seventeenth jump;

[mathematically]

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

lockers

[killarevolution]

[There's some hissing going on from over in a far corner of the locker room and also some swearing and then suddenly a blue-streaked ugly cat comes running and hurls itself at Prim's legs.

A few seconds later Haymitch follows, looking tired and worn and like he did not want to add "cat-wrangling" to his resume ever. The sight of Prim will never stop throwing him off and his stomach sinks, because he's only just realized Katniss is gone, hence wrangling Buttercup.]

Might have known you were back.

[littleduck]

Buttercup!

[Prim assumes that this is a miracle, because as far as she thought, her poor cat was gone. She takes notice of the poor thing first, crouching down to scoop him up and give him a proper hug. Then she realizes it's poor Haymitch who had him, and she glances up to give him a sympathetic smile.]

Thank you for taking care of him.

[She knows that somewhere, deep down, Haymitch is a soft and sweet man. It's just layered underneath a lot of tribute issues, so she understands that the kind part is a little hard to reach.]

He hasn't given you too much trouble, has he?

[killarevolution]

[Were it Katniss, he would have sworn at her or something, but as it's Prim, he just stands up a bit straighter and rubs the back of his neck.]

He bites going into the pods, but I don't blame him for that. I'd bite someone's finger off if they tried to force me into one of those damned things, myself.

[He drops his hand back to the side.] You've been gone a jump or two. Didn't think you were coming back.

[littleduck]

I didn't mean to leave. [She tries to explain, but finds that most things on this ship are above explanation and just can't be figured out. So she bites at her lip, cuddles Buttercup closer, and moves right on along.]

It's not bad being back here. Even if I think Katniss must be gone.

[She assumes that's the only way Haymitch would have ended up with a cat like Buttercup.]

[killarevolution]

No one ever does. [He drops his hands back to his sides and nods.] Last jump, I think. She's left before and come back. Might happen again.