every so often from the force of her blows. Anyone looking to train with her was welcome, of course.

There wasn't too much to do during drifting like this, but this was enough to take up her time. Keeping busy, keeping fit, was important. Once she was done wailing on the equipment, Maggie would be stopping for a stretch, seated on a mat with her legs stretched in front of her as she did so.]

universal_charm

Who: Jim Kirk + You!
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Yes, in the shopping areas
When: Today

[ Video ]

_{[ The picture that comes up is that of one Captain Kirk, his lips drawn into a meld of thin line and irritated purse. It is a rare expression for him, but in this case it is well deserved. He's sitting in his room, on his bed, the wall behind him, and a slug perched on his shoulder. He needed the soothing influence. ]}

I don't know which if your sponsors -

_{[ He inserted air quotes here ]}

Thought to send this particular care package, but it's not nearly as tactful, funny, or even comforting as you might think it is.

_{[ He held up a letterman style jacket, which seemed innocent from the front in its black and white coloring. But then he turned it to the back, where proud letters were emblazoned -

I DIED AND I SURVIVED ]}

I got a whole box of them. If you want one, I guess... come and get one? Though really if you want me to burn them, I'm happy to do that too. Take some marshmallows to them as well, because why not at this point?

[ Action - Bazaar/Shops ]

_{[ Kirk had taken some of the jackets from the box and brought them here. Even though he had made an offer to burn them, he thought they might be more useful if they could traded for credit or some sort. The leather and construction on the jackets was nice and sturdy. Surely the people out here could appreciate that and pay a pretty penny for it, even if the back was... unpleasant.

He could be seen trying to barter the jackets for some supplies, mostly food to round out the goo, sometimes some things to keep them occupied like new games he found, or even just some new clothes to freshen things up. But he seemed to be having similar conversations at every stall - ]}

What kind of bad luck you trying to bring around here? Ain't no way in hell I'm trading for that!

_{[ And other variations, often with less than viewer friendly wording. Definitely not a hit. ]}

ginger_firebird

Who: Mantis and All

Broadcast: Yes

Action: On a smuggling ship

When: Today

There's a figure lying on the floor, just within the bottom portion of the feed. Mantis tilts the communication device upwards, putting him into full view. He has a knife in his hand and is wiping it off with a damp and somewhat dark cloth. For a few seconds, he says naught and simply cleans the blade. Then he has a seat and takes a deep, deep breath.

"It looks bad, and for some of you, this is going to be unforgivable regardless of what justification I can muster. Allow me, then, to say this much:

Yes, I decided to try my hand at a bit of piracy. No, I didn't start this mess. Yes, I damn well finished it. No, I have no regrets. The crew I found was attacked by a rival of theirs and I took the opportunity to take down both sides once shots rang out. As far as I am concerned, this is two birds with a very violent stone."

He points the knife at the camera when he finishes his speech. Then a small bit of laughter begins to shake his shoulders. His volume does not increase much, but a certain flavor of unhinged joy manages to take it over. Mantis tosses the knife into the air and it makes a sharp turn before flying off behind him. A dull sound is made when it lands in something.

"Almost like being home again. I'll alert the authorities in a bit."

THE DRIFT FLEET

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Entries tagged with psycho mantis

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