[ open ] Valparaíso, Jewel of the Pacific

[supportadmin]

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!

Comments

Naval Museum + City Streets

[idealord]

Naval Museum

While Hilbert doesn't know much about Chile - and has basics down in Spanish, as rusty as they are - he's actually getting pretty pumped about being out and about on Saturday.

Why?

Well, while he's an avid nerd fan of Jaegers, the Naval Museum has caught his interest too. Though only the exhibits which feature the ships themselves. The rest he's not too interested in, though he takes time off to sit in the inner garden area to rest and entertain locals with his attempts at Spanish conversation. Not doing the most stand up job by far in terms of showing the PPDC at its best.

City

On Sunday, he is still making a fool out of himself - but in an entirely different way. Hilbert's playing with kids! Some of them are younger, which makes this more embarrassing, but there are ones around his age of sixteen and even some a little older. The name of the game is El Emboque. What he gathered was that is was like the cup-and-ball game back home, so with an American's confidence he decided to try it.

And miss every time.

Hilbert was never good at the cup-and-ball game either.

[observationalhazard]

Hanji's volunteered to go along with the cadets, if only to keep a distant eye on them. So it's not a surprise when she finds one of them trying to strike up conversation with the locals in the Naval Museum's garden. She waits for them to finish and then approaches with a grin, "Enjoying your time in the city, cadet? How's your Spanish?"

She's trying to remember his name, but she can't quite place it yet.

[idealord]

To be fair on Hanji's side, Hilbert isn't the most active student in her lectures. Kaiju are definitely not his thing.

"Yes ma'am. It's actually pretty nice here, even if my Spanish isn't up to par. High school didn't prepare me for slang." Sure, the language classes help and he knows basics and all from the mandatory credit he had last year are great... But it's still a totally different experience. He returns her grin, though it's a little nervous. "I'm mostly unused to the popularity."

[observationalhazard]

"Oh?" Her expression perks up and she slumps onto the bench next to him, arms splayed out over the backrest of the bench. She's long-limbed and she just tends to take up a lot of space, where ever she goes.

"Lots of friends at home?"

[idealord]

"I had a lot of people I was friendly with, yeah. You know, classmates and teachers and all. The people in the club I was in. Girls, I guess, even if I don't really care about that..." Hilbert sighs, slouching back with his hands behind his head. The kind of boy you'd come to if you need something, or someone to get something for you, but maybe not the kind you'd invite to parties. It wasn't even like his high school life'd even really started before he'd been able to join in too. But that doesn't bother him too much. He's in love with one thing, and that is Jaegers. "But nothing like this. They weren't kidding when they said that Rangers and all were like rockstars."

But as soon as it's out, he's quick to continue. "Not that I'm saying we cadets are or anything like that, since we're still in training and all, but... Yeah."

[observationalhazard]

"It can be a bit overwhelming - but they're all people, just like you and me," Hanji smiles. Hearing and seeing all of the reactions from the cadets was interesting. Almost all of them had stars in their eyes and were just excited to be there, let alone be in the running for being a Ranger. She leans toward Hilbert slightly, as if she's confiding something.

"Well, you're our hope for the future. Remember that."

[idealord]

Hilbert straightens up a little when she leans in to speak, and after hesitating he nods.

"Yes ma'am, I know. It seems like a pretty heavy responsibility to have though, for those actually going out there." But he was under that too. Rangers are only one part of that hope!

[observationalhazard]

"Just promise me one thing..." Hanji's voice drops slightly, as if she's imparting a secret of great importance, "...if you become a Ranger, bring me back a kaiju."

[idealord]

... 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?"

[observationalhazard]

"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."

[idealord]

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."

[observationalhazard]

"I wish I knew!" Hanji sighs and leans forward, propping her elbows on her knees and cupping her chin in her hands as she stares wistfully across the garden.

"There's so much we don't know about them - they're probably natural-born, somehow. But we don't know why they're attacking us or how we fit into their ecosystem - if they have one. That's the problem with aliens..."

[idealord]

Hilbert finds himself mimicking her position too, though he's only using one hand instead of both. Kaiju seriously weren't his forte or anything, but listening to Hanji be so passionate and interested in it even outside the classroom kind of makes him want to learn more too. Machines were pretty easy to understand in comparison to living things like like kaiju... and people. That's partially why he ultimately preferred them. And the were super cool.

He feels his stomach twisting queasily, but at least his voice doesn't waver in his offer. "I promise I'll be your eyes if I become a Ranger, ma'am. It'll be useful to know too. I mean, we might find eggs or something in one of the Kaiju someday!"

[observationalhazard]

"If they don't decompose like they usually do..." Hanji mumbles, half to herself, mind lost in thought for a moment. Then she seems to snap out of it and her attention is back on Hilbert, smile as sunny as ever.

"I appreciate that! Thanks," she laughs and reaches over to ruffle Hilbert's hair in a somewhat affectionate manner. Although it almost feels like it's more the kind of gesture someone would give to a favored pet.

[idealord]

"Yeah, no problem." Despite feeling more like a pet than a person, Hilbert enjoys the casualness over the nauseating thought of fighting a kaiju one day. Even though he was wanting to work outside rather than inside them... If he'd be better placed as a Ranger, chances are he'd do it. To help protect people and all.

But he does have a question. Kind of wishing he paid more than base attention in class. But he'll definitely do better in the future. "They like, rot really fast, right? Why?"

[observationalhazard]

He'd better do better in class, because Hanji has the power of Pass/Fail over him. And she'll know if he's not studying enough. Not that it matters much right now, because someone is asking questions about kaiju and they really need to be answered. She flashes a wide grin, eyes flashing behind her glasses, "That's a good question! We're not entirely sure yet - we think it has something to do with their chemical and biological makeup and how it interacts with out atmosphere. We don't see anything like it on Earth - nothing decomposes that quickly unless there are certain outside factors acting on it."

She frowns in concentration, "Plus then they become toxic..."

[idealord]

He will! Promise! He's just used to skirting by in school, but that won't cut it here!

"It sounds like a weird defense thing, but I can't even think of what could hunt them..." If anything, assuming they weren't the hunters. Which it seemed they were. Hilbert might be a small time fan of monster movies, but even they didn't really compare.

[inferiorcomplexes]

All that noise was cutting in on her peaceful outdoor reading. Upon further investigation, she found out that it was a bunch of kids playing some silly game with sticks. It seemed simple-looking enough. With her skill with the whip, she can probably do it with her eyes closed.

So it is embarrasing for her to see that one of her fellow cadets is making an utter fool of himself and everything they stood for by being a complete failure at a children's stick game.

"Wow, you--" He seems American. Talking like (her horrible impression of) an American might help him understand her better. "-- absolutely suck at this game. Can I try?" The smile on her lips is her attempt at being friendly.

[idealord]

Instead of being embarrassed right off - that'll sink in in a bit - Hilbert looks really relieved. Thank goodness. Someone who might actually know how to do this right.

"Please! I've been trying for like, half an hour to win, and all I've gotten out of it was my pride being wounded," he jokes slightly. After thinking of the words he needs to use, he asks the group if she can play too in hesitant Spanish. It's a simply enough phrase, obviously, but he doesn't want to embarrass her further.

A little girl hands her one of the toys, and Hilbert grins. "It's all yours... Ah, Franziska, I think? Sorry if I mispronounced that. All you have to do is get the bell bottom onto the stick."

But he couldn't even accomplish that. Ha. Haha. Man.

[inferiorcomplexes]

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.

[idealord]

Please, Franziska they're basically buddies in American terms. Hilbert tries to stifle his laughter the best he can, but it's coming out anyway. Simple, huh. But if she couldn't even get it, then there truly was no hope for the rest of them.

"I thought for sure you'd get it on the first try! I mean, you're pretty good with things like this." It's an attempt to cheer her on, even if it might fail, and one of the boys around fifteen cracks a joke that makes the others laugh. Hilbert doesn't know what they said exactly - something about the cadets' training, for sure - but it didn't sound very nice. Almost like a taunt or tease.

... Maybe he'd take one back to the Shatterdome to practice with.

[inferiorcomplexes]

Buddies are foolish, Hilbert. They're not in a B-rate policeman comedy.

She lets out an annoyed huff, and starts mumbling something about fools and paycuts before trying again. And she succeeds in it. It's probably just a fluke but she does it!

"Haha! Take that, foolish urchins!" She completes that gloat by pointing at the children. "I succeeded in your foolishly simple game geared for fools! Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"

... And in case it was just a fluke, she's going to take one back to the Shatterdome to sooth her aching pride.

[idealord]

But they can be, if you believe!

Hilbert grins sheepishly at the kids - there it is folks - and claps. Even if they're a little put off by Franziska's show of force. Verbal force. Foolish kids.

"Guess that makes me the biggest fool out of anyone! I don't think I could get it in a million years." Oh, well. He'll get it. Someday. Franziska and him can work on it together! Hilbert points at the toy, and hesitatingly tries some Spanish. Pretty slow speaking because he's unsure. "Ah... ¿Tengo el emboque? Quiero jugar en casa. Oh, man, I don't think half of that is right..."

Half of it isn't right. The first half. They laugh at his misspeaking and nod. They'll need them if this is the best they've got.

[boomerangarrow]

Out on the city and walking around, just trying to get used to being outside of the base. That's when she stumbles across a bunch of kids and one of the cadets playing get the cup on the stick. It's pretty obvious that Hilbert isn't doing a stellar job of it.

"Not going too well is it?" Seems like a hand eye coordination type of game. She'd think a cadet would do better at it, but it seems like there are plenty of different backgrounds among the cadets.

[idealord]

"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?"