[ open ] Welcome to Chile, Cadets.

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Characters: ALL.
Location: Valparaíso Shatterdome, Chile.
Date/Time: February 15th-28th.
Summary: The first shipment of recruits into the new Jaeger Academy program arrive. Some are staggered throughout the month, but they all have the same basic greeting. Here you are, there's where you sleep, here's what you wear, get going.
Additional Notes: See here for additional information. For information on the current weather, check out this link.

The Shatterdome didn't look futuristic, swatches of metal and concrete transforming a portion of the harbor into five enormous bays. Nevermind that only two were currently in use. The stark greys stand out against the colorful face of the city, a hulking monolith that's been carved into the face of the city that had once upon a century been termed the Jewel of the Pacific.

Note: Players are welcome to start their own interactions outside of the three main prompted scenarios. Go wild!

Comments

moar rockstars

[gyroscopic]

((Simon is a ranger and former pilot of Helix Plunge. Public info here!))


Ahh... I'm actually kind of hot....

It had been a while since he was in uniform, and the truth was he had kind of missed it. At the very least, there was a familiarity and a reminder of the many struggles he'd endured keeping Kamina in uniform. So even if it was a little rigid for his preference, that was less the problem than the heat. He'd been in Australia once just long enough to tour the Shatterdome there, but that was the most he'd ever been in the southern hemisphere. Seventy degrees was too warm for a northerner like him on the best of days, but it wasn't even winter when it was supposed to be.

The result was Simon was really itching to dress down and go find some shade to lounge in until night fell, but he felt like his leash right now might be a little short. Even though no one had said as much (to my face), he felt like he'd let the PPDC down when he disappeared after Kamina's death. He was surprised he'd been accepted back readily, even allowed to retain his rank as ranger. He'd been prepared to start over from the ground up, but instead he'd gotten a spiel about being an inspiration and support to new cadets.

"So that means staying in line, Simon." He muttered wryly to himself. No obvious shucking his duties or wandering around out of uniform at least for the first month. He would even let the cadets call him 'sir', as strange as that always sounded.

Since he couldn't pass the time with a nap he might as well spend it putting names to faces. Simon looked around idly until someone caught his eye for whatever reason, then casually strolled up to them with a friendly smile. "Yo."

Re: moar rockstars

[protagerrant]

"Yo yourself. Sir."

--And that was probably not the thing to say to an approaching superior, but he'd reacted automatically. Surprise was evident in his expression. It said a lot about his experience with authority that the first thing that ran through his mind was What did I do? He was wearing his PT clothes and he was as sweaty as could very expected from running in the tropical weather, but nobody had said anything about not doing either of those things.

Which wasn't exactly permission, but "Ask forgiveness" and all that.

Re: moar rockstars

[gyroscopic]

If there is anything insubordinate about Yuri's response, Simon doesn't seem to notice, which would be because he really doesn't notice. He's not exactly the overly formal type. Letting people call him 'sir' was about as militant as he got.

"Didn't you just arrive? I'm amazed anyone is out running in this already. There'll be plenty of that later." It was tiring just looking at him, though he had to hand it to the cadet. Simon should probably start thinking seriously about getting back on a proper work out regimen.

Re: moar rockstars

[protagerrant]

"I needed some air after being cooped up in the bus," he said.

His eyes kept wandering over Simon, trying to place him. That was definitely a Ranger insignia on his uniform--man they were really piling them in here--but Yuri couldn't place him with a Jaeger. Well that wasn't too surprising. Yuri had read the paper more than watched the news, and he hadn't really kept up with the Jaeger program until he'd enrolled. He seemed like a nice enough guy, anyway.

"You look like you could use some yourself, sir." He kept his tone as mild and inoffensive as possible to offset the inappropriate casualness. Yuri couldn't handle the borderline subservience they were supposed to address superiors with, but he could handle not being a smart-ass for two minutes until he knew who this guy was.

Re: moar rockstars

[gyroscopic]

"Air, and probably some exercise, too." Simon admits, sounding faintly sheepish but not actually embarrassed. "The truth is I think a lot of you cadets are going to out pace me pretty fast." He'd definitely lost some muscle since he disappeared from the PPDC. Apparently that happened when you spent more than half a year sitting alone in a dark room. Go figure. It would be nice once he was back in shape, but he wasn't excited about the initial pain of getting there.

"Ah, sorry, I just came up and interrupted you. It's Simon, welcome to the program." He offers a hand, not bothered that Yuri is still sweaty from his run.

Re: moar rockstars

[protagerrant]

"It's fine, sir," he said, sounding a little bemused. There was casual and there was casual. Privilege of rank, he guessed. He took his hand, not even thinking to warn him about his gross sweat. "I was just about to hit the showers, nothing important. Cadet Yuri Lowell."

Re: moar rockstars

[gyroscopic]

Lowell-san, he puts away mentally. And then corrects himself; Cadet Lowell. Next he was going to be bowing to people. He might have been in Japan a little too long. Simon shakes his hand gamely, and starts to head toward the showers-- he's pretty sure he knows the building. Shatterdomes all had a fairly similar layout. He still wanted to talk but he could walk with the cadet.

"So what do you think?" He makes an easy gesture taking in the base to indicate what he means.

Re: moar rockstars

[protagerrant]

"I like the weather, sir," he says, keeping pace gamely. "The program's interesting, controversial because of it. I like that, too. And it seems like a popular destination for Jaeger pilots these days."

Round three of trying to get a little information out of a Jaeger pilot. Well, the guy had asked what he thought.

Re: moar rockstars

[gyroscopic]

"It is, isn't it? Three in the hanger already." He's been by earlier, it was a pretty impressive sight, especially in a pristine new hanger. "I'd be surprised if we saw any more active pilots than that, though. That would be spreading them thin elsewhere."

He backtracked casually to what the cadet had said before that though, gazing upward thoughtfully. "Do you think it's all that controversial? I guess it's romantic to say you can only drift with one person."

Re: moar rockstars

[protagerrant]

"I've never drifted, sir, so I don't know if it's too much to ask someone to do it with more than one person." Generally, everyone was just happy to get a good pair. "But as far as the public's concerned, yeah, I'd say it'd be turning up some headlines if it wasn't still pretty hush-hush." He chuckled. "When it comes to co-pilots who aren't related, somebody's going to cry polygamy. At the very least, Hollywood will probably go nuts with 'new and exciting' opportunity for block-buster love triangles, which I could do without."

Re: moar rockstars

[gyroscopic]

Simon couldn't keep the surprise off his face. He didn't doubt what the cadet was saying, but... "You think so? --I guess I haven't been going to enough movies." Of course, he was aware that there had been some real... romanticization of his and Kamina's relationship, especially in Japan. But he'd never put much thought into it.

Re: moar rockstars

[protagerrant]

"You haven't missed anything," Yuri told him cheerfully. "If you've seen one, you've seen them all. Sir."

Which was definitely true. Yuri wasn't a movie goer himself, but it had gotten to the point where trailers had started to blend together. It had gotten to the point awhile ago.

Re: moar rockstars

[gyroscopic]

Simon kept feeling his mouth twitching toward a smile. Kamina would've been so indignant. He'd always been at once raunchily encouraging and still protective of Simon in that regard. Adding another party would've resulted in probably both disgust and jealousy.

He smiled a bit slyly toward the cadet. "So are you looking forward to it? You could probably be in one of the first tri-pilot love triangle flicks."

[overeducated]

"Hello!"

Friendly smile matched with friendly smile, and though this fellow wasn't quite a cadet, insofar as the unbuttoned lab coat and black bowtie stated, he certainly had all the enthusiasm of a new arrival. In fact, maybe he was a bit too friendly (or just crazy oblivious to the heat), as he went from beaming to squinting, a puzzled, wondering look entering his face.

Possibly before the other could even properly respond, "You look familiar. Did you ever market computers?"

[gyroscopic]

"Um." That took more thinking that he liked to admit. Being a ranger involved doing a lot more commercials than fighting kaiju. He glances up at the sky like that might help him remember...

And then gives up with a sigh. "Sorry. Maybe? The commercials all kind of blur together."

[overeducated]

"Oh, no, not-- commercials, I meant more... Well, never mind; obviously, I had it wrong, silly me. But you're not new to this business - what's your name?"

And if he'd known the guy wasn't new to the business of kaiju, what in the world had he confused the other for? What an unexciting mystery. Nonetheless, any disappointment that had appeared over him not being a computer salesmen disappeared by the end, easy smile returning.

[gyroscopic]

Simon had placed this guy as likely K-science almost immediately. Those guys were weird with such a frequency that when he met a 'normal' one it was more jarring than the alternative. But it wasn't like Simon was very bothered by weirdness even when totally unexpected.

Also, so far this guy just talked a little strangely. Nothing to be bothered over. "Simon Gryber, pilot of Helix Plunge." He smiled, offered a hand. "Are you with the k-science team?"

[overeducated]

Pilot of Helix Plunge... That tickled more than a few memories-- stationed in Japan, very big name, disappeared after the death of a partner, and at the responding question, he blinked once and then gave the biggest beaming smile a man could.

"Oh, yes! Dr. John Smith, official new addition to this wonderful department." Head tilting (oddness exuberant, but Simon seemed specially accepting, lucky for the both of them), "Are you at cadet status here, Simon?"

[gyroscopic]

"John Smith..." How absolutely normal sounding. Simon had to smile.

"No, it turns out I still get to be a ranger, even without a partner." He wasn't exactly going through the full program again, but he did have to participate in large chunks of it while he searched for a new co-pilot. And he imagined that even once he found one, he would be expected to stay around and help his new partner graduate, and look for even more people he'd potentially drift compatible. "But they are going to whip me back into shape. Something tells me I'm really going to regret those few months off."

[overeducated]

The appearance of Simon's smile seemed to make the Doctor's spread further; shooting it quickly toward the other, his eyes move back around the cafeteria hall in a more speculative, considering manner. The new cadets stuck out like sore thumbs, no matter how put-together they might have appearaed.

"Do you think some of regiments have changed since you went through training? It'd be unfortunate if you couldn't even give advice beyond pep talks. Not that pep talks aren't important." Because they certainly were, but, you know.

all the rockstars

[inurhead]

"Yo yourself." Yancy responded when he noticed who it was that had called to him. He and Simon went a long way back, back to their Academy days. He'd mourned along with the world over Kamina, but he couldn't imagine how Simon felt about it. He hadn't seen either of them since last time they toured Japan before...well, before.

Still, it was good to see a once-friendly face again. They'd had some good times, hadn't they?

Re: all the rockstars

[gyroscopic]

Simon brightens instantly when Yancy recognizes him. For some reason, that was a bit surprising, even though they'd known each other pretty well. In a lot of ways, everything before Kamina's death seemed far away. And he had been a lot more reserved back then, especially when standing next to Kamina, he'd always thought himself rather forgettable.

"I heard Gipsy was going to be down here but almost didn't believe it. Good to see you again."

[inurhead]

"Present and accounted for." Agrees Yancy, smiling at the change in Simon's demeanor. It's always a trip to see old Academy pals outside of battle situations. Hell, they might even end up in training exercises together again. Of course this time they'd be following different directives, but it was nostalgic just the same.

"I heard they're putting you through your paces."

[gyroscopic]

"I'm a little out of shape..." Simon admitted, sounding regretful. "I was told I should try to set an example, but if I'm not careful these cadets are going to be a lot more impressive candidates than me." He grins, he wasn't joking about that but he also didn't plan to give up that easily, despite his words. He had Kamina's legacy on his back, after all.

"What about you and Raleigh? Are we going to be seeing you in the classroom?"

[inurhead]

"There's been some talk about jumping in on some lessons and lectures, yeah." Yancy replies. He's not supposed to actually confirm that to new recruits, but Simon isn't. Besides, they'll all see the Becket brothers around soon enough anyway. "Kind of depends on what's what, but that's the plan."