Contemplating Fast Food

[sleepy_fire]

Ace hadn't really said much at the little welcome meeting. It was great and all, getting their excited out and repeating what they'd found out. More like been 'told'. He wasn't sure if any of it was true

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[i_am_the_bafo]

"Hey! Hey you!"

That's the sort of voice that rolls over the terrain like a katamari, metaphorically rolling up everything. It's coming from a book. A large book, being carried by a green-haired woman without much presence. She didn't tire, so who knows how long Zetta had spent roaming the ship?

"You look like a..." What was an appropriate compliment for these pathetic lesser beings? "A... person with... the... things that are... um... relatively good examples of the things in question." Smooth, Zetta.

The woman set the book down and went off to start yanking up some plants, while Zetta regarded the man as imperiously as a tome could.

[sleepy_fire]

Ace blinked.

That was really the only reaction one could have to a zombie and a talking book. It simply defied explanation or comprehension.

"...Well, you successfully look like a book. Congratulations. I'm sure you're very proud. Is this always how you look, or did you dress up for the occasion of meeting me?" He arched an eyebrow at the young woman's actions, peering at her curiously. "Is the young lady making you new pages, or just destroying the landscaping?"

[i_am_the_bafo]

"You've got a lot of attitude. I like that," pronounced Zetta. "Don't mind her, she's collecting more raw material for summoning. Soon, the army of Lord Zetta will be legion and invincible! Hyaaaaah ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

However big that book might be, it's microscopic compared to the ego it holds.

Zetta took a moment to stop cackling. "No beating around the bush, then. I'll make it simple: The damn Ohm are responsible for me -- ME! LORD ZETTA! the most powerful Overlord in the cosmos! -- being here in this flying... ship... thing, and that pisses me off! You don't look too happy about it either! So I think you'll agree that the Ohm need top have their asses kicked from here to Celestia and back again, full fares both way, with layovers in Pain-town and Don't Do That Any More You Assholesville!"

[sleepy_fire]

And you have an ego the size of the ship. "Army, huh. Too bad, I was hoping I'd managed to avoid the military. Summoning? She like plants or something?"

He winced a bit at the cackling, putting his finger in his ear and scowling.

Well, that had successfully reminded him of Blackbeard. Great. Just what he needed. Another egotistical bastard.

"What, are you trying to hire me? Didn't sign-up for this, Book." He ignored the title, smiling. "Besides, seems like this ship doesn't much care for rank and privilege, and I'm no hero to help you on your heroic quest to save the universes and time-space, and all that." He made a dismissive gesture. "By the way, do you know a guy named Blackbeard? I swear you two are related."

[quark_assassin]

There was a small, scruffy-looking man crouched off to the side, partially hidden in the underbrush yet clearly visible against the green of moss and ground cover, a muted blotch of steel gray and fuzzy brown amongst the growth. He was curled on his overcoat with a pad of paper-an odd sight on a ship full of technological advancements, even stranger when put with the present individual-watching, sketching, and taking notes on a small, furred creature flitting about the lower branches of a nearby tree. It had snatched an under-ripe treat from the garden and was, at current, munching on it with darting glances and quick sniffs of the air.

Dustin was relaxing. Of course, only someone like him would find extensive research in alien field taxonomy a source of relaxation, but this is beside the point. At any rate he was enjoying himself and wasn't causing ship security any problems, so it was a good day

[sleepy_fire]

Holy-

Ace jumped a literal foot off the ground, arm flaring up automatically as he turned towards the voice that had come out of nowhere, ready for a fight.

He almost wanted a fight, wanted something to happen, something to give and yeild and give him some sort of challenge.

For a long moment, he just stared at the person who had shouted an order at him, eyebrow arched, arm crackling with flame.

"Bad habit, lurking above and shouting at people bellow you." His voice was even, calm. "Tends to make them jumpy." He waited another moment, then let the fire die. It was nice to be able to rely on it again, though he really missed a weapon, of any sort.

He was going to need to fix that situation as soon as he ate something that wasn't gray and slopish.

[quark_assassin]

For a moment Dustin thought he was being ignored and briefly pondered calling down a second time (or at least seeing what was taking so long). Then he caught the familiar sound and smell of spontaneous ignition and realized that, indeed, his call had been heeded, but not in the way he'd expected it to

[sleepy_fire]

Ace eyed the gun warily, fingers sparking as he watched it, body tense to avoid the bullet if it came. "I've had enough people decide to sneak up on me with the intent to make my day go really bad that I'm a little cautious of voices from the sky. I think I've got plenty of reason."

He glanced at the fruit, scowling briefly, tempted to pick up one of the fallen ones and aim for the jerk's face. "What in it for me?"

[asingleshot]

"You look bored." That's the sound of a pilot leaning up against a wall, looking at him. "...or maybe hungry."

[sleepy_fire]

"You know, considering how my life was going, I'd say bored would be a step up. But mostly it just leaves me with way too much energy. And hungry. Hungry is probably a good observation. You looking too?" He glanced at the pilot briefly, then back at the furry critters frolicking like some idiots idea of a very tempting joke. "Always come sneaking up on hungry passengers of this great living ship?"

[asingleshot]

Michael reached up to adjust his glasses. "Who's sneaking up? Is there something wrong with exploring this place?"

"And call me old fashioned, but eating something that's playing with its friends in front of me doesn't sound like a very nice thing to do."

[sleepy_fire]

Ace snorted faintly. "Nope. Not my ship, you can do what you like."

He looked back at the animals. "Yeah, well, I'm sure they'll get over it. Prey and predator and all that. I'm starving and the kitchens here suck."

It only took me forever to reply, sorry. Also oh my gods epic sulk.

[hatesheroes]

Mao was hungry.

He was angry.

He was starving.

And he was pissed.

There weren't enough obscenities in the world to accurately capture Mao's feelings about this ship, about this supposed calling, about the stupid, irrevocable, inescapable stream of utter garbage,
and the cavernous, ravenous hole of hunger in the middle of stomach was doing nothing to alleviate his mood.

Mao had not eaten at all since he'd crawled, blind and slimy, out of that nameless cocoon--he'd tried, of course, he'd taken the plunge and sampled that grey-red, viscous pile of slop.

Once.

Mao had nearly thrown the entire tray of it into the wall, but after that he simply hadn't eaten so much as a single sorry mouthful... and so he found himself here, in the garden, looking for something--anything--appropriate to eat.

Anything.

[sleepy_fire]

Well speak of the devil.

Of all the people he knew on the ship (which wasn't many) he probably genuinely liked Mao the most. Kid reminded him with Luffy with more brains.

"Well, if it isn't the Lord Mao. You look about as hungry as I feel." The grin wasn't faked or even offering a hint of dissembling. He actually was happy to see the kid. "How you liking our new 'home'?" The sarcasm lingering on the word was unmistakable. "Eaten anyone yet?"

I'd have said garbage instead of toilet, but Mao just throws his trash on the floor.

[hatesheroes]

Mao stopped--then, recognising Ace, he scowled, his broad sword resting over his shoulder like some gigantic paddle.

"Hungry? What do you think?! Of course I'm hungry! This stupid meatboat doesn't have anything to eat!" He swung his sword down, gesturing angrily. Ace's genuine camaraderie was lost on Mao--if anything, it pissed him off; where did this stupid human get off pretending he knew him like some sort of... of... ally or something? How gross. "Don't even try to pretend that stupid slop is food--I've tried it, and that's not even worth putting in the toilet. I wouldn't stuff it down the shorts of my worst enemy!

...well, okay, maybe that! But I wouldn't eat it!"

[sleepy_fire]

"Hey, same boat, remember. The slop tastes worse than a three day old corpse. S'why I'm HERE, you know. There's fruit, in the trees. And even better, there's meat, just gotta catch the little bastards." He made a motion with his hand, sparking flames across the palm. "Waste a few minutes getting the fur off and searing them, and tada, proper food. It's nothing perfect, but it's better than the slop."

He grinned, listening to Mao whine without much problem. Kid really did remind him of a smarter Luffy.

[just_like_nii]

Fletcher was starting to plant things.

He'd claimed a portion of the garden for himself, and in separate plots he was growing assorted grains and vegetables. He was starting out small; he didn't want to grow too much at once only to find out that he'd calculated some variable wrong. First, he was going to gather data.

So, he'd planted a few seeds of a few basic things. Right now, he was watering his plots; he didn't notice anyone nearby.

[sleepy_fire]

Ace had been expecting other people to be here. He'd been expecting other adults and had run into several.

But so far he'd only run in Mao. Not many children.

For a long time he just watched, tracking the little kid with his eyes as he moved between the plants. He kept his voice soft, crouching down a few feet away. "Hey there, whatcha doing?"

[just_like_nii]

When Fletcher heard the voice, he jumped slightly, spilling water from the can. He turned his head to see a man standing there, and smiled just a little. "Um, I'm watering my vegetables. I'm growing some so people will have real food to eat, you see..."

[sleepy_fire]

"That's a great idea." He smiled encouragingly, watching the kid. "You're a bit young to be alone here, you got family around?"