(Untitled)

[hadabrother]

As much as he hated to really admit it, Jake was settling in aboard the ship. There was a strange sense of normalcy that followed him around - he was at war, he was trying to avoid getting people killed, he was thinking about strategies, thinking about the future - and that all seemed perfectly normal to him. He had slipped back into the patterns

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[zouichi]

Zouichi usually didn't visit the art gallery; he didn't have much use for the bizarre, shifting sculptures and there were enough psychics on the ship already, so why bother broadcasting his past for all to see?

Also, meh. Modern art.

However, he was rather absorbed in the Engineering schematics in his hand, so he didn't notice Jake or his surroundings until he was almost on top of him. When he did, he looked up, blinking. "Sorry. I didn't realize there was someone else here."

[hadabrother]

Jake paused and stepped out of the way with a polite nod, "That's alright. I was just wandering, anyway."

He didn't particularly feel inclined to share why he was wandering, but he felt the need to make polite conversation anyway. His words sounded strained to him. He'd forgotten what it was like to have a conversation with someone without trying to guess if they were really a Controller or not.

"What brings you up here?"

[zouichi]

Zouichi spun the datapad he was holding around to show Jake a set of faintly glowing mechanical schematics. "An accident. I was just trying to figure out the specs Lash drew up for repairing a couple of the vehicles in Engineering. Unfortunately, she added lasers. To everything. Which I'm sure the actual owners wouldn't appreciate."

He looked around. "I usually don't come up here unless I have to. The statuary is a little... invasive."

[hadabrother]

Lasers. Once upon a time, Jake would've thought those were the coolest things in the world. Then he'd been shot at by them. Seen people get turned into so much glowing vapor. Still, he suppressed a smile.

"Something tells me they wouldn't."

He glanced around at the strange sculptures and paintings with a shrug, "A bit. But it's usually pretty empty. It means I can think."

Jake frowned, "...Sorry, I can't remember if we've met or not. I'm Jake."

[hadabrother]

"I guess it likes hurting people," Jake murmured - he'd come back through the museum and overhearing Kon, had decided he couldn't pass up the chance to share some of his thoughts on these odd sculptures. "Or maybe we're hurting ourselves."

That was a strange thought, but one that he could never quite get around. He thought on his past too much, but he never could find a way to move past it. It was always there, always gnawing at him and making him think about what might-have-been and what-I-should-have-done. He eyed Kon for a moment - there was something vaguely familiar about him, but Jake had never been into comics as much as some of the other kids he'd known in middle school.

The statue in front of them shifted and Jake almost flinched as it coalesced into a familiar scene (for him, anyway). Five kids, all terrifid, staring at a dying alien. And then again. This time the alien was dead, ripped apart of the terrible morph of Visser Three.

"...every time, huh?"

[hadabrother]

Carefree youth? Jake had missed that part of his life. Tragic, really. He started slightly as he realized that the other young man had recognized Ax. He turned with a nod and a slight shrug, "Yeah. Ax is a friend of mine. You know him?"

[caringcassie]

Cassie had been wandering around the art hall herself, trying to take her mind off recent happenings when she spotted Jake. There was something about the look on his face that worried her. It was a look that she'd seen before and it never meant anything good where he was concerned.

She approached quietly, not wanting to startle him. When she spoke, her voice was soft and gentle sounding. "Jake? I didn't expect to see you here."

[hadabrother]

"Cassie?" He sounded a bit surprised. "Didn't expect to run into you here, either."

After an awkward pause, he continued. "I guess I'm just wandering. Trying to clear my head. This whole situation is still really weird."

But the problem was that it seemed normal. Fighting an alien war for the survival of humanity? Oh, yeah. Typical Saturday afternoon.

[caringcassie]

"Yeah, that's why I'm here too," she responded quietly. She shook her head. "It is weird and every day just seems to get weirder." And sadder. "Do you know that sometimes I still wonder what it would be like to be just a normal kid? I think that I'd like to be ordinary. This..." She motioned to all that was around them, "is definitely not my cup of tea

[hadabrother]

Jake laughed. It was a hollow sound. "Being normal means I'd be worrying about my freshman year of college... Not fighting aliens. And a few years ago we would've been sweating the SATs instead of testifying at the Hague at a war crimes tribunal

[curiousredsoul]

There were often times when Celena wandered the living areas of the ship during the 'late' hours. She found it easier to think on the many topics that filled her mind after each day. As well as providing for the occasional interesting bit of information from those who chose to stroll about at night as well, for whatever particular purpose they saw fit

[hadabrother]

Jake started - he hadn't heard Celena, being far too absorbed in watching his own memories flicker in front of his eyes. That bothered him. He composed himself with a nod, "Hey."

Dragons weren't any stranger than Andalites, after all.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

[curiousredsoul]

Jake couldn't be entirely blamed for the lack of notice, after all Celena, despite her size and distinct looks could be quite hard to notice when she chose to be.

"It's fine, I'm sorry if I startled you," She replied with a dip of her head before going on, after all, if he was a part of the group Marco belonged to, he quite likely knew her by name if not form, "I don't believe we've met, I am Celena,"

[hadabrother]

"Celena...? You're that dragon Marco was talking about, right?"

Well, this was new. Oh, yeah. Manners.

"I'm Jake."

[pretty_lethal]

Rachel was trying to kill time, mostly. There wasn't a lot on the ship that she could do between missions, besides keep herself active and ready in every way. But that wasn't really a full time job, not for her. And besides, while most people were still recovering that meant there was even less to do on the ship. Naturally.

She wasn't really one for the art gallery or whatever it was, but it wasn't a big deal. She was just sort of exploring again, killing a little bit of time.

Of course, she'd not really expected to find Jake there.

She couldn't quite see what he was looking at, past him, though she shifted to try and see, out of curiosity if nothing else. "Hey," she said.

[hadabrother]

Jake actually started. He hadn't heard the sound of her voice in years. She'd been gone for so long (well, it had seemed that way to him), that he's almost forgotten what she sounded like. What she looked like. He turned quickly, eyes wide in shock - he knew Rachel was here, of course, but it was totally different speaking to her in person. Just as quickly, he schooled his expression and he actually managed to smile.

"Rachel. It's good to see you."

He shifted slightly, trying to make sure she wouldn't see her own death getting plastered all over the sculpture.

"It's... been a while."

[pretty_lethal]

Rachel frowned a little bit at his reaction to her-- especially him covering up the sculpture, but she wasn't going to push it right now. He was acting suspicious... but she was starting to get used to that from basically the entire rest of the group.

"I guess," Rachel said with a shrug. "I haven't really seen you around much, anyway." Not since he'd come back.

[hadabrother]

"Yeah, I've been running around, trying to figure everything out," Jake replied, a smile tugging at his features - but it didn't quite reach his eyes. There were so many things he wanted to tell her - that he was sorry. That he would've found another way. But did she even know about what was supposed to have happened to her? What did happen to her?

"Not a whole lot to do on the ship, though."