Excerpt 011: Recalibration | OTA

[rekindledtitan]

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.). ]

Comments

[silverseamariner]

skekSa doesn't think Coyote wanted to kill people so much as humiliate and disorient them - granted, both she and her other worry he wouldn't have cared that much what happened once he pulled his prank, or if one of them turned deadly.

"Aye, Thra has sea monsters of many sorts. We call them Behemoths - vast and rare. My ship, Vassa, is one of them. The Mondo Levidian is a creature so huge that stories say it has a thriving ecosystem within its bowels, the descendants of animals and people it consumed. And there are the sea serpents, long and shimmering and filled with teeth."

[rekindledtitan]

"No kidding. She's nodding along with his advice approvingly" "He's never even felt hungry before. Not sure I want to know what happens if he's starving. Assuming he doesn't just fall over. The way they're doing it isn't exactly natural, but I kinda have to appreciate the brute-force method. 'Least we'll find out fast what he likes and what he can stand to ingest."

Blaze pauses, glances at Steve in return. She is trying to get better at making sure her team-mates are taken care of. "How about you? Did you eat yet?"

[juststeverogers]

"A campfire story? Or a book?" He's not quite sure what Alice in Wonderland is, but the context of it seems apt enough. He glances up when Siri flits over his head back toward the table where Ghost is at.

"You two have fun. I'll be back later." Better go make sure her (hopefully) temporarily organic comrade has some of that stomach medicine nearby after this long playing guinea pig for all the other Ghosts' curiosity.

Steve almost turns to watch her go but when his alternate slides over the sketchbook Steve's curiosity wins out almsot immediately. A notebook Made for art is a rather new idea to him, as are watercolors in general. He glances up at his alternate after gently brushing the tips of his fingers over the paper to feel how different its texture is to the kinds of loose scrap or notepads he's sketched in up till now.

"I've...never painted before." He warns. Steve's a little worried he'll disappoint his alternate where talent's concerned. but his gaze is hungry as it takes in Steve's setup here. He thinks of the simple drawings they've done so far and then smiles to himself.

"I should go get my pen...make a sketch first." Something he can color in with the paint set once he's got an idea down to paper.

[juststeverogers]

"I'm sure tomorrow morning 'round breakfast time he'll be banging my door down asking about it." Steve doesn't figure they're going to want to take Ghost back to the Tower like this. Trying to explain it to anyone Official seems like it'd be difficult and incredibly awkward. Besides, someone might get Too Curious about poor Ghost and that wouldn't do. He's too shy to be a research volunteer.

Luckily, the Guardian Outpost seems to have rooms kitted out for a fireteam to spend the night comfortably. Several could honestly stay there if they didn't mind using cots or bedrolls on the floor, honestly.

He's not expecting Blaze's next question though. Steve turns to look back over to Ghost's table before lifting a shoulder in a shrug.

"Sorta planned on nibbling at whatever Ghost doesn't like for now. We're paying for that many orders, might as well not let 'em go to waste. If I still need something I can grab a sandwich back at the outpost later."

[risenintothevoid]

"Of course I am," she responds primly, as though it was never in doubt. "You're organic now, you have to take care of yourself. It's proper maintenance."

She's probably watching a little too closely as he chews, maybe edging just slightly into his personal space bubble. But it's just so fascinating! How is she supposed to view this from a distance? "The outside is bitter? That's supposed to be unpleasant, I think. Is it?" She spins a little in place, thinking. "Do you feel more nourished? Is it like accessing a power grid?"

[rekindledtitan]

"Cricket?" How he wishes he could pull up his files now. He's very sure the other Ghosts in earshot are checking theirs. "The young human?" He kept watch duty during the Winter Storm, Ghost thinks, and had some valuable advice for stretching their food supplies.

"I hope he's all right," he says with genuine concern. At least he can move around, he just needs to get used to how. "I'm... I'll be fine. I just need to learn how to use this body long enough for Blaze and the others to fix all of this. But Steve and his Ghost have been looking after me."

With most of the place empty, a server is quick to appear for Ben's order. If anything, she seems glad to see someone ordering a normal meal.

[rekindledtitan]

"Light, I wish we had those. You hear stories about the outer planets sometimes, but maybe that's all they are." She frowns over her drink. "Sorry, you said your ship is a sea monster? What's she look like?"

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze has come to the view that their superiors are best informed of small-scale Nexus shenanigans after everything is wrapped up into a report. In any case, keeping the Vanguard happy is officially Tarana's job, not hers so much.

And she wants to be nearby, if Ghost does need her.

"Guessing we won't be short of leftovers," she agrees. "Just make sure you get enough. Don't want Siri getting her shell in a spin." The charge on the battery contacts feels weaker; she might need another one soon. Thinking of the tools Steve's holding, though, she grabs her helm from the counter beside her and turns it over thoughtfully with one hand.

"Have you been over installing comm and HUD elements yet? Might be a good time to go through it. Ain't too complicated if you're using City-standard components, but the basics hold even if you want to patch in a Golden-Age sensor unit."

[silverseamariner]

"Vassa?" The Mariner takes another bite of scampi. Her manners are good, for a skeksis. "She looks rather like one of the Earth's turtles, except far, far bigger. The size of an island. I've never seen a creature like her anywhere else. I can't moor her here without reliable access to the sea."

[chiaro_oscuro]

"That's the one. He's a friend of mine, so when I found him hurt I was about ready to turn this coyote into a rug. Which...probably wouldn't be the best idea." Ben scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I'll leave that kind of thing to your people. Messing with spirits is dangerous. I don't trust them. Cricket said he only told the coyote he wanted to sit down. Figure you've got a similar story."

Ben isn't exactly normal, by human standards, but the kind of thing he eats is. He asks the server for a sandwich and some wine to drink, then returns to conversation as he waits for the meal to arrive.

"I think he will be. Now, how we'll fix this I have no idea - whether we have to let it wear off on its own like last Halloween or whether we have to convince this stranger to take it away. I was lucky enough not to bump into him, but a lot of people weren't. The Plaza was a mess when I came for my usual visit."

[juststeverogers]

On the off, off, off chance it could affect anyone else it's possible Ghost wouldn't even be allowed back into the Tower. And that's a bad feeling none of them want. Steve told Siri not to bring it up with the others unless Blaze pushed to have them go back and since his fireteam leader seems pleased enough to stay here he doesn't see any need to upset them without reason.

"Well, they're small servings. Still, he's bound to not like everything or just get plain full and Siri knows she can send whatever he's had enough of to me. Er, Mr. Suou was adamant to send us out with some basic supplies for food at the outpost too. So there's no worries about being ready to handle a couple days' worth of meals." Might be the same meal a couple of times but hey--better than ration bars.

Steve's caught offguard at the change in topic though he's quick to turn back around so he can focus on Blaze's helm in between them on the counter. "We haven't, no. My issued gear hasn't had any problems and well. Ghost's almost always got that kind of thing handled before I even hear about it out in the field."

[rekindledtitan]

"Well, I don't like the out- um, the crust, as much as the inside. Although the crunch is kind of satisfying..." He frowns thoughtfully as he pulls off one last piece to munch, though his eyes dart up to Athena stealing closer. Hmmm... speaking of experiments...

"It's not really that instantaneous, but I do feel less weak than before we started. I don't think this body is good at detecting exactly how much I've consumed. I mean, I don't think humans are usually good at estimating the nutritional content of their food anyway-" a little girl who subsisted primarily on crumpets and jam comes to mind- "but some of these foods definitely have a different... sensation, when they're ingested. The bread feels more solid than the dessert, for example. I don't know if I can actually feel it in my stomach or if that's a psychological effect."

[risenintothevoid]

"Really? That seems like a terrible design flaw!" Who made this decision? Athena would like to have a word with them. It's not humans' faults they don't have a progress bar or readouts, but surely this is just a terrible oversight not to be able to tell at all.

She drifts over the little samples in front of him, turning this way and that, searching for something specific. Where is it? She could've sworn there was something similar here... ah!

The Ghost swoops down and nudges a tiny pie plate with a bite of cake on it. "What about this? It seems to have similar properties to the bread. But... oh, that is a lot of sucrose."