15th jump;

[learnedtosmile]

CHARACTERS: any and all
LOCATION: Gravity Couches and beyond
WARNINGS: maybe some swearing, or even some violence, and more than likely some implied (and possibly explicit) nakedness.
SUMMARY: Another month, another jump, another round of new faces.
NOTES: Keeping up with the tradition and copy pasted like always from the last one


You wake up in darkness.


There's a breathing tube jammed down your trachea, and you're suspended in a tube of clear blue fluid. Upon registering your level of consciousness, the gravity couch drains the fluid surrounding you and retracts the breathing apparatus; the doors in front of you open, and you're deposited on the floor of a stark, sterile medical bay.

You are not alone.


There are others who have come before you, others who are awakening beside you. Some may be familiar to you, perhaps even friends. Others have much less amiable plans. Some are merely alien and inexplicable, but there are always those who might mean you harm.

After you catch your breath and your vision returns, you notice a number on the inside of your forearm. Maybe it's a familiar number. Maybe it means something. Maybe it's just a number. But the number—completely unique to you—is a tattoo, and it does not come off.

If you enter the room adjacent to the medbay, you will find a small locker with your number on it, surrounded by rows upon rows of identical lockers. Inside, you will find a few of your personal items, a communications device, and a ship's uniform in your exact size. The comms device is fully powered and connects directly to the ship's network; it's your only means of communication beyond physical conversation. Upon turning the device on, a neutral, automated voice will say, "Please take the blue lift to the passenger quarters." Any other attempts at communicating with the rest of the network are met only with static.

This is your welcome party.

Comments

Francis Barton | OTA | Lockers

[willpunchfaces]

[Francis doesn't remember getting to the pods before the jump. he doesn't remember a lot after he ventured into the ship following Chase's death. all he knows is that he wakes up, spitting goo and his head spinning, and slowly crawls his way out, routinely looking for the people on his team

Chase is gone. He can't find Torunn. And James...

he spends way too long in the shower with the near-scalding water pouring over him as he collects his thoughts, tries to bury everything. it's hard. after everything with James and the others back home, it's hard to go back to being the way he was, but he tries

so when he steps out and goes to his locker, his expression is cold, tight, and he moves methodically as he goes about gathering his things. he's been gone a month and he's down teammates, but he'll survive. it's what he does]

[executiveassistant]

[Cold, tight expressions are not generally very welcoming. But she also doesn't really care, because he's young and looks like things have been rough for him lately--

(and things have been rough for her too, because Harvey is gone, and that's a little terrifying)

so she has to glance at him curiously at the lockers. She has a pint of ice cream in her hands, but not yet opened, and is already in a dress skirt and top.]

...You okay?

[willpunchfaces]

[he isn't really feeling company, but he looks up at her voice and gives a half-hearted smile. he's only half dressed himself, though his coat is in his hands, ready to be tugged on]

Just fine, beautiful.

[the lying liar, but old habits and all]

[executiveassistant]

[wow he's a bitty twerp and a lying liar, okay sure. Her lips twitch in some amusement anyway.]

Oh, don't stop on my behalf.

[with the getting dressed thing.]

But I'm beginning to think that's my name here in creepy space hell.

[everyone starts conversation by calling her 'beautiful', bro.]

[willpunchfaces]

[that earns a quick laugh and he tugs on his jacket, still not really feeling all that social. but she's cute and she asked so he might as well make small talk

leaders have to keep up appearances. it's the only way the team survives, right?]

Yeah? It could be worse, don't you think?

[boy just needs new material, really]

[executiveassistant]

[Yeah, no, sorry. She props a hand on her hip, tilting her head.]

Could be better too. I don't like to lower my expectations just because it's the first word that comes to mind.

[It's a sass thing.

But he's cute. In a not-in-a-million-years-he's-a-puppy way]

[willpunchfaces]

[oooh, burn. Francis ducks his head, scratching at his hair] Yeah, well. I'll keep that in mind.

[fiddling with his thiiiiiiiiiiings] You need something, or just saying hi?

[executiveassistant]

[oh, poor kid. She just tilts her head, looking him over.]

Little bit of both. In the 'you look like someone kicked your puppy' and 'I'm looking for a distraction' kind of ways.

[culver]

[Nill has already led the horse up to the gardens and set it out to graze, but she is by no means ready to head back to her room. She had only grabbed the jumpsuit out of her locker (again, nothing new in it) and neglected to check on her friends. It had made her more than a little nervous, but the horse and dog had both been antsy and she had wanted to get them to a comfortable environment as soon as possible.

So as she heads back to the locker room, she's sending out messages to various people, just a quick check in. It's become something of a custom for her after so many jumps.

That's why she nearly runs into Francis. But she catches a glimpse of the bright white hair and for a moment thinks he's Heine--but she sees that he isn't tall enough, though he seems to be emanating a similar melancholic vibe. Nill holds her comm tightly, brow furrowed, eyes wide and questioning. But she offers a smile all the same, obviously concerned.]

[willpunchfaces]

[he almost doesn't see her until she nearly bumps into him. he's too lost in his own thoughts to take heed of the slight girl walking up on him, communicator in hand. but then she smiles at him and he tries to smile back, that fake, pretend-everything's-okay smile he perfected back home]

Glad to see you made it through, sparrow.

[culver]

[Oh, she definitely knows that smile. Badou and Naoto had been masters of it. But she tries not to let her worry show, instead nodding and gesturing to him. She's glad to see that he's alright as well. Something tells her that this jump has been a hard one for everybody.]

[willpunchfaces]

[Francis makes a soft sound, something like a laugh at the back of his throat, and scratches the back of his head. then he gestures for her to sit]

Going to find Heine?

[culver]

[The blonde obliges, settling down on the bench with her hands folded in her lap. She gives a slight nod, and tilts her head at him, wings flicking. She wonders what's up with him, though she doesn't exactly have a way to ask.]

[willpunchfaces]

[he watches her - because she's interesting, because she's cute, because she's a teammate and he's got precious few of those left, it seems - then looks away to fiddle with this or that. he probably shouldn't keep her, but he always feels comfortable around her, like she reminds him of someone he can't quite remember]

I know you two were friends, so. [just out with it, Francis] James wasn't in his pod. He isn't here anymore.

[culver]

[Nill is used to being watched. And when it's a friend, like Barton, she doesn't really mind it. Besides, it's probably easier to figure out what she's thinking this way. But at the news about James, her demeanor changes: wings droop, face falls, hands clench in her lap. James is gone.

And Nill knows that Francis and James were very good friends, better than she was with him. So after a moment of sadness for herself, she stands and opens her arms for a hug.]

[birdskullwarrior]

"Hey."

7 leans herself against the locker next to his. With everything going down, between feeling restless and the conversation about AIs and machines, she's feeling a bit confused about where she fits in. She's glad to find Francis, and wondered what sort of perspective he could offer.

"Good to see you're still here."

[willpunchfaces]

'Good,' she says. Francis makes a sound in the back of his throat, a condescending sort of half-laugh, and shakes his head. "Yeah, it's great." He shrugs, finally closing the door to his locker and looking at her, but a moment later he's fiddling with his arrows. It's too easy to betray how he feels with proper eye contact. "Looks like a few of us are still stuck together, huh?"

[birdskullwarrior]

"A few, yes. Still seems like a lot to me." She casts a glance around them. Even one living breathing thing would have felt like a surplus. "Is it common to get more with every jump?"

[willpunchfaces]

"I guess." He isn't really used to crowds either, even after so long. "I think it all evens out. Some come, some leave."

[parkours]

Hey -- [ Sometimes, Peter forgets it's okay to stay hi to people, that things are different (he's always forgotten that, despite how many jumps there's been), but it's turning into an instinctive thing now, and he's getting better. He remembers Francis, he remembers Francis staring up at him the last jump as Spider-Man, and for some reason he hates that he's lying to someone like that. Not lying... just not being up front about that commentary and it kind of sucks. It's one of those moments when he wants to confess it, just because Gwen knew and Gwen was his girlfriend and now Francis is one of those friends kinda people, and Francis is actually okay with guys like him, even if Peter chooses to loiter upside down and all that jazz.

Peter stands a few feet away, shuffling awkwardly, a hand ready to wave towards Francis. ]

Have you uh, seen Azari? [ Easier to start small, Peter figures.]

[willpunchfaces]

[the white-haired boy glances up when Peter speaks, finishing his third check over his gear] Hey. [awkward, a bit forced, short. it's not that Francis doesn't like the kid - he doesn't know him that well, but he knows enough, like he's friends with Azari. and that's good enough for him. but Francis is in a mood, and distancing himself, and he doesn't really know how best to react. it's always easier with girls. girls he can just put on a stupid grin and call them 'beautiful' and 'gorgeous' and whatever else lets him keep his distance. he doesn't really know how to do that with Peter yet

then Pete asks about Azari and Francis shrugs, waving a hand dismissively] Probably checking up on others. The ones that are left, anyway. [bitter and angryyyy]

[parkours]

[ He kinda gets it in a way, with Francis feeling like all of his friends are gone -- even if they are -- and Peter's own resentment when he was younger over his parents leaving him. It's definitely not the same by any means, but he uses those emotions as a means of motivation to try and push through Francis' obvious sullenness. ]

Alright, man. [ Azari's someone to look for later, and Peter makes a mental note of it, but right now he can tell from the way Francis is acting, that something's up, and its his words that really confirm it. ] I'm sorry about your friends. [ He really is, even if Peter is having difficulty showing it, what with only knowing Gwen. ]

Kinda wish I could say something, but-- [ He hesitates for a split second. ] you know you're not alone here.

[ If it's any consolation, Peter's still here. ]

[willpunchfaces]

[not alone. that's the hard part, isn't it? it'd be easier if he was alone. he'd been alone for so long, he was used to it. going back to that after finally having others? not the happiest idea]

Yeah, sure. [it's a bit too harsh and he looks away, shoving the arrow into his quiver] It's fine. Just gotta keep moving, right?

[parkours]

Yeah, uh, I guess.

[ It's what he told himself after his parents were gone, after the bullying started; that it was easier to keep to himself. But no one else deserved that. Maybe it was selfish of him, but Peter didn't need Francis to go off alone, not when there was this ridiculous chance that he could make a difference as Peter and not Spider-Man. That for once, Peter could be someone useful. ]

Look man, ] Almost on instinct, he reaches out for Francis' arm, trying to jerk him towards looking at Peter. ] let me help. [ He's firm on that part, determined to do something for Francis' mood. ] I mean it, you're not alone.

[willpunchfaces]

Don't! [it's instinctive. the moment Peter grabs his arm to redirect him, Francis is in combat mode, eyes narrowed, reaching for anything he can reasonably throw at the other boy. he's not as good as his dad, but he's still a fair shot] Don't touch me, dude. Okay?

[he slowly calms down, easing the tension in his arms] What difference does it make, anyway? We're stuck on this stupid ship; what can you do to help?