rekindledtitan | Excerpt 011: Recalibration

Entry tags:

Excerpt 011: Recalibration | OTA

TYPE: Personal log

LOCATION: The Nexus

PARTIES: Unconfirmed total [??]. Multiple [-] Ghost-type, multiple [-] Guardian-type, designate Blaze-37, Class Titan [[personal profile] rekindledtitan], additional [REDACTED]

ASSOCIATIONS: Multiversal Nexus; Nike; Rogers, Steve; Blaze-37; Coyote;

The havoc wrought by Coyote’s ‘gifts’ may not have been undone, and the trickster may be roaming at large still. But with an end to the rampage of the Big Bad Wolf, the Nexus streets are… somewhat safer, again. Night brings a chance for people to lick their wounds, or plot revenge… or just try to adjust to their circumstances.

Most of the bars and taverns close to the Plaza are exceptionally quiet tonight, but one of the pubs is playing host to an unusual gathering. The currently human-form Ghost is seated at one of the bigger tables, and before him is spread an array of bowls and small plates. Each bears a different sample of human-edible cuisine, most of them so far untouched. Around the rest of the table hovers a ring of… well, other Ghosts, these ones in their normal shapes. Their shells are angled or patterned or painted in different colors, but their blue optics glow bright in the low lighting of the bar. One of them - Penny, distinguished by her metallic green shell - dips to examine one of the many menus scattered around the table’s edge.

“Goat’s cheese!” she announces, and one of the others nudges a plate in front of Blaze’s Ghost. He eyes it a bit uncertainly, and Penny eggs him on. “Eat!”

“Eat! Eat! Eat! Eat!” The other Ghosts take up the chant with her, bobbing in the shadows, until Ghost manages to spear the lump of cheese on a fork. The others huddle in a bit closer to watch as he nibbles on it.

Over by the bar, one of the Guardians leaning on the counter observes, “You know, that’s kinda… creepy.”

“Yyup.” Blaze drops her attention back to pulling out the contact pins on the battery pack in her hand. “’Least they’re having fun.”

And worried as the Exo is about all this, at least she knows he’ll get enough to eat. Blaze? She just needs a drink. Or several.

[ Open post for encounters/CR after the first Coyote event post, particularly characters Blaze and Ghost know (and, of course, those with Ghosts of their own who might be joining in the vicarious taste-test.). ]

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"Ah - Blaze, Ghost. The Swimmer told me that you were given troubles by a trickster spirit of some sort. It's good to see things are going a little better for the both of you. I wanted to thank you for helping us spread the message to my crew. The Sifa are grateful. So I felt we had to catch up with and thank you and your people."

There's a large skeksis approaching, a Mystic by her side. It's rare to see the two halves so close together, but the Nexus is nothing else but a place of wonders. The skeksis bows her head, and the Mystic mimics the gesture. skekSa isn't carrying her weapons, a sign of peaceful intent.

"Is there any seafood here? I'm rather partial to it myself, lass."

"This is a terrible idea." Steve doesn't move from where he's sat down holding on to a few tools for Blaze to keep within easy reach. It's surprising how used to having someone on hand for this kind of thing a Guardian gets....up until their Ghost is no longer around or free to assist as they normally do. He's trying to keep his voice down lest he bother any of the Ghosts all crowding around their large companion to talk over each other asking him to describe the little nibble of cheese.

"I mean sure, it's fine now but half of that stuff doesn't go together. And if he doesn't know when to Stop eating he's liable to make himself sick." Steve's all too aware who's going to be in charge of helping Ghost with the facilities ~~again~~ when this is all over with later.

That's why Siri has been expressly instructed to stay with the gaggle of Ghosts with some bismuth-based stomach medicine just a transmat away. Just in case. The little Ghost complained loudly about having to sit and participate in this but at Steve's request has taken up position at Ghost's shoulder just to keep an eye on the proceedings. Unlike her Guardian she's welcome at the table to join in on this Science Experiment in Progress.

Steve was mercifully oblivious to the disaster as it first unfolded. Part of him is upset about it; he still wants to be on the front lines, so to speak. To help, to contribute. But even at his serum-dosed peak, there wasn't a lot he could do against magic. It's probably all for the best that he missed it.

At this point, he's only heard the most basic details, and at least half of his motivation for socializing in a pub is the hope of picking up more gossip. He's got his sketchbook and watercolors, regardless. Worst comes to worst, he'll have something to eat and some time to practice his craft.

He wasn't expecting the scene he's walked in on, and it doesn't make a lot of sense to him. A lot of little Ghosts encouraging some poor guy to eat, like it's some kind of fraternity ritual? Weird. Kind of funny, but weird.

He's just going to...quietly find himself a seat, while pretending he's not watching this. He's not that subtle.

Vanadis-4 had intended to help keep half an eye on the proceedings, but the Warlock has gotten herself quite buried in a book in one corner of the bar, leaving her Ghost to occasionally flit back and forth to check on her.

Athena hovers near the human Ghost's shoulder, twisting her shell this way and that. "You should eat something healthy," she suggests, her optic flickering over the dishes on offer. "That one - the bread with the seeds in it."

Edited 2021-06-28 04:41 (UTC)

The Ghosts seem pretty occupied, but Blaze waves the two of them over to the more open area by the bar. "urSan, skekSa!"

(The bartender takes one look at this pair and goes looking for larger glasses.)

"We're not out of trouble yet, but it's good to see you two in one piece." She nods to skekSa. "The Ghosts got something called scampi, so you could try that. Want a drink with it?"

"Might be." Blaze can't argue with that- Steve isn't the only one of them who knows how human stomachs can be, but he has much, much more experience with it. "But he's got to find out some limits for himself. Kinda hard to know what full means when you've never felt it before. Here, pass the pliers. Thanks."

She starts twisting the contacts into place as she talks. "Besides. Might as well get some fun out of being human for a day. If it keeps his mind off the rest of it..."

Every new item of food has to be followed by a discussion as the man at the center of the noisy gathering explains what the taste and texture are like. Ghost looks a little embarrassed to be the focus of all this attention, but he's obediently munching on a piece of breaded shrimp as Steve finds himself a vantage point.

...At least, until Ghost catches sight of him peeking from the other table. It's like glimpsing an old memory wandering by; he's not prepared for the way his human lungs try to snatch a breath right when he's trying to swallow. He chokes, splutters, pushing away from the table as he tries to cough out the food. The other Ghosts are in a tizzy, calling advice or dipping in to see if they can help. Blaze is on her feet in a heartbeat, but she's got to cross most of the room to reach him.

"Well, hopefully I won't be like this long enough for it to matter if-" Ghost starts to comment, but he's interrupted by one of the Hunters' Ghosts, Tuuli, calling out in excited agreement.

"Yes! Crunchy bread!" A few of them cheer, enthused by this idea. Tarana's Ghost Khurshid, who has one of the biggest shells, dips in to slide the bread over. And honestly, it's one of the least intimidating things on the table, so Ghost doesn't need much persuading to pull off a bit and munch on it.

The two aliens come over, noticing the way the bartender runs to get larger glasses. skekSa finds humans charming creatures, really. "Scampi. I'll give some a try."

"Why, yes, I would too." urSan smiles a little. She's not vegetarian like most Mystics, but it's rare that she go out in public like this.

"My crew's all right. Nobody had an encounter with any dog-headed strangers, though Deet bumped into him. That was probably hard to miss. I found her in the Wilds. She's safe, though she had a scare. Far as I can tell he interprets people's words in a way that'll give them trouble."

Okay, so it's not a frat ritual, it's more like a symposium on What Food is Like for the gathered Ghosts. That's no less weird, really, but it's kind of cute. At least, it's cute until the guy doing taste tests catches sight of him and chokes. Steve isn't sure if it was looking his way that made that happen--and he's going to feel bad about it later, if it is--but the why matters far less than the coughing fit he's going into.

He's on his feet without a second thought, and hastens over, ducking under one of the hovering Ghosts to thump the man on the back. "Easy, pal--can you breathe?"

He's had first aid classes. If it looks like it's needed, he's not above performing the heimlich maneuver, but it's a risky thing if the airway isn't actually cut off. Also, he's been terrified, in the past, to try it on anything human, because serum-strength could've meant a shattered rib cage if he did it wrong.

But that definitely won't be an issue any more!

"I mean...oh. Here."

Steve's sighing from where he's settled in. His shoulders sag as a chorus of "Wiggly dessert!" erupts from the table where all the Ghosts are gathered around their organic brethren as they nudge a flan closer for snackrification.

"I don't want to be a killjoy either." Steve's trying and failing not to smile down at the varnished wood to himself. "I just don't want him to suffer. Figure it's not great to just leave him with no guidance and let him find out the hard way what indigestion or worse is."

Blaze has a point though. Ghost deserves a chance to take a load off. If it stops him from panicking over everything he's lost...

"I'm just...worried. I guess."

"Deet... don't think I- oh, wait, she wasn't the giant I heard about out there?" Blaze holds up two fingers to the bartender. "Two rounds of scampi, over here. And, uh, beer? I don't know what you girls drink."

Blaze? She's got her battery pack there to 'slug' from, lifting it to touch the two contacts to the insides of her mouth.

"Yeah, we think it's some kind of wish magic. Use people's desires to change reality and feed off it. Dangerous stuff. We've got off pretty light so far, but... we've gotta track him down and fix all this."

"Beer works," says urSan with a wink to skekSa. Mystics aren't usually the drinking kind. "Thank you."

skekSa nods. "The giant? That was Deethra. She found me out in the Wilds, dreadfully upset, and that's how I learned what was going on. She said a stranger had asked her to make a wish, and she asked to be closer to the size of her lover - one of the angels and a size-shifter. That sounds like what urSan said happened to you two."

skekSa has consulted Captain Fenth and her first mate to make sure the Sifa stay in the tavern until the situation is resolved. She's irritated with these antics, though she usually has no ill will for tricksters - Deet and Ghost are considered friends.

"We'll help you if we can and if you would like us to. Magic, especially that kind of magic, is dangerous. I'm glad no one's gotten seriously hurt, only inconvenienced."

"...Me too," Blaze admits. She glances over her shoulder to catch the look on Ghost's face as he pokes the jiggling dessert with his fork. He's... skeptical. "He's handling it better than I'd- than I'd have expected. So far, at least. But... this stuff is unpredictable. Anything that helps him adjust, helps him keep his head straight-"

She shakes her head. Is she just projecting, assuming Ghost will find it as hard as she did, when he has none of the same issues weighing him down?

"He's more cautious than I ever was. But if he makes himself sick, I'll take care of him. You don't have to handle all the messy parts."

He's doubled over, wheezing in a very undignified fashion. On top of everything else- Ghost has felt panic, but he's never experienced anything like a biological body realizing it can't breathe. His heart's pounding, his lungs working overtime as the pounding on his back helps clear his airway. After a moment or two (that feels entirely too long) he's able to nod, his breaths slowing as he catches himself.

"Y-yes, sorry-" He can't cringe yet, at what he just did. He's not thinking of it, but at least he has a good excuse for why his face is so red. "Not... not sure what I did."

One of the others runs a scan over him, confirming he's not about to expire. Someone else calls, "I got water!" and transmats a plastic cup onto the table in front of him. Ghost looks up, and catches Blaze's eye.

The Exo's frozen a few feet away, her gaze shifting from Ghost (he's okay, he's recovering, they're helping him) to the man who's rushed to his assistance. A face they both know- one they haven't seen in years, and Ghost knows all the fears crowding his partner's head in this moment. He gives her a deliberate nod - a slow bob of his head, reassuring. He's real.

"It's all right," he says to her. Braces himself and looks back at Steve. "I'm all right- thank you."

Steve can't help himself. He's bringing a hand to hide the smile spreading across his face at the grimace Ghost is giving the dessert after a testing prod with the fork. It's really damn cute to see all of the Traveler's Children getting so excited about this. And then there's Siri--perched over Ghost's shoulder as if he were her own charge, so protective as she watches over him.

"I mean, I can't even imagine waking up as not-human, so I get it. If I suddenly woke up as a Ghost, I'd probably be freaking out a lot more than he did. Limbs are kinda a big deal and all."

It's not until Steve talks about their friend getting sick that he looks back to Blaze.

"I mean, you don't have to Blaze. I want to help to. For the first time since I got up I feel like I'm the expert in the room. It's...not a bad place to be even if the risk is holding a guy while he pukes into a toilet."

Edited 2021-06-28 15:12 (UTC)

"Ehh, sometimes shrimp try to get you before you can get them," he says, which is entirely a joke, so hopefully the other Ghosts won't take it as gospel. He gives him a lighter pat on the shoulder and moves back a little to let him recover. Only then does he notice Blaze approaching. Well, with all the Ghosts around, he should have expected that...

The look they exchange makes something click. He doesn't recognize Ghost by a long shot, but the mutual glances tell him Blaze and this stranger do recognize him. That's...probably why the poor guy choked, huh? He must have known the Guardian Steve, before he died at least, possibly even before Project Rebirth.

He gives a quiet sigh and shoves his hands in his pockets, self-conscious and inexplicably a little sad now. "Do I need to start wearing a warning label?"

Edited (clarity) 2021-06-28 15:29 (UTC)

"...Huh. Sounds like a complicated love life." Lucky for her she doesn't have anything like that to worry about. "I hope she's doing okay out there. Is someone with her?"

She pulls from her battery again. "Think you can undo this kind of magic? I mean- guessing not, or you'd have done it for Deet, right?"

"I don't know Thnisko well, but they love each other. I can't comment, since I have a complicated love life of my own. Imperator Furiosa." The Mariner clucks. "Remarkable woman. As for Deet, she's all right. The Heretic and the Wanderer are looking after her animals and I trust Thnisko to make sure she's safe."

The Mariner shakes her head, and then the Swimmer does the same. "I have herbal remedies in my quarters, but they're for healing disease and poisons, not magic. That wouldn't help here. So there's nothing we can do but hope this is temporary, unless you think the offender could be talked into reversing it if we find him - which I doubt. Spirits are elusive."

It's really a good thing Ghost has his brothers and sisters cheering him on, else he might not have the nerve to try some of these things. He never minded before, when it was something to watch humans deal with. But now it's his turn, Ghost can see why Blaze advised him not to think about the whole idea of food while he's eating. It's really hard not to have Opinions while he mushes the flan around in his mouth, though.

Blaze touches the battery contacts to her mouth, watching Steve keep an eye on Ghost. Blinking when he makes his own point. Maybe it will be good for Steve, something he can take the lead on. A challenge he knows he can handle.

"I appreciate it," she says. "He does, too. Especially considering he's so shy. We're lucky he's got someone he trusts completely. Someone who knows what the hell you do with a human body. I can't- well, you know. Help him the same way."

Ghost coughs a little bit of a laugh at the joke, even if he's a bit lost for words to return it. Not that it's really the time, considering the awkward moment that hangs between them as all three reach their own conclusions. Fortunately, Blaze has neither breath to catch nor any hesitation in speaking up.

"Hey, ignore me. I just- uh-" A sideways glance, this time, at all the gossipy Ghosts milling about, urging hers to drink the water or actively watching the conversation. "Needed a second. Wanted to make sure Ghost's okay. Thanks for stepping in, there." Blaze is... not quite on the same page as the other two, in this moment, trying to backtrack and shake the moment of fear that her mind was playing a very vivid trick on her.

By this point Ghost is staring at Steve, a little bit- he doesn't mean to, but when you're a palm-sized eyebot you get used to watching people with impunity. And he can't quite put words to the feeling in his stomach he gets, the man's expression and the resignation in his voice. "I- sorry, really, it's- it's nice to see you. Again? I think we might have met already."

There's something ironic in the fact that they're both causing people to have these moments, these responses varying from startled to haunted. Steve expected to get a lot of questions and probably some unwanted pity. He didn't expect to give people near-flashbacks. But if the other guy has to put up with it--and a lot more of it, he's guessing--it's only fair he take it like a man, too.

"It's all good," he tells Blaze, calm and earnest now. He has no idea what her response means, but he remembers the confusion when he first appeared in the Nexus. "Par for the course in this place, right?"

Wanted to make sure Ghost's okay... He looks back at the guy he just helped, and listens to what he says--and the voice, which is sort of familiar--and then takes a breath, comprehension dawning on his face. "I didn't recognize you, uh...for obvious reasons. You got caught up in shenanigans, huh?"

Well, that all makes sense, now. At least, it makes as much sense as the Nexus ever makes.

Steve might catch a glimpse of a familiar shell on one of the Ghosts hovering around their humanoid brethren while he watches from his table. Siri's been keeping a close eye on their afflicted fireteam member as best she can while all the proceedings have gone on. He'll have time to himself to eat and poke in at his sketchbooks.

Eventually there's a shimmer and a soft hiss of transmat at the side of his table. It's a carefully unfolded napkin with a small drawing on it in pen. A little cartoon Titan in gear with a simplified approximation of Siri's shell both waving to a slim man sitting at a table earnestly but a bit awkwardly with a little tiny 'hi' speech bubble over the large figure.

At the far side of the pub, sitting at the corner of the bar, a dressed down titan lifts one hand slowly if his gaze is met before giving a little half wave. Siri, meanwhile, hovers a bit above Steve's little table.

"He's been waffling for about ten minutes if he should come talk to you so I took this over."

"I'll appreciate the help if he's sick when it's my turn to sleep though." Steve murmurs back with a soft chuckle. It's really hard some days to keep up with Blaze and Nike. He's the only one that seems to need to take care of himself on the regular and boy does the rookie feel it. Steve's done his best to keep up anyway, though it means running himself a bit harder than is probably wise.

"I mean, he trusts You completely." It'd be stupid to think otherwise. These two are closer than most. Steve really respects how well they work together. "But I want to do my best too. He's part of the team. Deserves to feel like it when he needs us for a change."

"Furiosa? Light, there's a hell of a catch. Congratulations." Okay, so she's definitely puzzling over how that works, for the three seconds before she decides it's neither her problem nor her business. "Glad everyone's okay. I guess when you're the size of a building you don't really have to worry about much... except maybe getting enough to eat."

She nods glumly at their verdict. "Figured, but I hadta ask. Plan A is to track him down, all right. We'll get him sooner or later. Spirits might be good at hiding, but they've got one big weakness, from what I've seen. They can't resist putting on a show."

This probably speaks more to the specific spirits she's had run-ins with, but Blaze doesn't think she's wrong in this instance.

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Excerpt 011: Recalibration | OTA

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