this could all go so wrong

[fullmoon]

CHARACTERS: Kate Bishop, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin
LOCATION: Flight Department.
WARNINGS: Someone might swear.
SUMMARY: Upstanding citizens of the Tranquility on their absolute best behavior.

Remus arrives at least fourteen second before Kate and Sirius, because that's how many seconds he needs to settle in. Whenever they turn up, he'll be leaned back against the wall outside of Flight, staring at his comms device, and losing whatever points for cool nonchalance that that might have earned him by using said comms device to read what is almost certainly a children's book. A space book for space children.

There are space dragons.

He loses some cool nonchalance points, anyway. Maybe not all of them, because it's impossible to tell what he's reading from a distance, and as soon as he hears footsteps—or Apparition, or both—he looks up without any embarrassed fumbling. He's got his wand and a folded-up bit of paper in his other hand, so he waves with his comms device.

He doesn't look the least bit guilty or up to something. It's already been established that both of the things they're up to today are acts of public service, thievery and unsanctioned snooping for the common good. Heroes, the lot of them.

Comments

[doggedly]

Apparition first, that loud and tell-tale CRACK. Sirius, arrives aways down the corridor, looking cool and nonchalant even as he steps out of Apparition--because of course he is cool and nonchalant, still-too-short-hair and been-through-the-space-wash-too-many-times t-shirt and all. It's probably the bone structure, and the lordly air.

Which is subsequently ruined when he spots Remus and begins to walk more quickly, with an eager grin. More happy dog.

"Well, look at you, all early! Where's our third man? Wo-man, so-rry-- did I seriously beat her here? O tempora, o mores, that I'd be second to arrive--"

That's all right, it gives him time to rake his fingers through his hair. It's more of a compulsive a gesture than a preening one. This is both just Kate and also Kate. Difficult to keep in balance.

"Is this really just about mapping? She's, what, going to swipe us in and then stand around waiting? We owe her, if that's the case. Dead boring."

[alsohawkeye]

Kate arrives a minute later, both more and less discreetly. No tell-tale pop of Apparition but you can see her coming down the hall no matter how quiet her converse are on the metal flooring. Also, she waves. That's sort of a giveaway.

"Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting." Maybe she suspects that she hasn't, because she doesn't sound that sorry and her smile is quick and friendly rather than sheepish. She's got her bow across her back because she pretty literally always does, but she tucks her comm away in her pocket once she reaches the boys and reaches up to tug her ponytail a little tighter.

Her arm waved in front of the panel unlocks the door and she wastes no time doing so, pushing it open with her shoulder as she leads the way in. "I'm curious to see how this mapping works," she's saying as she does, turning to Sirius in particular, "Remus said you'd show me? Apparently you're the expert." Is that even true? She'll apologize for ad libbing later but ego stroking is a great distraction.

[fullmoon]

"We definitely owe her," Remus says, looking back at his space adventure novel in a little bit of a hurry. He's a good liar, with all those dozens of sick mothers and fake illnesses under his belt, but Sirius knows him terribly well, has been in the know for most of those sick mothers and fake illnesses, etc., so Godric bless you and your timing, Kate Bishop.

Timing and flattery.

Remus follows along behind both of them and says, "The expert. If he liked to write he could write the book on it." He's being helpful, or possibly being excessive, but to his credit he's also looking around with interest instead of focusing solely on slathering Sirius with praise. "But we don't have it with us."

[doggedly]

"Flatterer." Sirius casts a very pleased grin Remusward. The throwaway nature of that grin does nothing to tone down its brilliance. Despite all the loft and aristocratic lines of his features, Sirius is good at grinning.

And he's also good at being distracted. When his attention is focused, it is dogged--Remus was right about that, because of course Remus knows him better-than-well, and knows the force of that attention (see: That Time Sirius and James Winkled Out The Werewolf Thing), which can be a little like being stared at by the sun. But like a dog, it's easy to fix him elsewhere, just as he is now fixed on about four things at once: their surroundings (new!), Kate (Kate!), praise (good!), and mapmaking. The latter being a favourite topic.

"We haven't got it," he tells Kate, quite pleased with himself, "'cos it's on a wall. That's how massive we're making it. Our old map, bless its papery soul, was portable. But given all the fiddly corridors and changes, it seemed better to fix it somewhere large. Thanks for letting us in, by the way. Seriously brilliant."

[alsohawkeye]

When they say they haven't got the map with them the fall of Kate's face is 90% genuine. She was actually looking forward to seeing it and learning about that project, both from a persistent interest in their thus-far rather fun brand of magic and her unending devotion to the cause of getting everyone the hell out of here.

But on a wall, that's-- "Really? That's huge. And seems impractical. How are we going to use it if it's on a wall?" Her brow lowers, eyes narrowed beneath them. But only for a moment, because though the uncertainty lingers she shrugs easily enough at the rest. "No problem, it's nice to finally have useful access. So we should probably split up. Cover the most ground. I've already given Remus a bit of a tour, Sirius, so I can tag along and we can help each other out?" What was Remus so worried about this distraction thing is easy.

[fullmoon]

"These," Remus says, waggling his comms device—take photos of it, live video relays, whatever—and stops his curious rubbernecking around the shuttle bay to smile at her. "It's got a lot of fine detail. We're very thorough. And this ship, if you haven't noticed, is enormous."

And it's harder to lose a wall. No one can confiscate a wall and put it in an office drawer to never be seen again. There will never be days-long arguments about whose fault it is the wall is gone.

He almost starts ogling the bay again before Kate's I've already given Remus a bit of a tour stops him, just in time, and he slouches his shoulders back and sticks his hand in his pocket like he has definitely been here before and is only mildly interested.

"I see how it is," he says, because wanting to spend less time with Sirius (or Kate, who is very similar to his mental image of Estelle Stone, through sheer coincidence of course) would be a bit out of character. "No snogging on the job, Sirius."

[doggedly]

Sirius, though he has not lived to see any dark days of Map confiscation, would certainly agree while still trying to imply the tiniest bit of blame, if only he knew. Fortunately for all parties, he doesn't know about any confiscations, and simply trusts this new Map to a wall because it's cool. And also massive, to fit the massivity of the ship. And, also--

"And we can't do the folds." Solemnly, he shakes his head, and holds up his hands, so he can scrunch his fingers at her. Totally useless. "We aren't folders."

That's James, but it still sort of hurts-in-a-good-and-bad-way to think of James Potter, like purposefully digging a thumb into a bruise. This also does wonders for Sirius' distraction--it means he misses any corrective movements from Remus, and skips straight ahead to snogging on the job.

"Try not to be jealous," he tells Remus, sincerely, mournfully, "but I say that knowing you will be. Well, c'mon, Kate, let's have it. Where to first, show me all the best parts. Since you've got experience at this already, I know I can trust you."

Experience.

Actually, but, wait: "Why are we covering the most ground, are we in some sort of hurry?"