we lived in another world

[proxysearch]

CHARACTERS: OPEN TO ALL
LOCATION: Passengers' Quarters, one of the common rooms.
WARNINGS: Possible language? (Anything else will be added later.
SUMMARY: Meet-and-greet for all of the new passengers so they can figure out names and what to do.

Comments

OPEN | prose or action spam welcome | slow tags until sunday!

[flares]

Capa isn't a social person. He doesn't like large groups and he doesn't like chitchat - not that he finds anything wrong with them, he's just not good with them and that makes him frustrated (albeit in a quiet and understated way). For all that he can understand the most complicated and intricate of systems both practical and hypothetical, human interaction has managed to remain something of a mystery to him. And ever since being tagged to become a member of Icarus II, he's had much bigger fish to fry, frankly.

But the situation on the Tranquility is a complicated one. Their systems are either completely operational or on the fritz in ways that had, thus far, proven undiagnosable. The FTL drive run on a principal which was equal parts inspired and completely insane. And all of the technology is ten, fifteen, a hundred years ahead of anything Capa has come across previous. The possibilities are not endless, but they are numerous, varied and - in some cases - enticing.

Which means knowledge-share is important. Which means, in turn, that socializing - or something like it - is a necessity.

For now, he hangs back, looking vaguely uncomfortable as he stands in one of the corners, his shoulders slumped and his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He doesn't look like much from afar, but for anyone who manages to glance his way it's obvious that he's paying attention. To what people say and do around him, to the ideas that they offer. He has some working theories, of course, but for the meantime he's keeping them to himself; there are still too many unknown variables for any real assessments to be made.

For now, he'll speak when he's spoken to and offer suggestions where applicable. But otherwise, Capa remains quiet.

It may a be silent few tags. Haha

[rote_augen]

Social graces were a skill and class Heine missed out on. It was not that he had trouble communicating, but that he was far too blunt for lighter company. If something needed to be said, then one could rely on him verbalizing the issue instead of sugar coating it in fancy words. Say much while speaking little was the style and the only one he followed.

So when he arrived to the meeting and found the air filled with banter, he was less than pleased. The woman had a good head on her shoulders unlike a large number of the taken. Organized a meeting for one thing made her stand out. From first survey of the gathering she was not seen, not that he would of been standing close to her.

Instead he took a spot on the wall to observe and wait to let everyone else speak. There was little to offer and most that was mentioned. The rest was paranoia based and only seen from his eyes and experience. Giving out the same type uniforms and the sterile environment, far too like his youth. There was something sinister going on was what his gut said and he trusted it more than anyone there.

From a few feet away stood another man waiting the conversation out as himself. The man looked extremely normal by Heine terms, just not involved as the rest. It did not occur to Heine to speak to him, not then. He was there to listen and gauge things, not add to the panic.

oh god, i know right x:

[flares]

It was easy enough to pick out the ones that made for natural leaders and then, less obviously though no less loud in their endeavors, there were the ones who weren't natural leaders but perhaps imagined they were. To see that there were a handful of leaders, both actual and imagined, in the mix came as something of a relief, though that relief was tempered by experience. His time on the Icarus II had not been a peaceful one by any stretch of the imagination, but that was no one's fault really, just a clashing of personalities and the occasional butting of heads. It had started out easily enough but, the longer the crew had remained on the ship and approached their ever-looming mission, the higher tensions ran.

It was only a matter of time, Capa knew.

The real concern were the outliers - the ones that provided resistance from the get go or otherwise refused to cooperate with whatever structures managed to coalesce. He scanned the perimeter of the room to take stock though Capa knew he wasn't a good enough judge of character to tell the proverbial 'bad apples' from the 'good'. He was fairly certain people didn't work that way, anyway; not in a crisis situation, at least.

Being lost in space, being at the very edge of probability and likelihood: these things affected people. He hoped, for the better, but you never could tell.

He eventually found himself staring at a young man who, in turn, was staring at him. Capa wasn't entirely sure what to do - wave? say hello? introduce himself? no. - so instead of doing anything he stared a little while longer before looking away again. Someone was talking about food resources but Capa hadn't been paying attention.

Who breaks first?

[rote_augen]

Heine made for a special case in leadership. He did not talk much and took things passively, or in reality he did not inwardly care, but he was a leader in retrospect. The professors underground did not pick him randomly to have that thing plugged into his neck. They wanted a natural leader and someone who could keep steady under a rain of fire.

And they got him, just not the ends they were expecting it to come to. There was little thought on what if, he hated thinking about other possibilities and how they could have changed things. Heine was a leader, but the Spine made him a follower.

Panic made for a good incentive to work together. Scratch my back and I will scratch yours attitude fitting well in the situation. Not everyone was from the same place and time, unbelievable as it was. Skills were varied and levels of skills even more so. The point there was finding the useful ones.

The passing looks were not thought much of. Heine knew he looked strange both back home and there. Red eyes and white hair always stood out, least there his attire was picked leaving him without the usual leather jacket over his shoulders.

Just another outsider looking in he told himself of Capa. Probably lacking any useful skills like himself. Being a sharpshooter and solider looked to be one of the most useless things to be about a ship, that was unless they came in contact with hostiles. Knowing his foul luck, it seemed too plausible.

[constructum]

The moment that the meeting was called, Ariadne was well aware, she needed to be there. If not to gain a further understanding on things - to see just who all occupied the ship with her - it only seemed right after all.

The moment she entered the common room (looking as unassuming as she could) her eyes were drifting across all of those that occupied the space. Mentally noting all that she could with just appearance - most of which she clearly wasn't able to explain. Something that was obviously unsettling to her.

But then, in the far corner of the room she spotted him and everything around her seemed to still. This, this was something she could explain - or at least find some form of justification for.

She clearly needed to make contact with him now - at least in some form. And Arthur, well, he obviously was going to have to be made aware of all of this.

A quick check of her nerves then, and Ariadne was making her way along one of the outer walls towards him - her eyes wide and filled with a clear nervousness, not wanting to take her eyes off of him as she slowly started to approach him.

Almost hesitantly - standing just a few feet away from him - she called out, her voice cracking slightly in nerves as she did. "Hello." Waiting for him to take notice to her, not fully sure what she still would do once he spoke.

[flares]

It took Capa a moment to realize that the young woman was speaking to him as opposed to someone else in the nearest vicinity, which surprised him. He wasn't lacking in self-confidence in any way - there were reasons why someone would want to speak to him, of course - but he hadn't made any efforts to put himself out there either, not yet anyway. And in life. Capa learned that usually earned him a seat on the sidelines. A place where he, quite honestly, felt most comfortable. It was easier to watch and observe from that vantage point, and easier to interject only when called upon.

His shoulders straightened albeit it slightly, the curve of his spine still slumped, and he attempted a smile which turned out more like an uncomfortable flinch. His face, in general, held very little expression though his bright blue eyes remained thoughtful, perhaps even vaguely curious. "Hi," he said and left it at that. With a hand, he rubbed at the back of his neck and then decided he should probably say more.

After a beat, he offered his free hand.

"Capa," he added. Then fell quiet again.

[constructum]

There was many things perhaps that Ariadne was preparing herself for when he finally did notice her - his behavior and greeting - it was not one of them. And in all honesty, it caught her off guard slightly; as she just found herself looking up at him all doe-eyed a moment.

Clearly there was something off with him. As it appeared the inception had done far more damage to him then she would have thought.

Her eyes scanning a once over on him, making mental notes about his appearance as she did, before quickly speaking: "How are you?" Perhaps sounding more concerned then anything suddenly as she reached out to shake his hand. "They're treating you okay, right?"

[flares]

For a moment Capa thought that he'd done something wrong, that somehow he'd managed to mess up this fairly simple and straightforward social ritual that was introducing oneself. He had done it correctly, hadn't he? Offer his hand, offer his name, expect the same in kind. The young woman - quite young, but not a child despite her small stature &mash; had provided one but not the other and that lack was what threw him off momentarily as he blinked down into her face.

I'm sorry, you've mistaken me for someone else, he wanted to say, but Capa wasn't sure it was a statement working on faulty assumptions. He swallowed and then shook the hand offered slowly.

"I'm- fine," he said and he was, but something about being asked how he was doing made him sound uncertain of the answer. Only after a moment he said it again, more straight forward, matter of fact. "I'm fine."

Once again, he was going to leave it at that, but only after a moment did he decide to continue. "Captain Ward and Chief Engineer Reznik have been - I wouldn't say forthcoming, but - capable."

Another pause, longer this time, during which Capa glanced over his shoulder as if half-expecting Corazon or Mace to suddenly appear and rescue him from what seemed like it would prove to be a social conversation. "-and you? "

[constructum]

Sensing his unease at it all - something she honestly couldn't blame him, as she honestly would be the same if she were in his shoes - she just offered him a small smile. Perhaps more awkwardly nervous then anything, but it was a smile nonetheless. One she hadn’t really given many as of late, as she only hoped she would be able to convey she meant him no harm.

"That's good." She said, slowly nodding at his status, which left her slightly at ease to know.

A small sigh finally escaped her then, as her eyes drifted away from them a moment. Slowly scanning over the room, almost as if she assumed that at any moment the other two in question would suddenly appear. It could happen after all, people's projections and what not just showing up, right? Though who's projections they truly were, Ariadne clearly wasn't so sure about yet. "They do seem capable." She stated quietly then, as her attention moved back to him, again, letting a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth.

Her weight shifting slightly from one leg to another, as the obvious nerves she was trying to suppress were slowly starting to show. As it was clear, she still was not fully sure how she was supposed to go about this social exchange.

There were so many things she wanted to say obviously. But the chance that something could possibly cause everything to collapse all around them was in all honesty, slightly unsettling. "I'm fine." She finally replied then, head bobbing faintly at her words. "Giving the circumstances of course."

A glance around again then, her expression more curiously worried then anything. "Are any of your friends here?" She questioned then, looking back up at him, curious as to just whom else he may have ran into here.

[flares]

There was something about her that reminded Capa of Cassie. Not in any definite concrete way - maybe it was her eyes or the shape of her face or the way she had asked how are you like she was being more than polite. She seemed nervous or at least uncertain about something and Capa wondered whether that was simply the way she was or something symptomatic of his own awkwardness.

Her question wasn't strange, though the terminology was a little problematic. He wasn't sure if he had 'friends' here, though he certainly had crewmates. It may have been a case of splitting hairs but Capa preferred to be specific. Instead of answering, he blinked at her again and said: "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

It wasn't an attempt at being social or proper; more a case of information gathering. Name to face, that sort of thing. He'd ask after her relevant skill sets later.

[constructum]

His question clearly caused a look of slight unease pass her face, not because he was asking of course, but because she was obviously risking things - or so she assumed. Given any normal situation, she would be more then willing to offer it, and would be just as confident as she had been known to be. But this was a different circumstance, and all her normal rules were honestly thrown out the window here.

Her eyes scanning over the room quickly, before looking back up at him and offering him a faint smile. "I'm Ariadne." She replied with a small sigh then, the corner of her mouth twitching with a faint smile. It was a risk saying who she was, and she assumed she would clearly be getting looks from Arthur for it. But if it was going to put this man at ease, she was willing to do as much as she could.

Her brow raised then, looking at him in question then, as she hoped he would at least open up more about who might be here with him then.

[flares]

"Ariadne." Despite the evenness of Capa's expression, something like acknowledgment lights in his eyes. He's an astrophysicist by trade and by choice, but he has had the odd academic experience with the liberal arts. Classics are one particular foray that was dabbled in and abandoned early on as a high schooler, though the memory of it still lingered in his mind. "So, minotaurs and labyrinths." Capa paused then titled his head in question. "Or was it a maze?" It was a distinction most people overlooked, but Capa was nothing if not specific.

Turning his attention back towards the common space, he gestured towards his crewmates, scattered among the clusters of people. Corazon first, then Mace. "Crewmates. Three of four are accounted for. We haven't had any luck locating the fourth, but- Cory and Mace'll be invaluable to have on board."

[constructum]

A faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth then as she let out a small sound of amusement. "Like the labyrinths, yeah." She admitted then, not at all surprised that he would know the difference. Granted, she just assumed anyone with a proper opportunity to learn, would hopefully know the distinction. "She was the one they guided Theseus out of the labyrinth. Tragic story. But wonderful as well."

Her attention then moved over where he gestured, eyes slightly wide as she noted the people he mentioned. Having crewmates, which was something she wasn't sure how to address. But it was clear; she was going to have to follow up on them as well - if not her, Arthur. "Maybe they'll show soon, huh?" She started to say, letting a tinge of hope trickle out in her voice, quickly adding: "What exactly do you all do?"

[flares]

Capa nodded a silent concession but otherwise didn't touch the topic of whether or not Cassie - the fourth surviving crewmate, their pilot - would be joining them. There wasn't enough data, though the likelihood would be that, no, she wouldn't. Not until another jump, perhaps, and another malfunction of the equipment. But that wasn't something Capa actively wanted, no matter how much he'd like to see her. It'd be selfish, and selfishness never helped anyone.

"We're astronauts. We were on our way to the sun of our Solar System with a mission. A global mandate."