[ open ] Welcome to Chile, Cadets.

[supportadmin]

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

FREEDOM? | OPEN TO ALL THE SHATTERDOME

[supportadmin]

All the Cadets are run through a basic tour of the Shatterdome, stressing on points such as never walking inside the freight lanes on pain of injury up to and including death. They're shown to the Mess Hall, the Kwoon Fighting Rooms, the Classrooms, the outdoor training areas, the LOCCENT, and, of course, the Jaeger Bays. It's not comprehensive, but it takes them to the Shatterdome Exchange and lets each cadet be familiarized with the place they can come on base to buy both necessities and luxuries, if they have the chance.

Once uniforms have been issued, the cadets are given the rest of the day to themselves, informed they'll be expected back in the barracks by dinner call, and in uniform by the next morning. It's their first chance to look around and interact with the rest of the Shatterdome that's willing to deal with them, and an open call to the last free, clear time they'll have off schedule for a while.

Welcome to the Jaeger Academy. Remember, Heroes aren't born, Cadets.

They're made.

Wanna meet a rockstar? Yeah ya do.

[inurhead]

There's a cheerful sort of chaos going around the Shatterdome today, even if the new recruits are pissing themselves. There's nothing new about that. Yancy watches it all from a distance. He's not supposed to interact with the kids until they're released, glassy eyed and at a loss, probably convinced they've made a huge mistake. The first day feels like that. Hell, the first month feels like that.

But there's no rule against hanging out in the courtyard under a shady tree in plain sight. Might be reassuring for them to remember that others have made it through, right? Besides, it's a great vantage point to watch what's going on.

Re: Wanna meet a rockstar? Yeah ya do.

[protagerrant]

A lot of the cadets do end up milling around the entrance to the courtyard, warily eyeing each other and their surroundings for some kind of cue, unsure of this sudden freedom. Having been through it all before, Yuri looks comparatively cheerful as he walks through the doors, breathing in the fresh air deep as he pops his back and looks around. When he spots Yancy--someone that famous you don't mistake, even at a distance, and he'd technically seen him around the Alaska base even it'd never been up close--he strides over, letting out a low whistle once he gets close enough.

"Damn, that's nearly three full active Jaeger teams they've got stationed here now. I feel like precious cargo." It's only after a pause that he remembers to tack on the rest. "Sir."

[nisemoron]

Yaichirou is just as glassy-eyed and lost as the other recruits, but he knows that this isn't a mistake. It's what needs to be done and so he'll do it. He's a bit murky on the details of how he'll survive the academy, but one day at a time sounds like a good way to start.

When he ducks under the tree he's thinking more about the shade than about Yancy. He hardly even notices the pilot, actually. He's too busy trying to make a mental map of the shatterdome so that he doesn't look like an idiot tomorrow morning. The tour had been thorough enough but it's hard to remember anything right now; he was already exhausted from the long trip, and he's sure that if it gets any hotter his brain would melt out of his ears. He leans back against the tree, eyes scanning the courtyard. The mess hall would be over there, he didn't think they'd visited that area yet, and over there would be...

It's at this point that he finally sees Yancy and realizes he's wandered within spitting distance of a celebrity. Despite the rush of panic, he manages not to immediately skitter away like a grade schooler caught in the staff lounge. He may be a fresh recruit but he still has some dignity.

"I apologize, sir. I didn't mean to intrude."

[boomerangarrow]

Winter to summer is kind of a big climate change. She can deal with it, of course. It's just something to adjust to, and she has months to adjust. Though for a new recruit, she's hardly all that terrified by all the scare tactics that the higher ups have been trying to use on them. Maybe she should be, when she looks around at her fellow cadets, but the fact remains.

She spots Yancy and she's honestly very confused. Respectfully confused. Wasn't he in the Alaskan shatterdome? But hey, it's kind of nice to have a reminder of what they could potentially be doing three months in or so. "Hello, sir." She gives him a quick salute. "What brings you down here?"

Re: Wanna meet a rockstar? Yeah ya do.

[paperbacks]

"Ah, lovely day, isn't it? Do you mind if I smoke?" Tenpou doesn't bother to wait for an affirmative - there's already an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips as he searches through his pockets for a lighter. "With all the new cadets on base, the higher-ups have started enforcing the ban on indoor smoking... something about presenting a professional image." With his rumpled lab coat and unkempt, unwashed hair, Tenpou doesn't exactly exude an aura of professionalism. Although he's one of the PPDC's lead cryptozoological research scientists, sometimes his personal habits seem nearly as alien as those of the Kaiju he dissects. "I suppose they'll be enforcing all sorts of rules now. If anyone calls me 'sir,' I think I'll resign immediately."

Once he finds his lighter, he takes a long, deeply gratifying drag from the cigarette. Cheap local tobacco doesn't taste quite as good as his favorite brand from home, but even the PPDC isn't going to waste resources ferrying cigarettes from Hong Kong to appease one eccentric Chinese scientist. Besides, it's the nicotine that matters. When he opens his eyes, he seems marginally more alert and interested in his companion.

"Do I know you?" Tenpou asks, tilting his head to peer quizzically down at the other man through smudged, scratched glasses. He seems far too relaxed to be one of the cadets, most of whom are still anxiously milling outside the Shatterdome entrance, so he must be PPDC staff. "I'm not usually good with names and faces, but I have a feeling that I've seen you somewhere before... ah! You work in the cafeteria, right?"

Re: FREEDOM? | OPEN TO ALL THE SHATTERDOME

[heliokleptic]

Freedom, Luke wasn't sure if he was relieved or not. The officers barking orders had successfully convinced him he might die at any moment around here if he stuck his nose even one millimeter out of line, or at least sent home, and now he felt hard pressed to find the courage to look around when he could definitely sit in the barracks and safely fidget for the rest of the day.

But in the end curiosity and anxiety get the better of him, and plenty of others were wandering around so it couldn't actually be that big of a deal. He would just stay away from anything that looked important.

Throughout the day he can be seen wandering the base, skirting the buildings with a wide, nervous berth, but looking around with undeniable curiosity, maybe even a bit of excitement. He already wished his phone hadn't been taken away. Here he was, walking around the newest shaterdome, and he couldn't text anyone about it.

[europeanunion]

Leila's using her day to break in her new boots, mostly out of the horrid experience she had back at Dartmouth. Starting out her first week of training again with blisters and sore toes isn't high up on her list of things-to-achieve while in the Academy. And while she knows there's an easier way to break them in, she prefers the old-fashioned way: through wearing and walking. One day isn't going to be enough for that however and she reminds herself to do the rest later after dinner.

After walking a few rounds around the Shatterdome, following the route of the tour earlier, Leila picks out an open spot close to the port to pause and retie her laces. The boots are a little heavier than she remembers them to be but that's to be expected; it's been a while since she's worn a pair and walked in them. She taps one toe after the other against the concrete, wincing as she's already feeling her feet hurting despite the thick socks.

"Right then. It should be cooler outside with the breeze coming from the sea," she mutters under her breath before she starts sprinting towards one of the outdoor training areas and easily avoiding people in her way.

Well — most people, at least.

[boomerangarrow]

Any excuse to wander around the base and take it all in, is one that Kate will take. All of the officers barking orders and attempting to convince her that she'd die didn't work on her. Besides, it wasn't as though she was going to jeopardize her ability to be here this early into the program. That would be a really stupid waste of everyone's time.

"Not enjoying your first day?" Kate might have people back home, but she's going to soak up this experience for all it's worth. Besides, three months before she can text them means she'll be able to rack up stories. It's all just fine by her.

Jaeger Bay

[doubleshot]

Andrea stood in her formal uniform, speaking with several of Hydra Corinthian's mechanics while going over the details of her last check-up. The twitches that had registered earlier in the week had calmed down, but it still worried Andrea. While no mechanic on her own, she could understand most of the jargon her mechanics used, enough to get the gist of what they'd checked over, what systems had been run through, fluid levels, heat levels, monitoring of radiation shielding effectiveness, and more on the unending list of maintenance.

Letting them head off for dinner, she took several steps back from Hydra Corinthian's foot. Not that it helped. At her sheer size, there wasn't any possible way to take in all of her from this kind of ground perspective. Andrea's head craned back, looking up at the sheer mass of her Jaeger.

"Sorry to leave you standing, girl." Jacqueline had expressed much the same on their last phone-call. It was going to be a long year until they were back in piloting condition. Little to do but endure it all.

[counterattacked]

It feels a little like sneaking off. But they'd been given the tour and given leave to familiarize themselves with the base, and he's pretty sure that he isn't actually bucking any orders right now by shaking his sister and wandering back toward the Jaeger Bays on his own. Curiosity is a powerful thing. And while it'll be a long while before he even gets to touch a Jaeger—if he gets to touch a Jaeger. He won't even let himself consider failure as an option—there's no way that he can resist taking a longer and closer look while he can.

And that's Hydra Corinthian. In the flesh, so to speak. The scale of it is breathtaking from down here, enough to set his pulse to pounding in its own right. He's so caught up in craning his neck up at it that he doesn't even notice the woman standing at its feet until he's practically on top of her.

But once he does, he recognizes her immediately. And it flashes across his face, along with a look of vague awe and not-quite-panicked contrition, like maybe he has been caught doing something he's not supposed to. But he steadies himself. Square shouldered, if wide eyed in a slightly starstruck way.

"Ranger Martin?" he pauses, as if to be sure he'd gotten it right, then adds on— "Ma'am."

Re: Jaeger Bay

[gyroscopic]

Unsurprisingly, it doesn't take long for Simon to make his way to the jaeger bay. Not that Helix Plunge was here, of course. With one pilot dead and the other effectively AWOL, repairs after their lady battle had never been fully completed. He was still back in Nagasaki, looking a bit the worse for wear.

Though not for much longer, if Simon had anything to say about it.

But none of that meant he didn't want to be around other jaegers, or that the buzz of work being done in a hanger wasn't just as comforting to him at this point as the silence of an old tunnel.

He saw Hydra Corinthian first and pulls up beside her pilot with an appreciative whistle, probably something Andrea got more than shed like, but his eyes were for the jaeger, not the pilot. Mark 4. He'd rarely seen them from afar and never close up. "She makes Helix look his age." Funny considering he was fairly sure they'd launched at about the same time.

[inurhead]

"She'll wait for you." Called a friendly voice from behind Andrea. One of the temporarily stationed pilots. Yancy Becket, part of the Gipsy Danger team. He'd been frequenting the bay enough to have heard mechanics discussing the odd behaviors of Hydra Corinthian, but he hadn't witnessed much out of the ordinary himself.

Re: FREEDOM? | OPEN TO ALL THE SHATTERDOME

[protagerrant]

While everyone else milled around base, getting the lay of the land, Yuri had one specific mission. As soon as the cadets had been cut lose, he'd headed back to the barracks to change into PT clothes, then made for his best guess as to wear they'd be holding the PT sessions. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't hard to find; the base's design wasn't dissimilar to Alaska.

A lot of his fellow cadets would probably think he was nuts for voluntarily going for a run--they'd be forced into doing it plenty, in the days to come--but a nice, relaxing run, probably the last he'd get without instructors hollering and blowing whistles at him, sounded like just the thing to him, especially after being cooped up so long on the plane and in the bus. Should he be getting social with his fellow cadets instead? Probably, but they'd all get a lot closer than anybody wanted in the next few months, living and training together. Might as well shoot for peace and quiet while he could get it.

He did, however, make for an odd sight moving through base, or later, as the lone figure stretching at the start line of the track, or even later, trudging back to the barracks covered in sweat.

[inferiorcomplexes]

"Trying to get a headstart, aren't you?" Despite the challenging tone, Franziska just stands besides the track. She's still dressed in the blohse and slacks she came in the Shatterdome with. She wants to relish her last moments in something fashionable while it lasts.

Doesn't mean she wasn't going to explore the area on her own, despite the possibility of her clothes getting dirty, which is why she's here right now.

Mess Hall | you know you want to chat over dinner come on guys

[counterattacked]

At the end of their first day, the cadets are treated to their first of many mess hall meals. And even if the fare itself probably isn't anything special, the atmosphere, at least, seems to be promising. A tense sort of energy in the air that comes with being at the start of something huge and new. It's a good chance to sit back and take in everything that's happened. And everything that's going to come.

At least, it is where one Eren Jaeger is concerned. He spends most of his time bent over his tray and talking animatedly to a twiggy blond or a pretty girl, or both. Or neither, in the spaces between the comings and goings where he happens to end up alone for a while. Either way, there's an empty space at the table across from him. More than enough room for someone else to sit, if they wanted. No sense eating alone, right?

((A/N:Dinner party? If you're cool with threadcrashing by Armin and/or Mikasa (or drag in a guest of your own?) we can get us a group thread going for get-to-know-yous. Feel free to hit me with a note or a pm/pp if you want to sort out posting order or something, but I'm fine with playing fast and loose as we go. And of course, I'm down for nice easy one on one, too. Just hit me with a preference if you tag in.))

Fine with crashing, and fast and loose. Have...more Kou. You're welcome.

[spareheir]

It's a long day, starting from the bus ride and arrivals processing to the extensive tours and information on ways they could all lose life or limb if they aren't paying attention. Even a cheerful kid like Kou is a little exhausted by the time dinner rolls around. There's also the matter of where to sit, since the seating isn't assigned.

Kou finds himself glancing around for an empty spot or someone familiar, and comes up with both at once. That guy...they spoke earlier. That counts, right?

He slides into the space casually with a smile. The noodles on his tray are unfamiliar, the vegetables are soggy, and the soup (porridge?) looks questionable at best. There's an apple, though. Apples are a safe place to start. For a guy who's usually so fond of food, he's having trouble convincing his stomach that it wants to accept any of what's on the tray. So he starts conversation instead.

"It's a lot of information, isn't it?"

Crash away

[boomerangarrow]

The atmosphere in this place is certainly something. It's strange to Kate, who's used to fancy parties and an oblivious air to what was happening in the world. She can say, however, she much prefers this. Time with people who understand what they're here for and want to make a difference.

Once she spots an open seat, she takes it. She doesn't really pay much attention to the people who are already there, but she is at least courteous enough to offer her name. "Kate Bishop." Might as well start making friends, hers aren't anywhere close to the Shatterdome.

what d'you think of a food fight wouldn't that be fun. [any crashing is good crashing.]

[overeducated]

"If you were given the option of pink or sky blue, which would you take?"

Sorry, that's a strange question to ask should've been tacked on afterward, but it wasn't--- instead, a tall, lanky man sat himself opposite the black-haired boy, a mug brimming with steaming brown liquid cradled in both hands, elbows splayed on the table to either side.

Over an unbuttoned, rumpled lab coat and very straight black bowtie, fairly intense hazel eyes focused on the other's, whatever he might have been interrupting wholly disregarded. No sense being alone, right?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Crashers welcome.

[inurhead]

Yancy had dozed off under his tree out in the courtyard, and woken up to find it vacated. So he's not at his most alert when he stumbles in to the dining hall. Man, it's a good thing there weren't any afternoon briefings. Pentecost would have heard about it somehow and wiped the floor with him.

He's so late to dinner that after grabbing a tray he can't even find a salt shaker that isn't in use somewhere else already. Ah, well. The cadet tables technically can't refuse if he borrows one of theirs. Besides, he kind of wants to see what they look like. These ones are so freaking young, it's a little ridiculous.

He clears his throat before he leans down at the empty space and picks up the closest set of spice shakers that isn't in anyone's hands. Then he throws a smile at the kid sitting across from them. "You mind?"

[secondtry]

It was damned good to be somewhere warmer than Alaska, even with the humidity. Vegas was nothing like this, all sand and flat and full of sequins and entertainment, but while he'd come to love it, this was what he was used to. This, even as sterile as the environment could seem, still felt like home.

He walked outside in what he felt would be his casuals from then on - coveralls to the waist, arms tied in lieu of a belt, one of the issued T-shirts on above that. It was great not to feel like he needed to put on a few more layers. Instead, he could sit down and stretch out in the sun, eyes closed, and smell the distant scent of trees alongside the salt of the ocean and the oil and ozone from the constant mechanical work inside the 'dome.

Yep, smelled just like home.

He smiled, fingers knitting behind his head. He knew he should probably mingle, actually talk to people, but for just a little while, what he wanted was to soak up some warmth.

[spareheir]

"It's nice weather, isn't it?" Kou asked the young man who'd wandered out to enjoy the sunlight that he'd been shamelessly basking in as well. No one was around to remind him not to let his complexion suffer, so he could tip his face up to it without feeling guilty about it at all. It was a good feeling, and the sunlight itself felt fantastic.

The other boy looked a little older, but he wore the same cadet uniform as Kou did, so there was no confusion about how to address him. For the purposes of their traiing here, he was a peer, not an upperclassman or superior officer.

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."

JAEGER BAY crash away

[ganbareist]

Guy didn't have much to give up when it was time to hand everything over, and he's comfortable enough in the new grunt uniform. The more reality seeps in - he's here, and he's a cadet - In fact, he's weirdly comfortable, as a whole - easy posture, easy focus. Intimidation and awe just seep into him and his eyes glint with challenge.

It made perfect sense to assume he couldn't do this. The odds would just have to be wrong. Besides, having clear, obvious directions and orders was practically soothing as a concept. It sure as hell beat not knowing what to do with himself.

That cool, calm demeanor and eagerness to play soldier drops out of his stomach when he's in the Jaeger bay.

Since everyone else's mouths are collecting flies, Guy's nerves flaring up may not seem particularly out of place. His posture going rigid and tense, staring up at the behemoths with his mind far away - a reaction like that probably just blends in.

Kwoon Fighting Rooms

[bushidork]

When the cadets were left to their own devices, rather than heading straight for the Jaeger Bay like one might have expected, Sugane went back to further inspect the fighting rooms. It's not that he doesn't want to stare at the the Jaegers eventually, but he's working his way up to it. Better to start with something familiar and this is an aspect of combat training that actually isn't totally alien to him. The rack of kendo trophies back home can attest to that.

Still, this is a little more intimidating than the rooms he'd practiced in all through middle and high school the school his father had run. He's afraid to touch anything, so he's just looking closely at every nook and cranny with his hands practically glued to his sides. He's also so engrossed in what he's doing that he's unlikely to hear anyone coming in the room.