jaegeracademy | [ open ] Valparaíso, Jewel of the Pacific

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[ open ] Valparaíso, Jewel of the Pacific

Characters: OPEN to all!
Location: The city of Valparaíso, Chile.
Date/Time: The first weekend of March (1st & 2nd).
Summary: The first group of Cadets are finally released on the city of Valparaíso. With a curious city wanting to meet them, both Cadets and Staff of the Shatterdome itself will find plenty of people willing and curious to hear what it is they're up to - not to mention complain about the unapologetic ugliness of the Shatterdome.
Additional Notes: Cadets are expected to be in uniform and represent the PPDC at it's best. For more information and any questions, please refer to this post in the OOC community.

Valparaíso is a city with an old reputation, struck hard by the Panama Canal back at its completion, and struggling and rising to a place of cultural prominence since. Nowadays it remains an important sea port along the Chilean coast, though not as busy as San Antonio, and has helped foster artistic communities and a wealth of Chilean culture well worth recognition and appreciation on its own.

For such a beautiful city, the Shatterdome is both an honor and an eyesore. The Cadets from the new program are a subject of gossip and fascination, novelty selling them in the short term in ways that weren't sustainable over time.

For those who hadn't been able to spend time outside looking over the city, Valparaíso provided all kinds of sights and hidden gems, from murals on stairs to a hundred plus year old tram that runs the hillsides, museums paying homage to the 16th Century roots of the city, to statues and architectural structures and beaches galore. Free from the industrial efficiency of the Shatterdome for a short time, where will the Cadets and Staff find themselves today? The possibilities might not be endless in actuality, but they were a far cry more varied than the last two weeks had been!

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Living in a Shatterdome isn't glamorous, but there's something comforting about the appearance of his jacket, that one little bit of the rock star lifestyle he holds to. His shred of pilot's pride. The PPDC giveth and taketh away.

It's a game of waiting, isn't it? Wondering what tomorrow holds, and the next day, and the next, wondering if the kaiju who comes next, or the one after that, or after that is going to be the one to take away everything for her, for someone, for anyone.

"Why don't we have dinner?" ...Because they're not having lunch right now. "I think we'll need more than a little time to catch up."

Edited 2014-03-04 05:55 (UTC)

He doesn't mind living in the Shatterdome, but maybe that's because he's spent so long living on bases that it's just another assignment. But the jacket is very much a comfort thing, one she'll easily pick up on if she knows him well from before. He's a pilot, ranger, instructor, all rolled up into one and he's earned it all. He's earned the right to show it off some, right?

But it is very much a waiting game, and he's come to just try and embrace things as they come along. He's just wondering if she'll get that or not.

"Dinner would be great." He's happy to spend as much time together as she'll allow, okay? "As I think you're right. Anything you want in particular?" For the moment however, his sandwich is down, nearer his lap and not near his mouth.

Chuck snorts into his drink.

"How d'you get kicked outta somethin' like that?"

Seriously?

Please tell him.

Hahaha you poor, poor soul. Hilbert, ever the pushover, can't help but feel bad for Sugane. Even if it's pretty much his own fault for not knowing the language well enough. To be absolutely fair, the same thing would've happened to the younger cadet if he hadn't been so steadfast in pointing out other people's dishes and asking for them... But since he's here, he might as well try to help! As full as he is!

But first, Hilbert'll kind of awkwardly approach him and stand by the table. And crack a joke at Sugane's expense. "Looks like the locals might have some beef with you if they gave you that."

... Right. This was the teacher who was really, really into them. Of course she'd ask something like that. The cadet leans back into the bench, nodding slowly. "If I end up one, though honestly I'm... not really looking forward to that, I'll try. But getting back a kaiju alive is tough, isn't it?"

"It's harder than it looks, that's all." A very small protest and way to save his dignity, which is falling faster than this bell shaped thing. Hand eye coordination was never Hilbert's strong point, and he'd been trying to get better at it, but this is definitely not a game that he'll be winning anytime soon. He sighs, embarrassed by the others' laughter at his continued efforts, and smiles sheepishly. "Do you mind giving a crack at it? Maybe save the honor of the PPDC?"

"You shouldn't get so attached to pets you can't keep," he chided, only half-joking. If the new Jaeger Academy was anything like the one in Alaska, at least half of the cadets would be gone in six months. Some would be screened out thought relentless batteries of physical and psychological testing, while others would willingly withdraw when the training grew more intense.

"These cadets haven't even tried Drifting yet, and that's always the point where recruits start dropping out of the program. It's a lot easier for people to imagine themselves facing a 100-meter-high monster than it is for them to imagine letting someone else peek into all the dark corners of their minds." Tenpou had always idly wondered what it would be like to Drift with someone like Hanji: a like-minded colleague and intellectual equal. Would it be a more efficient way of communicating ideas, without all the barriers of normal conversation? Or would they find that they had their own secrets to hide?

The locals were right. The Shatterdome really was an eyesore compared to the rest of the city, but the city itself... Well, it was a little old for Mike's tastes. Still, it was nice to wander around, look around, exercise his slightly-less-than-conversational Spanish, and smile at the pretty civilians who might smile back. That part, he couldn't help. Flirting was kind of what he did.

But here, more than anything, it seemed what he did was accept snacks in return for photos and conversations - which he stumbled through as respectfully as possible - and a few pictures. People seemed to enjoy the idea of knowing him when, and Mike? He didn't mind having someone perched on his lap for the occasional photo. Or a few addresses tucked in pockets.

He had forgotten the perks of the PPDC. Jaeger flies. What a brilliant concept.

The sight of someone wearing that much clothes was enough to have Mike blinking. The only thing his desert-trained mind was telling him was 'potential heat stroke hazard' followed by a decision: intervene or not.

After all, the guy seemed well enough off. He wasn't falling over yet, wasn't overly pale (or so he thought; his definition of pale was a little skewed), but it was still a reason to keep an eye out. It wouldn't do to have a PPDC officer falling over outside the Shatterdome.

He pronounced that right. It was the locals who usually pronounced it wrong. Still, she frowns at being called by just her first name. So they shared a room. They weren't that close.

"Seems simple enough." How hard could it be? If she could handle a whip, she could handle a wooden bell on a stick. She swings the string upwards and takes one step to catch it, only to have the bell hit her on the arm... hard. That's going to bruise. She winces, biting her lip to hold back the tears that were foolishly trying to fall.

"Foolish--" she stops herself before she sets a horrible example in front of the children. Taking a deep breath, she tries again. She barely avoids getting hit on the face this time.

She considers the prospect of cute alpaca wool hats until she realizes that she almost took fashion advice from someone who was wearing socks with sandals. Oh, the humanity.

"It's Franziska von Karma, Chien Chan," she corrects him. She wasn't familiar with Japanese suffixes, so for all she knew, Chien Chan was his real name and not a cute nickname. Besides, he already has a nickname. He's Slobby McSlob to her.

"The Moai is a priceless cultural product of the Easter Islands and it shouldn't be light enough for you to carry under your arm. That's obviously a fake." How can a man who's so smart about kaijus be so dumb about art? She doesn't narrowly miss hitting a passerby with a bag of fruit. She hits a passerby with a bag of fruit and moves on as if it never happened. "I know this because I handled an art counterfeiting and smuggling case once." More like she tagged along her brother's case like an annoying cartoon puppy, but details.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll let me hang on to one," Hanji shoots back with a grin that's almost evil. Sometimes she really does enjoy the whole 'mad scientist' gig a bit too much. "They can't fail all of them..."

She's fond of the cadets, even if she only knows them vaguely. She likes people in general and her enthusiasm means people usually like her. At least until she starts talking about kaiju. Then they try to excuse themselves without being too rude. She sighs as the talk turns to drifting and lifts her shoulders in a shrug, "True, but that's part of the job they have to do. Everyone has secrets and it's hard to trust people with that, even if you're fighting together, right?"

She scratches her head, "...I wonder what it'd be like to Drift. I've never had to do it."

"I tried it once, in Dr. Lightcap's lab back in Hong Kong." The Pons system had been under development at the time, and the strain of attempting to control a Jaeger's brain-machine interface had nearly killed early testers. Rather than chance harming valuable pilot candidates, PPDC scientists had experimented on themselves and their lab assistants - Rangers weren't the only ones willing to risk their lives to fight the Kaiju. While he and Hanji have perhaps an unhealthy enthusiasm for cryptozoology, it's an obsession born from hatred. The only way they can fight is to understand.

"My assistant had recurring migraines for weeks, and the system overload caused by the poor connection damaged a very expensive piece of equipment. Caitlin and Catherine were cross with me for days..." Tenpou smiles, a little sheepish, and leans on his styrofoam moai. "You know, it's quite possible to get lost in your own mind. Since then, they won't let me near a Conn-Pod... sometimes I still think that I'd like to become a Ranger, though."

"It's Ten-chan," he clarifies with a sunny smile. "It's pronounced just like the number, so it should be quite easy to remember. You can even count on your fingers. As for the moai, Easter Island was annexed by Chile in 1888, and the island falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the Valparaiso region. Real moai are a protected cultural artifact, so naturally this is just a replica for my office. I wouldn't want to break any laws." Tenpou pulls a cigarette from his pack and lets it dangle between his lips.

"I believe you mentioned that you were studying law? You should always research the local administrative zoning legislation. Regulations and by-laws can vary quite significantly from one region to the next, especially when one considers the diverse historical and ethnic makeup of the country." With that, he lights his cigarette and takes a long, deeply satisfying drag. Tobacco always tastes better after he's had a chance to be a smug bastard. Tenpou is usually a very pleasant, agreeable man, but underneath that is a streak of pure, childish pettiness. Franziska insulted his taste in art and that wasn't something he could forgive easily.

"Exceedingly. Ahhh, I probably shouldn't even be asking you. I don't know how we'd contain one, even if we captured it," Hanji replies, sounding a little disappointed at the idea. Despite the age gap and her nominal position of authority, she acts very casual.

"But if all we can ever get is dead tissue, I don't know how we're going to ever really understand them."

A bright grin takes over Raleigh's face as he remembers it.

"To be fair-" He preambles, "it wasn't my fault. Yancy got it in his head-"

Raleigh stops short and points a finger.

"-If you sell this story to anyone I know where you sleep, okay?"

"The fuck--"

Like Chuck would do that.

"Seriously Becket? C'mon."

Scowling.

Hanji wouldn't describe it as "unhealthy". She's not free of bias, though, so she's probably not the best person to ask about her area of interest. ~~Because she'll talk your ear off about it.~~ She perks up when Tenpou mentions having tried it before and she gives him an appraising glance.

"What was it like? Looking into another person's mind like that?"

The idea of becoming a ranger has never really occurred to Hanji, at least not seriously. She enjoys her work now and she's not sure how learning how to fight in a jaeger would really help her (or anyone else).

"Okay, okay." Yeeesh.

Just covering his bases. And also acting as the reflective middle child because you can never be too careful. Chuck is lucky he's never had to deal with sibling sabotage. Yancy is probably out in the town trying to sell him to a restaurant owner or a ferryman or something.

"Just sayin'. Anyway, we were camping and Yancy got it in his head that it would be really funny to go AWOL during the snipe hunt. So we hid out in the bushes for ever to catch the other scouts..and..well..Maybe I scared this one kid a little too good and it turned into this huge thing and. Long story short my brother is demented."

And that is the whole story. Scout's honor.

Tom's Spanish was a whole lot rusty but he ever since he'd learned he'd been assigned to the Valparaíso Shatterdome, he'd been cramming Spanish like no tomorrow. Growing up on the West Coast, he'd picked it up readily enough in his youth. There had been a lot of Hispanic American kids in his classes and it had been the elective language course he'd taken in high school.

But Tom was quickly coming to realize that the Spanish he'd picked up in high school was a whole other beast from the Spanish spoken down here in Chile. Unsurprising considering Montana hadn't exactly been in touch with Latin American slang words and vernacular. Instead, he'd gotten a decent education in Castillo Spanish which was pretty useless in Latin America.

Still, valiantly, the serious young man tried to converse with the locals and soak up some of the culture. The food in particular was interesting to the cadet though he had to be careful not to let any of the filling from the empanada he was currently scarfing down drip on his uniform.

"Esta es muy deliciosa, gracias." He complimented the woman who'd practically shoved the food in his hands. She clucked over him in that local dialect and Tom did his best to mentally translate what she was saying. Apparently he needed more meat on his bones? Maternal instincts were a strange concept to him after all this time so he just smiled awkwardly and tried to gracefully make his escape.

"I don't know how I ordered this much." He ducks his head sheepishly, still kind of intimidated by all the food. He's made a small dent in one corner of the pile, but his progress through the plate is minimal.

"Would you like to have some?"

"Eh?" Sugane blinks in confusion. The joke has managed to go completely over his head, so he's not really sure what Hilbert means. There's beef in the dish, certainly, and it was given to him, but no one has offered to help him eat it so far. Is that what he means?

"I don't understand."

Yuri didn't have any specific goal in venturing out on the town besides just getting away from the oppressive atmosphere of the base. Tough luck he still had to wear the uniform, but it'd feel less stuffy after he broke it in... Alright, no, it wouldn't; he knew from experience. He could pretend, though.

The uniform itself was getting a lot of attention, but it wasn't so bad. He'd just managed to score an apple off of one of the street vendors who had definitively had something to say about the overbearing ugliness of the dome, but Yuri could only guess at what with his only real clues being 'Shatterdome' and the brief, aggrieved look on the women's face. Regardless, she had patted his cheek and sent him off with the apple free of charge, and it was by far the best damn thing he'd eaten all week.

He didn't recognize Tenpou as staff, but he could recognize the signs of someone who had no idea what they were doing. He hastily finished off his apple and tossed the core into an unobtrusive bush, making his way over with his hand sin his pockets.

"Do you... Need some help with that?"

... As much as Hilbert likes his jokes, there's just no fun if the other person doesn't get it. Oh well. Maybe next time. He just shakes his head and stares at the large dish, glancing back at Sugane with a little pity.

"Uh, just forget it. You're not seriously gonna eat all that, are you?"

Her casualness is actually something that he's starting to like about her. Though he's pretty friendly with others, sometimes he finds it hard to feel comfortable around them, so her attitude is really relaxing for him. He can talk freely! Or he feels like he can, anyway.

"And it's not like we can really observe either, huh. Like we do animals and all." Hilbert pauses, thinking himself. "... Do you think they have baby kaiju? Or are they like, sci-fi made."

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[ open ] Valparaíso, Jewel of the Pacific

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