RP Log: Hangar chat
Who: Itsuki and Jamie
Where: hangar
When: earlier this week, after the trashing of the clothing store
Warnings: mild angst; possible RahXephon spoilers?
Summary: Taking a break from his duties at the first-aid clinic, Itsuki happens upon the hangar and its resident nerdboy.
Jamie'd intended to come to the hangar sooner to check up on the Zoids, but cleaning up his living space had taken precedence over the machines. Once all that had been tended to, however, the hangar had been his first stop, and he was gratified to see that the building and its contents were still in good shape. While the Raynos, surprisingly, looked to have been taken care of recently, he was sure the Geno Saurer was in need of a little attention. Feeling fairly chipper, Jamie went looking for his toolbox so he could get started.
Why Itsuki found himself approaching the hangar, of all places, he couldn't really say; perhaps it was the familiarity of the intricate machinery, perhaps he simply found the idea of returning to 'home' or taking his break within the walls of the infirmary intolerable, perhaps it was a lingering bit of curiosity for one of the few places he had yet to visit on the strange island. Whatever the case, the man stepped inside slowly, adjusting his glasses as his dark eyes took in the place. The thoughts stirred by such sights, of Haruka bickering with the spirited (and obscene) Elvy, of his work, of his brother, left him uncertain whether he should frown or smile, and so he just kept walking.
Jamie glanced up as the other entered; he'd seen the man here and there around the island, but had yet to properly meet him. Pausing in his thus-far fruitless search for his toolbox, he called out to the taller man, a bit tentatively. "Hey."
A startled set of eyes turned to Jamie immediately, their owner cracking a faintly sheepish smile as he spotted the young man. With his wandering thoughts and general fatigue from hours put in at the infirmary, he simply hadn't noticed the hangar's second occupant diligently hunting about for his toolbox. Still, he offered as a casual a nod as he could, "Good afternoon. My apologies; I didn't see you before."
Jamie ducked his head a bit. "'sokay. I kinda...blend in most of the time anyway." He offered a self-depricating half-grin. "Didn't mean to surprise you."
The modest, self-aimed derision seemed to earn a dull, bittersweet bit of amusement from the older man as he settled a hand upon the railing by which he lingered, looking out across the hangar, "I know the feeling." The building rested upon the slope of a hill, allowing the entry to bring them directly to the upper floor upon which they both now stood, a stable, metal-ringed perch from which it was possible to access and see the upper stories of the mechanical weapons so many of the island's occupants seemed to bring along with them. Itsuki tapped a slim finger thoughtfully upon the hard surface, deciding after a few short moments on a change of subject, "Is one of these yours, then?"
"Well - yeah." Jamie scratched his cheek a bit as he explained. "Technically, the Raynos is mine," he said, indicating the green pteranodon-type some distance away, "but the Geno is...kinda mine too, I guess." He jerked a thumb at the massive blue tyrannosaur nearer the hangar's bay doors, flashing that same uncertain smile.
Itsuki's eyes followed the boy's animated hands and caught stolen glances of his equally animated expressions. He could not help but smile faintly as he adjusted his glasses, replying cordially, "Interesting designs. I've never seen anything like them." And that was saying something...not that Jamie was in any position to appreciate the bold nature of the statement. If nothing else, working with TERRA had allowed him to see many spectacular things.
"Yeah...I don't think most people here have." He peered at the older man with subdued curiosity; he seemed to be much more nonplussed by the sight of the mechs than a lot of the island's inhabitants did upon seeing them for the first time. "Have you been in here before?" he ventured.
Itsuki's reply was accompanied by a simple shaking of his head, "I've been here but a few weeks and with the recent storm..." A faint frown twitched at the corners of his lips, "Well, things have been chaotic, to say the least." His slim digit continued its light, contemplative tapping a moment longer before finally falling still, his displeasure seeming to ebb gradually away. "It's a fairly impressive facility. I'm surprised. Most other things here seem...outdated."
Jamie eyed his finger-tapping but was unsure what quite to make of it; the man didn't seem particularly agitated otherwise, though he did look rather tired. The teen nodded at the assessment of the hangar. "Yeah...it's not quite as advanced as what we've got back home, but it's got enough equipment to keep everything maintained, even if we can't make any major repairs. Guess we've been lucky so far that we haven't needed to."
"It's a fortunate thing," Itsuki agreed, seemingly unaware (or, at least, unconcerned) with the younger man's observation of his anxious hands, "But I suppose a little good luck is the least we deserve after all that's happened...some more than others." The lingering clause was an obvious afterthought and summoned back his previous displeasure, if briefly.
"Oh?" Jamie blinked, brows lifting at this last comment. "Did...something happen?" He hadn't heard about anything particularly bad happening, other than the storm, but then he wasn't privy to everything that happened around the village - and considering the kinds of people that were around, it wouldn't have surprised him if something had gone down recently.
Itsuki looked to Jamie, silently reading those lifted brows and curious eyes, and took a few silent moments to collect himself before replying, "A friend of mine is having a difficult time as of late, that's all."
"Oh," Jamie said again, and nodded soberly. "I'm sorry to hear that." He refrained from asking for details, figuring that if the man had wanted Jamie to know, he would have offered them. It occurred to him, then, that he'd never properly introduced himself, so for a change of topic as much as good manners, he said, "I'm Jamie Hemeros, by the way. I don't think we've ever met."
The adjustment to the conversation's direction was a welcome one, it seemed, as Itsuki turned an amiable gaze and an extended, open hand to Jamie, "...We haven't. I'm Itsuki Kisaragi; it's a pleasure, Mr. Hemeros."
"Likewise," he said, shaking the proffered hand. "But just Jamie's fine, really." No matter how many people here had taken to calling him 'Mr. Hemeros', Jamie didn't think he was ever going to get used to it.
Itsuki chuckled immediately, nodding as they shook hands and replying with good humor, "As you wish. I would have said the same at your age...such formality must be a symptom of age."
Jamie grinned reservedly and bobbed his head a moment or so. "So you get the gist of everything around here, right? The island, I mean. People from different worlds and all that?"
Though he knew what the young man meant, Itsuki could not help but contemplate the question for a few lingering moments. "I know what I've been told, I comprehend the theory of such a place existing...but I am far from claiming to have any understanding of...this unlikely circumstance."
"Well - yeah, I don't think anyone really understands what's going on," Jamie agreed. "I think some people understand more than others, like Pluto...but even she doesn't know everything about why we're here or anything."
Itsuki offered a dulled smile, though his tone came out light, "...so I've been told. And that is almost the worst part of this."
"Mm...well, yeah," Jamie said, brow furrowing a bit. "I mean...I've kinda given up on trying to understand it by now, but for a while it really bugged me that I couldn't figure anything out."
"I am a man of science," Itsuki said, musing faintly and moving to lean against the railing with folded arms, "It will likely 'bug' me as long as I live." Though there was far more to it than his own natural craving for logic and order and understanding, he did not feel obligated to share such ponderings with the young stranger. He would likely be happier without them, in any case. "...You've been here a long time, then?"
"Mm...about three years now, I think." Putting it so bluntly both surprised and depressed him, a little; it was a long time for someone who previously had never been separated from his family for more than a day or so. "Since I was fourteen, anyway."
The doctor flinched despite himself, his features softening slowly as he turned his eyes to Jamie once more. His answer would have been tragic no matter the circumstances, but for one so young... Itsuki's mind could not help but return for his former life; what TERRA had done with Ayato had not been so different, plucking him out of his home in Tokyo Jupiter and introducing him to a real world that meant nothing to him, save for the idealistic notion that it was truth. "...It must have been difficult."
Jamie fidgeted a bit under the man's gaze. "...mn, could've been worse," he said, averting his eyes. Could've been better, too, in a lot of ways, but all the same. "I mean...it's pretty safe here, for the most part. As long as you know where and who to stay away from. And most of the people here are pretty nice."
Itsuki could barely stop himself from stating the obvious, that safety and happiness were not the same thing and that genial strangers were no replacement for family or close friends, but it seemed cruel to speak on such matters, both for himself and the young man at his side. Besides...for all he knew, Jamie had found all of those things by now. He nodded slowly, following suit and turning his eyes back to the impressive mechanical feats that occupied the massive hangar, "A silver lining, then."
"I...guess so." He glanced cautiously back at Itsuki. "I've had the opportunity to experience a lot of stuff here that probably never would've happened back home, anyway. And I've met some good people."
"I hope I can come to share your optimism one day."
Jamie chuffed a bit, smiling lopsidedly as he looked away again. "...that's new. Not a lot of people who'd ever accuse me of being optimistic."
Itsuki gave a thin smile, though his gaze remained focused outward, and teased the young man gently, "'Opportunity', 'experience'...I hate to tell you, but your words expose your condition quite clearly."
"...mn." Jamie chuckled a bit, following Itsuki's gaze over the mechs occupying the hangar. "Yeah, I guess you've got a point." He fell silent for a moment or two. "So who all've you met here so far?" he asked at length.
"I've had little time for socializing," the doctor admitted, leaving out the fact that he'd had little will for such interaction on most days anyway, "There have been those who have helped me, Pluto, Taiki and Miss Victoria, and my patients, but few others."
Jamie, glancing back at Itsuki for his reply, reflexively averted his gaze again at the mention of Taiki's name but otherwise remained passive, nodding. "Mn. They're pretty nice," he said. "In different ways, kinda, but...nice."
Perhaps a less observant man would have missed the averted glance and the slight hint of discomfort bleeding into Jamie's tone, but Itsuki was no such man. Still, he also knew well enough that questions from an essential stranger would likely be far from welcome. He nodded, "Yes...very nice. I was fortunate to run into each of them as I did."
"They're good people," Jamie commented. For the most part, anyway, and as far as he knew them... "There's definitely worse around here." His look darkened a little. "If you're lucky you won't run into Xellos or his boss."
The doctor's expression could not help but follow suit...though, his thoughts were focused upon a very different local nuisance. "For such a small island, this place seems to have its fair share of menaces."
Jamie nodded with a slightly disgruntled noise of agreement. "Kind of depends on who you are and what you can do, 's far as 'menaces' go...but Xellos is the worst." He started to elaborate, hesitated at the prospect of delving into the upsetting memories associated with the mazoku, and settled instead for a reiteration of his previous warning. "...like I said, if you're lucky you won't run into him," he muttered.
Itsuki gave a tight frown and adjusted his glasses with a tense hand; it was not hard to see the anger lingering beneath his calm surface, "I have little fear of such encounters myself; what I find intolerable is their treatment of others."
"There's not a whole lot you can do about 'em either way," Jamie said, aiming a melancholy glance at Itsuki. He recognized the emotion barely hidden by the older man's gesture and facial expression; that frustrated righteous indignation was something with which Jamie himself was all too familiar. He twitched one shoulder in a fitful shrug. "There used to be someone here who could keep 'em under control a little...wul, Pluto can too, but she doesn't like to do it and it takes a lot out of her. She sent Xellos away from the island once and she was unconscious for like a week afterward."
"I can never do anything." The words came out far more sharply than Itsuki had intended, fueled forth by Jamie's words and the memories before his death and a lifelong notion of inadequacy. His hands gripped the rail before him hard, the pressure leaving the flesh of his fingers near white and choked for blood, and he closed his eyes, pulling in a slow breath to steady his nerves. Finally, he shook his head, speaking softly and stiffly, "...My apologies, Mr. Hemeros." He stepped away from the railing without pause, digits slipping slowly from its cold, metallic surface, "I should probably return to the infirmary." It did not seem a matter open for discussion.
Jamie blinked at the sudden vehemence in Itsuki's tone; he was under the uncomfortable impression that something he'd said had struck a nerve, and he felt inexplicably guilty for it. "Uh - sure," he said uneasily, ducking his head in a submissive nod. "I'll...see you around, I guess."
Where: hangar
When: earlier this week, after the trashing of the clothing store
Warnings: mild angst; possible RahXephon spoilers?
Summary: Taking a break from his duties at the first-aid clinic, Itsuki happens upon the hangar and its resident nerdboy.
Jamie'd intended to come to the hangar sooner to check up on the Zoids, but cleaning up his living space had taken precedence over the machines. Once all that had been tended to, however, the hangar had been his first stop, and he was gratified to see that the building and its contents were still in good shape. While the Raynos, surprisingly, looked to have been taken care of recently, he was sure the Geno Saurer was in need of a little attention. Feeling fairly chipper, Jamie went looking for his toolbox so he could get started.
Why Itsuki found himself approaching the hangar, of all places, he couldn't really say; perhaps it was the familiarity of the intricate machinery, perhaps he simply found the idea of returning to 'home' or taking his break within the walls of the infirmary intolerable, perhaps it was a lingering bit of curiosity for one of the few places he had yet to visit on the strange island. Whatever the case, the man stepped inside slowly, adjusting his glasses as his dark eyes took in the place. The thoughts stirred by such sights, of Haruka bickering with the spirited (and obscene) Elvy, of his work, of his brother, left him uncertain whether he should frown or smile, and so he just kept walking.
Jamie glanced up as the other entered; he'd seen the man here and there around the island, but had yet to properly meet him. Pausing in his thus-far fruitless search for his toolbox, he called out to the taller man, a bit tentatively. "Hey."
A startled set of eyes turned to Jamie immediately, their owner cracking a faintly sheepish smile as he spotted the young man. With his wandering thoughts and general fatigue from hours put in at the infirmary, he simply hadn't noticed the hangar's second occupant diligently hunting about for his toolbox. Still, he offered as a casual a nod as he could, "Good afternoon. My apologies; I didn't see you before."
Jamie ducked his head a bit. "'sokay. I kinda...blend in most of the time anyway." He offered a self-depricating half-grin. "Didn't mean to surprise you."
The modest, self-aimed derision seemed to earn a dull, bittersweet bit of amusement from the older man as he settled a hand upon the railing by which he lingered, looking out across the hangar, "I know the feeling." The building rested upon the slope of a hill, allowing the entry to bring them directly to the upper floor upon which they both now stood, a stable, metal-ringed perch from which it was possible to access and see the upper stories of the mechanical weapons so many of the island's occupants seemed to bring along with them. Itsuki tapped a slim finger thoughtfully upon the hard surface, deciding after a few short moments on a change of subject, "Is one of these yours, then?"
"Well - yeah." Jamie scratched his cheek a bit as he explained. "Technically, the Raynos is mine," he said, indicating the green pteranodon-type some distance away, "but the Geno is...kinda mine too, I guess." He jerked a thumb at the massive blue tyrannosaur nearer the hangar's bay doors, flashing that same uncertain smile.
Itsuki's eyes followed the boy's animated hands and caught stolen glances of his equally animated expressions. He could not help but smile faintly as he adjusted his glasses, replying cordially, "Interesting designs. I've never seen anything like them." And that was saying something...not that Jamie was in any position to appreciate the bold nature of the statement. If nothing else, working with TERRA had allowed him to see many spectacular things.
"Yeah...I don't think most people here have." He peered at the older man with subdued curiosity; he seemed to be much more nonplussed by the sight of the mechs than a lot of the island's inhabitants did upon seeing them for the first time. "Have you been in here before?" he ventured.
Itsuki's reply was accompanied by a simple shaking of his head, "I've been here but a few weeks and with the recent storm..." A faint frown twitched at the corners of his lips, "Well, things have been chaotic, to say the least." His slim digit continued its light, contemplative tapping a moment longer before finally falling still, his displeasure seeming to ebb gradually away. "It's a fairly impressive facility. I'm surprised. Most other things here seem...outdated."
Jamie eyed his finger-tapping but was unsure what quite to make of it; the man didn't seem particularly agitated otherwise, though he did look rather tired. The teen nodded at the assessment of the hangar. "Yeah...it's not quite as advanced as what we've got back home, but it's got enough equipment to keep everything maintained, even if we can't make any major repairs. Guess we've been lucky so far that we haven't needed to."
"It's a fortunate thing," Itsuki agreed, seemingly unaware (or, at least, unconcerned) with the younger man's observation of his anxious hands, "But I suppose a little good luck is the least we deserve after all that's happened...some more than others." The lingering clause was an obvious afterthought and summoned back his previous displeasure, if briefly.
"Oh?" Jamie blinked, brows lifting at this last comment. "Did...something happen?" He hadn't heard about anything particularly bad happening, other than the storm, but then he wasn't privy to everything that happened around the village - and considering the kinds of people that were around, it wouldn't have surprised him if something had gone down recently.
Itsuki looked to Jamie, silently reading those lifted brows and curious eyes, and took a few silent moments to collect himself before replying, "A friend of mine is having a difficult time as of late, that's all."
"Oh," Jamie said again, and nodded soberly. "I'm sorry to hear that." He refrained from asking for details, figuring that if the man had wanted Jamie to know, he would have offered them. It occurred to him, then, that he'd never properly introduced himself, so for a change of topic as much as good manners, he said, "I'm Jamie Hemeros, by the way. I don't think we've ever met."
The adjustment to the conversation's direction was a welcome one, it seemed, as Itsuki turned an amiable gaze and an extended, open hand to Jamie, "...We haven't. I'm Itsuki Kisaragi; it's a pleasure, Mr. Hemeros."
"Likewise," he said, shaking the proffered hand. "But just Jamie's fine, really." No matter how many people here had taken to calling him 'Mr. Hemeros', Jamie didn't think he was ever going to get used to it.
Itsuki chuckled immediately, nodding as they shook hands and replying with good humor, "As you wish. I would have said the same at your age...such formality must be a symptom of age."
Jamie grinned reservedly and bobbed his head a moment or so. "So you get the gist of everything around here, right? The island, I mean. People from different worlds and all that?"
Though he knew what the young man meant, Itsuki could not help but contemplate the question for a few lingering moments. "I know what I've been told, I comprehend the theory of such a place existing...but I am far from claiming to have any understanding of...this unlikely circumstance."
"Well - yeah, I don't think anyone really understands what's going on," Jamie agreed. "I think some people understand more than others, like Pluto...but even she doesn't know everything about why we're here or anything."
Itsuki offered a dulled smile, though his tone came out light, "...so I've been told. And that is almost the worst part of this."
"Mm...well, yeah," Jamie said, brow furrowing a bit. "I mean...I've kinda given up on trying to understand it by now, but for a while it really bugged me that I couldn't figure anything out."
"I am a man of science," Itsuki said, musing faintly and moving to lean against the railing with folded arms, "It will likely 'bug' me as long as I live." Though there was far more to it than his own natural craving for logic and order and understanding, he did not feel obligated to share such ponderings with the young stranger. He would likely be happier without them, in any case. "...You've been here a long time, then?"
"Mm...about three years now, I think." Putting it so bluntly both surprised and depressed him, a little; it was a long time for someone who previously had never been separated from his family for more than a day or so. "Since I was fourteen, anyway."
The doctor flinched despite himself, his features softening slowly as he turned his eyes to Jamie once more. His answer would have been tragic no matter the circumstances, but for one so young... Itsuki's mind could not help but return for his former life; what TERRA had done with Ayato had not been so different, plucking him out of his home in Tokyo Jupiter and introducing him to a real world that meant nothing to him, save for the idealistic notion that it was truth. "...It must have been difficult."
Jamie fidgeted a bit under the man's gaze. "...mn, could've been worse," he said, averting his eyes. Could've been better, too, in a lot of ways, but all the same. "I mean...it's pretty safe here, for the most part. As long as you know where and who to stay away from. And most of the people here are pretty nice."
Itsuki could barely stop himself from stating the obvious, that safety and happiness were not the same thing and that genial strangers were no replacement for family or close friends, but it seemed cruel to speak on such matters, both for himself and the young man at his side. Besides...for all he knew, Jamie had found all of those things by now. He nodded slowly, following suit and turning his eyes back to the impressive mechanical feats that occupied the massive hangar, "A silver lining, then."
"I...guess so." He glanced cautiously back at Itsuki. "I've had the opportunity to experience a lot of stuff here that probably never would've happened back home, anyway. And I've met some good people."
"I hope I can come to share your optimism one day."
Jamie chuffed a bit, smiling lopsidedly as he looked away again. "...that's new. Not a lot of people who'd ever accuse me of being optimistic."
Itsuki gave a thin smile, though his gaze remained focused outward, and teased the young man gently, "'Opportunity', 'experience'...I hate to tell you, but your words expose your condition quite clearly."
"...mn." Jamie chuckled a bit, following Itsuki's gaze over the mechs occupying the hangar. "Yeah, I guess you've got a point." He fell silent for a moment or two. "So who all've you met here so far?" he asked at length.
"I've had little time for socializing," the doctor admitted, leaving out the fact that he'd had little will for such interaction on most days anyway, "There have been those who have helped me, Pluto, Taiki and Miss Victoria, and my patients, but few others."
Jamie, glancing back at Itsuki for his reply, reflexively averted his gaze again at the mention of Taiki's name but otherwise remained passive, nodding. "Mn. They're pretty nice," he said. "In different ways, kinda, but...nice."
Perhaps a less observant man would have missed the averted glance and the slight hint of discomfort bleeding into Jamie's tone, but Itsuki was no such man. Still, he also knew well enough that questions from an essential stranger would likely be far from welcome. He nodded, "Yes...very nice. I was fortunate to run into each of them as I did."
"They're good people," Jamie commented. For the most part, anyway, and as far as he knew them... "There's definitely worse around here." His look darkened a little. "If you're lucky you won't run into Xellos or his boss."
The doctor's expression could not help but follow suit...though, his thoughts were focused upon a very different local nuisance. "For such a small island, this place seems to have its fair share of menaces."
Jamie nodded with a slightly disgruntled noise of agreement. "Kind of depends on who you are and what you can do, 's far as 'menaces' go...but Xellos is the worst." He started to elaborate, hesitated at the prospect of delving into the upsetting memories associated with the mazoku, and settled instead for a reiteration of his previous warning. "...like I said, if you're lucky you won't run into him," he muttered.
Itsuki gave a tight frown and adjusted his glasses with a tense hand; it was not hard to see the anger lingering beneath his calm surface, "I have little fear of such encounters myself; what I find intolerable is their treatment of others."
"There's not a whole lot you can do about 'em either way," Jamie said, aiming a melancholy glance at Itsuki. He recognized the emotion barely hidden by the older man's gesture and facial expression; that frustrated righteous indignation was something with which Jamie himself was all too familiar. He twitched one shoulder in a fitful shrug. "There used to be someone here who could keep 'em under control a little...wul, Pluto can too, but she doesn't like to do it and it takes a lot out of her. She sent Xellos away from the island once and she was unconscious for like a week afterward."
"I can never do anything." The words came out far more sharply than Itsuki had intended, fueled forth by Jamie's words and the memories before his death and a lifelong notion of inadequacy. His hands gripped the rail before him hard, the pressure leaving the flesh of his fingers near white and choked for blood, and he closed his eyes, pulling in a slow breath to steady his nerves. Finally, he shook his head, speaking softly and stiffly, "...My apologies, Mr. Hemeros." He stepped away from the railing without pause, digits slipping slowly from its cold, metallic surface, "I should probably return to the infirmary." It did not seem a matter open for discussion.
Jamie blinked at the sudden vehemence in Itsuki's tone; he was under the uncomfortable impression that something he'd said had struck a nerve, and he felt inexplicably guilty for it. "Uh - sure," he said uneasily, ducking his head in a submissive nod. "I'll...see you around, I guess."