[ 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

[secondtry]

There hadn't been much for Mike to turn over. His toiletries, yeah, they stayed, but his hair was short enough that he didn't have any thing special for it, and he didn't even have any photos to sit around. All he'd exchanged, in the end, had been his clothes (which, if his prior experience held true, would be loose when these three months ended).

Now, left to choose his bunk, he'd chosen one at the bottom and was putting his clothing away in the preferred military manner. In some ways, he already missed Vegas. In others, this was just business as usual.

[nisemoron]

Yaichirou had picked out a top bunk but he wasn't settling in well. He had unpacked and re-packed 3 times already. Judging by his furrowed brows, the entire war effort hinged on exactly where he pinned his photographs and stacked his shirts. When he wasn't re-arranging things he stole glances at the other cadets, eyeing them with equal parts curiosity and apprehension. He had never had to live in such close quarters with so many people. He could handle it, of course-- he could handle anything-- but he wasn't looking forward to this part of academy life.

His gaze lingered on Mike and he made a valiant effort not to frown. Given how uneasy he was, it was downright annoying to see someone so relaxed.

"You seem like you've done this before."

[secondtry]

"This isn't my first rodeo," Mike agreed, tucking his socks into neat little rolls in their place in his drawer beside his underwear. "I was in Alaska a few years ago. Military school before that. So, really, nothing new, nothing different. Just stand up straight, tack a 'sir' on to everything, and be prepared to run your ass off."

He looked up from his arranging to offer a hand for a handshake. "Mike Traceur."

[nisemoron]

"Yaichirou Shimogamo. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The whole response, from the introduction to the stiff handshake, was more like a robotic response than an actual greeting. He had no military experience, but someone had trained him well.

"I'm a little surprised that they would make you repeat the Academy if you've already been through all that."

[secondtry]

The answer was... Well. The guy must've been taught one certain way to introduce himself, Mike decided, and that was it. No thought, just blurt. That might come in handy through all this. But at the question, he shrugged. "Yeah, it's because of the few years I took off. With how fast everything moves around all the K-science and jaeger developments, my few years might as well be a decade or so. Not to mention," he went on, "that I couldn't find anybody in Alaska that I was compatible with."

[nisemoron]

He cringed.

"No one at all?"

That inspired an odd mix of pity and apprehension. He knew it was possible. He'd considered more or less every way to fail out of Jaeger Academy, but it would be especially frustrating to fail based on something beyond your control.

"Well, I wish you luck on your fresh start. I imagine it gets easier the second time around."

He wasn't trying to be flippant, but he was getting depressed just thinking about it.

[secondtry]

"Yeah, if nothing else, looks like I might end up a kwoon teacher - so better hope you don't get me as an instructor eventually. I grade tough." But his smile was more playful than anything else. He knew that whatever happened, he'd manage. Even if it meant he went back to Vegas and took another security position. He had the mentality for it.

Of course, he'd be let down. He was here to kick ass, not be kicked out, and he'd probably kick himself in his own ass if he didn't make it this time.

[nisemoron]

"Oh?" He stopped just short of a smile but amusement twinkled in his eyes. "I'll work hard to graduate before then and leave you to the next class of unsuspecting cadets."

Personally, he didn't have a backup plan. If you planned on failure, then that's exactly what you would get. He would deal with any unexpected setbacks as they came up but he had confidence that he would make it as a pilot.

...Probably. Maybe. Hmm.

"Any tips for surviving?"

[secondtry]

Interesting question. He turned, seating himself on the edge of his bunk to think before he answered. "Main thing to remember is that you're here to be a soldier. Your personality doesn't come into it until it's time to find somebody to drift with. Boot camp is kind of the opposite of personality, honestly. They don't want to know who you are as a person. They want you to follow orders, be on time, basically be a robot until they decide you can pilot a robot."

[nisemoron]

He did smile at that, though maybe he shouldn't have. He had the kind of smile that was begging to be punched.

"When you put it that way, it sounds simple." This place had different rules than he was used to but that was just memorization. Being a robot was easy; it was the teamwork and the emotional components of the drift that were going to be unpleasant.

"Of course, it's possible that they'll structure the Valparaíso program differently." He turned away and began packing his things for the last time, organizing them in a way that's suspiciously similar to Mike's. "They want us to find partners, after all. They'll probably try and manufacture bonding experiences."

He said that in a tone of voice usually reserved for things like calculus homework and torture.

[secondtry]

After stifling a laugh, Mike crossed over to where the guy was rearranging his stuff. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said with a shake of his head. "Want me to show you how to arrange that military style? My years of being under a drill sergeant might as well come in useful for something."

It'd become habit. He still couldn't make a bed without military corners, even when he'd been living among civilians.

[nisemoron]

A scowl flashed across Yaichirou's face briefly. Even if he hadn't caught the stifled laugh, the implication that someone like him needed help with something so simple-- well. It was true, if he was being honest. Traceur was just being friendly, and he ought to take any advice offered if it would help him succeed. Temper and pride would be more of a hindrance than a help here. He nodded.

"Yes, that would be helpful. Thank you."

[secondtry]

That scowl followed by the seemingly unwilling capitulation had Mike smiling a little in understanding. "Just some tricks I learned," he said, and started pointing out tiny changes that made the overall arrangement fit together like a puzzle - just like the military liked it.