[ 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

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."

[inurhead]

"We're counting on you to help us to victory." Yancy recites, remembering the propaganda from his own academy days. The 'sir' gets a nod, but no further comment. Unless these kids get really out of line, he's not interested in being a hardass anyway. He's just here to keep the perimeter.

[protagerrant]

Yuri grins at him, "Each cadet has the potential to turn the tides of war." A line right out of another recruitment pamphlet. He made a point of reading most of the stuff the PPDC put out; he liked to know how the organization he was working for liked to style itself.

He crossed his arms, head cocked curiously. "Are you going to be participating in the new, innovative drift program here, too?" Andrea had blown him off when he asked her, but maybe Yancy would give him a more straightforward answer.

[inurhead]

While Yancy doesn't feel the need to stand on ceremony, they're in a courtyard surrounded by others, including many of this kid's immediate superiors. The report won't come from him, but it can easily be filed by anyone standing around. So he quirks an eyebrow and gives his head a slight tilt, waiting for it. C'mon, kid. In three months no one will give a crap, but right now they're watching you.

[protagerrant]

Thankfully, Yuri catches on fast, mostly due to situations like this coming up many, many times. Sometimes it was deliberate; sometimes it wasn't. When you grow up directly opposed to authority, accepting it--or pretending to--didn't come easy. And he'd been free and clear of the of this kind of nit-picky the last three months he'd been at Alaska.

"Sir." He adds on. "Sorry, it's been awhile; I always forget what my sir-to-sentence ratio is supposed to be. Sir."

It was a miracle--or maybe just PPDC guidelines--that Yuri's superiors hadn't simply backhanded him every time he opened his mouth, truly.

[inurhead]

That gets a smile out of Yancy, who wasn't offended anyway. He just doesn't want to see the kid get written up in the first hour of his training. The answer is to go liberal with 'em when in doubt. No one ever gets written up for too much respect. The kid will figure it out, though. He's got a good uptake. Yancy nods again and responds like there wasn't a pause there anyway.

"There's been some discussion about that."

[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."

[inurhead]

Yep, this kid's a green one. No salute or anything, must be fresh off the bus. He has that look to him. Yancy glances up at the branches of the tree, basking in the dappled light. Shade is a desirable commodity somewhere as hot and miserable as this place. He's not going to kick the kid out of it. In fact, he'd been hoping one might wander closer. Conversation within the upper ranks isn't all that engaging most days. But the new blood is always full of life and energy.

"It's a big tree. Take a breather, cadet."

[nisemoron]

Well, this is unexpected. He had just committed a crime against the hierarchy, hadn't he? Against an established pilot, no less! Shouldn't there be more shouting involved? A detached part of him wonders if this man is an impostor. The rest of him is too busy scrambling to set things right.

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"

He starts to bow out of habit but then realizes it should be a salute, and come to think of it he shouldn't he have given a salute earlier? Honestly, is he trying to get himself kicked out on the first day? Never mind. There's nothing to be done now except for him to salute, go back to where he was leaning on the tree, and maybe pretend that he didn't exist. Damn it. It's too hot to be blushing.

[inurhead]

The civilian salute is there and gone too quickly for Yancy to bother releasing the kid from, but he returns it anyway, and hopes no one saw that. This cadet is wound tightly enough as it is, an upbraiding wouldn't do the kid any favors.

"Ranger Becket." Yancy introduces himself. The kid probably knows who he is anyway, but it doesn't hurt to be friendly.

[nisemoron]

Of course he knows Becket. That's the problem. He wasn't prepared to meet such a distinguished figure, much less on his first day. It's silly, though. Did he think they kept the rangers in glass cases until they were deployed?

"Cadet Shimogamo." He manages a neutral tone despite the lingering flush. "It's an honor to meet you, sir."

He's not looking at Becket. His eyes are scanning the courtyard, searching for anyone watching them. He's still half-convinced that this is either a dream or a setup.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't mean to be forward, but... is it all right for us to be speaking like this?"

[inurhead]

Yancy snorts quietly. He can't help being amused by this kid. Technically the question itself is a little impertinent, but the sentiment is certainly respectful. He throws the cadet an easy grin, to try and calm his nerves.

"They don't give Rangers demerits, Cadet. At your ease." That's his second favorite command, a close second to 'Relax.'

Out of his pocket comes a bag of glass candy. Raleigh's, but is it really his fault if the kid grabbed the wrong jacket this morning? He takes a piece himself and then offers it to Shimogomo. "Toffee? I think this is toffee..."

It's butterscotch, actually. Yancy isn't the family expert on sweets.

[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?"

[inurhead]

The first civilian salute of the day had caught Yancy off guard, but by the time this one happens he's already adjusted his expectations as far as the new cadets are concerned. Looks like nobody taught them protocol yet. So he glances around to make sure no one seems to be watching that might write the kid up and deeming the coast mostly clear, returns it quickly.

"Temporary activation reassignment. How about you, cadet?"

[boomerangarrow]

Nope, they're brand new and fresh off the bus. She's only beginning to figure out how this place is supposed to work. Give her time and she'll get it, though her following all the rules is a bit less likely.

She has to wonder why he's been moved, and why there are so many Jaegers at this particular shatterdome. But first she'll answer the question. "New recruit, this is where I was located."

[inurhead]

Well, that's obvious. He'd been hoping for a different kind of answer to that question, but maybe she didn't feel like sharing. Normally he might assume a new cadet was intimidated (and they usually were) but this one had started up conversation like it was nothing, so that wasn't the case. Yancy nodded to acknowledge the statement, and glanced back out toward the harbor.

"East coast, right?" Her accent wasn't local, and it wasn't midwestern or southern. It was too crisp for the west coast. New York or Connecticut would be a good guess.

[boomerangarrow]

She should be, she's in the presence of a Ranger, somebody who's basically a rock star. But considering her upbringing, being intimidated by greatness wasn't something she does. That's probably not something she ever would do. Though she certainly respects the man.

"Huh, yeah. You've got a good ear." It's not that often people can pick out her accent that well. "I'm from New York."

[inurhead]

"Nice place. A little crowded." He muses. Intimidating people isn't on Yancy's to do list anyway. Talking to people, on the other hand? Totally is. They've been there for like a week and it's been way too quiet until today.

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?"

[inurhead]

Usually the staff are better behaved than that, so it does get a look of surprise from Yancy. Not limited by the fact that this guy has possibly been living under a rock for the past 5 years, but then again if he's a white coat he's probably just been focused on anything and everything but the media. It's hard to imagine being that out of the loop. Then again, a quick glance over the man in question pegs him as someone who probably has trouble prying himself away from his work. The stinky guys are usually all in.

Yancy chuckles at the second question, amused rather than offended. That's literally never happened to him before on a base. He hasn't been mistaken for the guy who cleans the deep fryer since back in the days when he was that guy.

"If I did, the coffee would be better." He replies, gazing up through the leaves of the tree at the visible patches of sky. The dappled sunlight that makes it through doesn't ruin the cooling effect of the shade, it just makes Yancy squint a little as he's daydreaming.

[paperbacks]

"Hmm." Tenpou hoards information the same way he hoards old newspapers and moldy takeout containers, holding onto it for years until he's absolutely sure he won't need it again. But much like the old newspapers, disordered memories pile up under layers of dust and debris until recalling a particular fact - like, for instance, the name that goes with a strangely familiar face - requires the mental equivalent of an archaeological excavation. He inhales another lungful of smoke, watches the warm Southern Hemisphere sunlight dance over the grass, and waits for insight to strike. "Aha!"

Beaming like he expects to receive a prize, he ashes his cigarette and looks back to the man sitting on the ground. "Gipsy Danger!" Tenpou has spent hours reviewing the machine's technical specifications so he's familiar with its pilots, even if he sees them as replaceable spare parts, like AA batteries. "You're... Yancy Becket. Or Raleigh Becket. Ah, now I recognize your face from the records database. I'm Dr. Zhu Tianpeng, with the department of cryptozoology, but you can just call me Tenpou. It's easier to pronounce. You were the one who brought down Yamarashi... mm, yes, those were beautiful samples. I still have a few pieces preserved in my lab... next time, though, try not to damage the spinal cord."

[inurhead]

"Ranger Becket, Yancy." Yancy agrees when the scientist guesses his name mostly correctly this time. He doesn't think Tianpeng is that difficult of a name, actually, but if the man prefers Tenpou then he's not about to argue. He tucks it away into his memory for the next time he runs across the guy.

At the request that follows, his eyebrows go up a little and he shakes his head. Sorry, dude, he's not taking requests on how to kill kaiju. Come back when you have that diagrammed out, maybe. Not that kaiju behavior is predictable enough for diagrams to begin with. Yancy shrugs, mostly amused. "I'll see what I can do about that."

[paperbacks]

"Thank you. That would be most helpful!" Yancy's agreeable attitude is a welcome surprise after most of the other hotshot Rangers Tenpou has met. Most of them don't seem too interested in kaiju biology unless research and development has come up with a creative new way to kill the alien bastards. Personally, Tenpou is disappointed but not surprised that humanity's first encounter with an intelligent alien species immediately resulted in attempted genocide. Violence seems to be the nature of living organisms, whether they're bacteria or deep sea sponges or human beings or 2000 ton behemoths from another dimension. It's as if the defining quality of living things is the desire to live.

"I thought about becoming a Ranger myself, actually... ahhh, but I failed out of the training program. Three times." Tenpou says it with a hint of perverse pride. "Apparently I'm not the sort they want in control of billion-dollar pieces of machinery, so I'm quite interested in the kind of people who are."

And that apology was for someone else I'll just...go. Y e p.

[inurhead]

That's a surprising set of statements. For a guy who's apparently interested in pilots, Tenpou sure does mistake them for kitchen staff sometimes. Not to mention flunking out but going back for seconds and then thirds. This guy is definitely not your average white coat. Most of them are trained to respond to him almost robotically, with a specific set of commands that have to do with squeezing information out of him. It's their jobs, so it's fine, but this conversation is unprecedented.

He should try to hook this guy up with Crazy. Er, Officer Zoe Hanji, that is. Yancy nods, as if what Tenpou just said weren't seriously Out There. "There's an even handful of us here." Of course, by the very nature of a handful as counted on the five fingers -and pilots often think of things in terms of fists, don't they?- there's no such thing as an even handful. But there are indeed five pilots currently stationed at the facility.