Group Log : Q&A Session 001

[inurhead]

Characters: Any/all
Location: The Meeting Hall
Date/Time: Sunday afternoon
Summary: Q&A with a Ranger. All Rangers and staff welcome to answer Q&A. All cadets are invited to the session, but attendance is not mandatory.
Additional Notes: Start your own threads, jack some of mine, go nuts. This is just another mingle post but it's also meant to be informative ICly. Other staff and Rangers showing up for interactions with the cadets is wholeheartedly encouraged.


The meeting hall, like every other area of the Shatterdome, has the feel of an industrial environment. The walls are lined with bleachers on three sides, while the forth side has a platform and podium. In the middle are rows of chairs, desks, and tables. It's clear that a large audience can be accommodated by the room when there's need, though the group that gathers there today isn't nearly enough to fill it.

Cadets will be directed to sit at some of the tables closer to the podium when they arrive, and given scratch paper to take notes on. Staff will be directed to the large table on the podium, which has a row of conference microphones, lamps, and water pitchers already set up. Everything is neat, cool, and professional. The fluorescent lighting and stern expressions of the support staff encourage a sombre attitude, but if anyone is looking up toward the podium they might catch at least one of the Rangers smiling as he peeks out from behind the curtains during the initial set up. He's wearing something like a wetsuit at the moment, though it won't be fully visible until he emerges for the demonstration.

Sharpen your pencils and have a seat, guys. You might even learn something.

Comments

Drivesuit demonstrations

[inurhead]

As the session begins, Yancy (and any other Rangers who volunteered) emerge in their circuitry suits, which look a lot like wetsuits but seem to have odd designs that appear to be circuitry sewn into the material. Those familiar with nerve systems may recognize the patterns.

They'll be undergoing the full suit up process to show the cadets what equipment they can expect to become familiar with when it comes time for their own Pons experiences. No actual bridging will take place this session, but feel free to ask about it anyway. All stages of the demonstration are open to cadet questions and concerns.

General Q&A

[inurhead]

After the Drivesuit demonstrations, Rangers and staff will hold an informal Q&A session for the Cadets to ask any questions they may have of the program. Questions can be directed towards staff, K-Science, Fight masters, Rangers, etc.

Mix and Mingle at the Buffet

[inurhead]

There's a special brunch buffet set up in the far corner, which everyone will be dismissed to after the information sessions wrap up. The food there is better than the general cafeteria fare. Cadets will find that there are things like bagels with cream cheese, butter or jam, fresh fruits, juices, and many colorful local pastries. No wonder so many staff members volunteered, the food alone is worth sacrificing a few hours of precious free time!

Re: Mix and Mingle at the Buffet

[protagerrant]

"Catering?" It was obviously blurted out unintentionally, twice as obvious when Yuri guiltily checked his six to make sure no-one had heard that embarrassing outburst. And then realizing how much worse he was making matters, he just grimaced a little at himself and made a straight line for whatever portion of pastries looked like they had the most frosting and sugar involved. If the other cadets didn't recognize a windfall when they saw one, well, they'd be weeping over their folly after a week more of cafeteria food.

Grabbing a couple pastries, he only moved the bare minimum of polite distance away before taking a bite, sighing gratefully after he swallowed. "This almost makes me miss cooking," he said, apparently talking to the left over half of his pastry.

ooopen?

[suicidemission]

There's a reason Chuck volunteered and it's not to stand here in spandex on display for everyone else to stare at like some kind of goddamn zoo animal.

Course, the other volunteers are also in the skin tight circuitry suits, and that means he gets a great view of Yancy Becket's ass.

Plus, free food later, so. There's a plus here somewhere, just gotta find the silver linings.

[boomerangarrow]

Kate picks up a pastry and some fruit. The cafeteria food is at least passable. But it's nowhere near the standards that Kate was used to back home. At least there was this.

"You cooked?" She didn't do much of that, she can do the basics but most of her food was take out. Mostly pizza if she was being honest.

[spareheir]

Yancy Becket seems entirely at ease in his own skimpy outfit, frankly. However, it isn't to him that Kou directs a question, raising his hand first as though they're in a classroom. It feels a little like a classroom, doesn't it?

"Do you feel the connections when the machine goes on, sir?"

'Goes on' being the closest approximation he can come up with quickly to the word he wants, which is more like 'activates' or 'engages.'

[suicidemission]

Chuck is incredibly distracted by that too, Jesus Yancy. His attention is pulled away though, and he blinks at the question at first because Yancy's ass wow but then comes back to reality.

"When the relay gel dispenses, that firse up the circuitry suit, yeah? It's sorta what connects everything. Dunno bout anyone else though - but I feel Striker once I'm in the Drift."

[reengineered]

Lucy hasn't seen anything this relatively luxurious in years. She wanders a bit, looking everything over with the most indescribable look on her face. Occasionally she'll take a look around to make sure she's not in anyone's way, but then she goes back to looking at the food, indecisive, almost overwhelmed.

Eventually she picks up a plate and perches a bagel on it, then some fruit, and furtively glances around for somewhere to sit and enjoy it. All the while she looks vaguely uncomfortable, somewhat unaccustomed to the socialization and crowding. Hopefully no one will try to talk to her...

K-Science Q&A

[observationalhazard]

Perhaps a bit counter to the general mood on the stage, Hanji has had a warm smile on her face the entire time she's been up there. When the demonstration is finally finished, she opens herself up to questions.

"So, aren't any of you curious about the kaiju?"

[observationalhazard]

Sorry, Lucy. That's a forlorn hope. Hanji spots the lone cadet and swoops in, cup of coffee and a bagel in hand. She offers Lucy a friendly smile as she settles into the seat next to her, "Lucy, right? How are you settling in?"

This thread is jackable, Cadets! Get in here.

[inurhead]

"We absolutely feel the connections of the circuitry suit." Yancy adds to Chuck's response, and spins around slowly to give the audience a good view of the connective fibers as he speaks. "It corresponds to points on our nervous system, to give us better control of the Jaegers. The relay gel Ranger Hansen just mentioned isn't dispensed until we're fully suited up."

He raises a hand and gestures in the direction of the curtain, which parts enough to allow what appears to be a pit team through. They're wearing uniforms emblazoned with Gipsy Danger's name, and lugging a few carts with a lot of machinery on them. As they join the Rangers on the platform, Yancy gives them another signal to hold up. The first piece of the battle armor (cuirass) hovers in the hands of the team member. Yancy turns so that his backside and shoulders are displayed to the Cadets, so they'll be able to see the armor as it's fitted to him. He glances back over his shoulder and explains the function.

"This is the battle armor. Piloting a Jaeger is tough on a human body. We need a protective boost to withstand it."

[inurhead]

Unbeknownst to Hanji, a Ranger walks casually behind her to exit the platform now that his role is over here -buffet time!- and makes a sort of gesture with his hand across his throat.

Don't ask, guys. You'll never shut Officer Hanji up once you get her started on kaiju.

open

[inurhead]

Oh, sweet coffee. They got it catered in today. Yancy groans low in his throat when he takes his first tentative sip. It's not unpalatable sludge today. It's actual coffee.

Sweet mother Maria, it's good. If anyone else wants a go at the coffee urn you might have to remind this guy to step away from it, because he's in his happy place right now.

Coffee, sweet coffee. It's been too long since he's had a decent cup of coffee.

[inurhead]

"Excuse me, Cadet." Says one of the Rangers from the demonstration, now out of his drive suit and back in his uniform. He smiles and reaches past Lucy to grab one of the breakfast sandwiches while they're still there for the grabbing. "Bacon is like gold around here."

[righthemisphere]

"Not to mention the Conn-pod is right in the heart of everything." Raleigh pipes up from his position a few feet away, arms lightly crossed over his chest, an easy smile tugging at the side of his mouth.

"If a Jaeger gets knocked, so do you."

Yancy is just loving this, isn't he. Raleigh doesn't remember this being a part of the job description, but if it means getting him out of his daily duties he's happy to parade around in his suit and prowl over the buffet. Sure, he thinks, why not.

"And staying connected, being able to feel what's going on makes piloting that much easier. Like your Jaeger is just a huge extension of yourself."

Which, in many ways, it is.

Open!

[righthemisphere]

Demos over and outer armor off, Raleigh peels himself out of his suit and reemerges in his flight suit. It's easy, comfortable, and still technically counts as uniform so that's his first choice.

Circuitry suits are tight. And sweaty. Can't blame a guy for wanting a little air, you know?

Besides, okay maybe wearing his leather jacket makes him feel like a rock star. Powerful. And why not, he's earned it. But with so many eyes on him all the time, it's also just nice to have something that makes him feel awesome. Something he can just slip on, pop the collar and saunter away in and everything is alright because he is actually on top of the world and a force to be reckoned with.

He was never one for dress blues, anyway.

Raleigh's picked through the buffet and scurried away with a napkin of sweets to plop down in one of the many folding chairs to just hang out, humming a tune he can't quite get out of his head.

You wanna talk? Because he will gladly talk about this job until he passes out. Kaiju Are Destroying The World, aside. Joining the Jaeger program is the best thing he's ever done in his entire life and he's not shy about saying so.

moves on over here

[counterattacked]

Is that a challenge Yancy. Even if it isn't Eren's going to rise to it, because that's just the kind of borderline suicidal bastard he is. He sort of frowns past Hanji as Yancy exits the stage and mimes the warning. When his attention snaps back to the Officer in question and the long silence that follows, it becomes clear that she's still waiting for one of them to answer.

And if anyone's going to have the nerve to temp fate—

"Ma'am—" a pause, just long enough for the honorific to catch her attention and for him to settle on what he'd meant to ask, "What do you mean by curious?"

Everyone here knows what a kaiju is. That's why they're here.

not here I just like to mess up Stefan's things

[inurhead]

Your funeral, kid.

very serious rp

[counterattacked]

He can do this ok he's a soldier.

Trust me I'm a pro

[inurhead]

Okay see ya when you're 30.

[reengineered]

Dang. Well, at least she doesn't start when Hanji walks up. Instead, she straightens a bit, nods, and settles her food back on the plate. Unsure whether or not this woman knows of her situation, she pulls the notepad from her pocket and hastily scribbles on it.

It's big. The Shatterdome. The whole thing. Bigger, somehow, than she'd thought it would be.

[reengineered]

Oh. Oh well. It's weird being in the presence of a hero, let's be honest. She just stares for a moment before sliding a bit sideways out of his way. He's everything she wants to be, right? Everything and more. And she's a little bit starstruck for a fraction of a second. Then she hastily grabs a sandwich as well, noting his words and deciding that if it's a precious asset, she'll go ahead and try some.

With her hands full, she can't write, and she's pretty confident he doesn't know sign language, so she kind of just... stares. And looks impressed. And awkward.

B, pls go.

[observationalhazard]

[observationalhazard]

Fortunately, Hanji doesn't seem to notice the way attention shifts just past her and then back. Instead, she's tapping her fingers against the podium she's leaning against, "Well, that's a good question, actually. Fortunately, I have an answer."

She straightens and sweeps her arm to encompass the room, voice picking up in volume as she goes on, "You're all here because you want to fight the kaiju! To serve humanity! Eventually, it might even be your job to kill kaiju using a jaeger. That's fantastic! But-"

She leans forward again, a spark of fanaticism in her eyes, "-what do you really know about the kaiju, besides what they put all over the news? Can you tell me about their DNA? About their anatomy? The best way to disable one? Whether or not pain incapacitates them or if they absolutely havewe don't know about them. As Sun Tzu said, 'Know your enemy'!"