Mingle - Emergency Potluck

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WELCOME POTLUCK

Greetings, residents! Those more observant sorts among you may have noticed a large influx of very crowded ferries. In order to welcome our new residents en masse, Town Hall is holding a potluck in Town Square. Please bring a dish if you are able and make a new friend!

All of our newest arrivals need only bring themselves. We look forward to welcoming you all into our community, and may your lanterns always be lit.

This event is open to all! In light of our new influx of prospective players following the Great Sail Migration, we've decided to offer a small public event to tide everyone over until the TDM this weekend.

Comments

[astrogator]

New arrival Tayrey also sees some familiar faces, but with a noted exception or two, they're the people she is doing her best to avoid. The young lieutenant has lived an absolute nightmare for well over a standard year and was roundly condemned for her desperate efforts to escape. She's wary. Mistrustful. Only willing to extend the benefit of the doubt to total strangers.

Like this man here. She's drawn to him, on the outskirts of the gathering, because there's something in the way he looks that seems to mirror how she feels. Tayrey approaches deliberately, stepping into his line of sight at a distance, no surprises. She's a young woman, on the shorter side, ill-fitting plain clothes and stiff military posture.

'There are a lot of people here,' she remarks - which is about as insightful as commenting on the hum of a starship engine, or the local climate adjustments, but... small talk. It's an opening.

[theydrewfirstblood]

"Good eggs, the lot of 'em." John replies, equally terse but with warmth in his deep, quiet voice. Definitely a soldier, this one--or maybe JROTC? She looks so young, but some women just have good genes like that. Regardless of her age, she's got an air about her he knows all too well.

Military, disconnected, and paranoid--but it's a healthy dose.

"You're gonna be okay here." he muses aloud, then takes a few steps forward to offer her his hand. "Captain John Rambo, United States Army. Special Forces."

[astrogator]

There's something reassuring in his voice, something that makes her want to believe him, despite everything. Tayrey's not sure what to think when he says captain. There was a time when that alone would have been enough to gain her respect. All courtesies due a foreign holder of that lofty rank. The captain is the ultimate authority aboard a starship, after all.

All the individuals she has met lately who styled themselves that way have been lying, one way or another. Beginning with the captor who ruined her life. So while Captain John Rambo is given the benefit of the doubt (every stranger gets the benefit of the doubt, it's her way) it's not without caution.

She shakes his hand, her grip firm, bringing her free hand to briefly clasp his forearm, Tradeline-fashion.

'Peace and prosperity, Captain' she says quietly. 'Lieutenant Arilanna Tayrey of the Tradelines, second astrogator aboard the TS Prosperity with Captain Kavarai.' None of which she suspects will mean a thing to him, but there's some comfort in it, introducing herself just as she would have back home, one officer to another.

'You're from Earth, then. I know the United States.' A small smile of recognition. 'I hope you're right. That this is a good place to stand.'

[theydrewfirstblood]

It's a little unusual, but John adjusts his grip to meet her handshake. He listens to her introduction, her observation--and boy, if that ain't a kick in the head.

It's cool, though. It's really goddamn cool, and it makes him smile a little.

"Yeah--Bowie, Arizona." he replies. "So you're--what, an astronaut? Or we talkin' full on Star Trek space travel? Warp drives and shit?"

...yes, someone is a closet nerd, and no, he is not sorry.

[astrogator]

'We usually say spacer, but sure, astronaut fits well enough,' she answers. 'Or Tradeliner, if you mean just our organisation and not anyone making an interstellar journey for any reason.'

She tilts her head slightly in concern. 'I don't know what a Warp drive is. We have Matsukata drives for L-space travel - I guess the simplest way to explain that would be hyperspace - and conventional engines for between L-space flights, and maneuvering in-system.' Then Tayrey gives him a proud smile. 'As an astrogator I'm... I guess Earthers might call it pilot and navigator in one, but also? A Tradeline officer has to be versatile, so I can do repairs or trade contracts or whatever's needed really.' This isn't boastful; the young lieutenant just seems very confident in her abilities.

(She's trying her best. If she can make him believe she's competent, it won't be so bad when he inevitably finds out the rest. She won't be seen as nothing but a victim.)

'Your people have done some travel around your local system, right? To your moon?' she asks.

[theydrewfirstblood]

John nods, head spinning just a little with that huge amount of information to take in--just a handful of sentences, but there's so much in there. The whole idea of space travel is incredible, and that she discusses it so casually...

"I figure we'll do more in the future, though." he admits. "It's 1985 where I'm from--what year is it for you?"

[astrogator]

'You're taking the first steps out. I'm sure you'll do much more in time,' she agrees, but then her expression turns slightly troubled.

'I don't really know how to answer that. It was the eighty-third year of the Tower when I went spacer, and that was-' four? five? '-some standard years ago, but standard years don't match Tower years, and it all depends on which planet you're calculating from, yes?' She shakes her head. 'Spacers never really manage to keep track.'