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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Shatterdome

Catherine's ready for the freedom. Having been forced from her work by helpful assistants, she finds that she's actually eager to be out and about in fresh air, with a bit of time to think and mull over all her recent research. She also wants time to see the sights, which she's avoided until now, and to perhaps even spy on the worse virtues of both cadets and Rangers.

"At least it's a lovely day."

Standing on what serves as the threshold to the Shatterdome, she adjusts her wide-brimmed hat and checks that she has her purse before heading out.

City

Refraining from enjoying herself too much, Catherine wanders the city more intent on taking in the cultural sights than on causing any trouble. Chilled coffee in hand, she examines the murals, converses fluently in Spanish with the locals, making odd jokes here and there, and setting them at ease about the Shatterdome when applicable. She's charming, some have said, but only when she needs to be. And now, she needs to be. They have a reputation to build and then uphold, and she's accepted her part in that.

If you're a cadet, you might spy her here or there, possibly eavesdropping on your conversation.

Jacob hadn't been quick to learn Spanish, he hadn't really seen a need for it but he had some scraps of it from when he was in school and just by being around some Spanish speaking people when he was in the service. It was really just enough to get him around the city, which is really all he needs and so making his way through the crowd is easy enough that way, even with his smile and he tries to, like Catherine, set folks at somewhat of an ease. His leather jacket, a hold over from his Navy days, has both his old jaeger patch from Zero Atlas as well as his old squadron on it, and just out of habit he has sunglasses on.

Which is probably why he didn't immediately spot her when he was talking with a local, ordering food. In fact he happens to turn around with his food in hand in time to see her.

"Catherine?" And there's some amount of shock there in his voice.

Finally - finally they're allowed a little bit of freedom. Chuck immediately grabs his dog and crams a beach bag full of supplies and books it outta the Shatterdome and heads straight to the shores.

He rents an umbrella for Max and jams it into the ground to secure it, looping Max's leash around it so he can't escape while Chuck's otherwise occupied. He flops under it, digs around in his bag for a bowl and bottle of water and sets it in front of his dog. Then and only then does Chuck strip out of his shirt down to his board shorts, complete with Striker's new logo, and head to take a quick dip to cool off.

Maybe if he's lucky, he can find somewhere to get a surfboard, and he can take Max surfing some time.

She's having a nice conversation with one of the local artisans, and it's going quite well. She thinks she might buy a trinket or something for her office before the day is out, considering how helpful the man is being. However...

"Como--"

Catherine is stopped dead in her tracks by that voice, by her own name. Well, hasn't it been a while since she heard that? Excusing herself politely from the man she's speaking with, she turns around and walks a few strong steps toward Jacob.

"...Let me guess. You've been assigned to the Academy."

Edited 2014-03-02 20:13 (UTC)

The only problem with buying a sandwich while he's out and about is that now he has to keep track of the hand holding it, which means trying not to make it a squishy mess when he sees that yes, it is in fact, Catherine Halsey standing there and approaching him. After paying for his food real quick he joins her in stepping closer, probably a little to close but what is that when you're trying not to show this may be a problem?

Jacob however isn't one to not look someone over and he does, even going so far as to nudge his sunglasses down so as to look at her better.

"I'm an instructor here, yes. Let me guess, J-Tech?"

"Among other things."

She looks him over, too, then, tipping her chin up so she can get a good look from beneath the brim of her hat. He looks... Good. Healthy. Better even than the last time they saw each other, and that was more brief than this is sure to be. They won't get transferred one place or another. He isn't a pilot anymore, so he won't get shipped off into battle.

"How long has it been?"

Stepping a little closer, too, she tries for a smile.

Freedom is always a good thing, and frankly Jacob is a little eager to get out and about in the city to what it's all like. Because it's Jacob however it also means he's a little over dressed for the weather, and he has his leather jacket on, more out of habit than actually needing it with nice, well pressed pants, and a pair of sunglasses on. It's habit, and Jacob screams military even without the patches on his jacket, but he tries not to act like one of them.

Mostly by going out of his way to buy some sampling of local food at quite a few different places around the city, and that's probably what you'll find him doing, ordering or eating local food, with the occasional stop into a shop to see what's in it.

"Never happy with just the one thing."

He actually takes his sunglasses off with his free hand this time, smiling so big and he tries to hang them off his jacket collar. He won't get shipped off to battle no, and that's at least a little more permanent then what they had before, right?

"To long really, I could try and count the days for you if you like." There's a bit of humor there, just enough to show he's teasing.

"I'm never satisfied. You know that much."

Her coffee is shifted from one hand to the other, along with a small tote she'd been carrying. If he counted the days, she might feel a bit guilty, somehow. Maybe she had turned him down those years ago, noting that the end of the world wasn't the best time to make a long-standing agreement with someone, but now she's... Well, she misses him. Frequently. He's in idle thoughts when she's not working, his visage sketched on stray papers and notes from time to time. She isn't a love struck little girl by any means, but they had something so good when they had it, didn't they? Maybe time together wasn't as much as Jacob would have liked, with Catherine being such a workaholic and him being away in the service, but still.

Still.

Screw it.

With her free hand, reaches out for his, then leans in to place a very continental kiss on his cheek.

The beach might not be a new thing to Chuck, and to be fair, it isn't to Raleigh either. But the warm beach, now there's a novel idea. He hasn't been since he was a kid on vacation and after the last few weeks of settling in and acquiring something between heatstroke and cabin fever he's chomping at the bit to get some fresh air.

Valparaíso is great. The Beckets have been into the city before and while small..ish and largely touristy, the general vibe is nice and Raleigh likes the graffiti. It's fun to just wander around and he's found he doesn't get as swarmed as he might somewhere a little more populated. There's a restaurant in the old quarter whose owner has already attempted to marry his daughter off to both brothers. A shame, really, because the food is good and they really can't ever go back without the proposition being made again. The people here aren't shy.

Not that it hasn't happened before. Something Chuck can look forward to.

For now, though, Raleigh's focus is on the warm sand and the cool surf, a small reprieve from the polluted ocean. It might not be great to stay in the water all day and he kind of doubts the validity of the fresh fish in the area, but there aren't any major systems in place to regulate the water so it must be fine. Especially if the people swimming are any indication.

The Beckets have decided to split up for a little while so Raleigh is plodding along alone when he sees Max digging up the umbrella he's clipped to up ahead. He whistles and approaches, thinking he might just know whose dog this is. Unattended towel and bag? Yeah they're definitely not a native. A check of the tag on the collar and there's no question about it.

By the time Chuck comes back from the water Raleigh thinks he might have to adopt the dog and run away. But he hasn't...yet...and is crouched down in his swim trunks and aviators scratching Max behind the ears, a beach bag slung down in the sand beside him.

Take his dog and Chuck will end you Raleigh Becket, no matter how much he likes that pretty face of yours.

Chuck's jogging back up from the water and there's a figure kneeling by his dog and he starts to bark out a snarl, a get the fuck away from my dog until he realizes who it is.

He slows his roll and strides up, dripping wet as he drops down beside Raleigh and reaches for his bag, dragging out a towel.

"Max, meet Raleigh. Raleigh, this is Max."

Raleigh looks up over the rims of his sunglasses and smiles before coming back to Max.

"Hey buddy, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Then, to Chuck.

"Hope you don't mind, I saw him digging the umbrella up. Figured you might need a second pair of eyes while you're in the water."

He rubs his towel over his hair then lets it fall around his neck as he reaches to shove the sand back in around the umbrella, packing it down tight.

"Tsk. Bad boy, aren't you?" He coos a little at the dog, rubbing his head before grinning.

"Yeah mate, thanks. Still a little bugger, barely a year old. Little shit keeps chewing all my goddamn shoes up."

Raleigh snorts, playing with the wrinkles behind Max's ears. Bulldogs. What weird little animals...must have been hilarious as a little puppy.

"He'll grow out of it."

He guesses in any case and flops back into the sand, looking out over the ocean.

And then waiting all of three seconds to scoot out into the sun and lay down. In the sand. No fucks given.

"You're lucky no one saw him out here and snatched him." Could have been a major score for a small time crook. Then again that would mean incurring the wrath of the Hansens.

He had been about to answer, because he did know how she was. Which is why he only teased her with the number of days, he's not out to make either of them feel guilty here. They'd been busy, he was in the service and she had her work, what they both did was important and he couldn't ever make her feel guilty about that. But he could just keep quiet himself how often she cropped up in his thoughts, the teasing from Andrew when they'd been piloting together about her, how he had thought about writing to her after the car crash. She was still, really in the end, his friend, even if they weren't anything more than that. What they had was wonderful, but being on good terms with her was important as well.

So you know, a totally continental kiss on his cheek? Is totally fine, and he squeezes her hand as he ducks his head down, both to make it easier on her and to kiss her cheek in return.

"No,you never are. Coffee any good?"

"Mhm. Hopefully."

He snorts as he watches Raleigh, and leans back on his hands, letting Max crawl over him in order to flop between Chuck and Raleigh, his head poking out into the sun and resting on Raleigh's thigh.

"I was watching. They wouldn't've gotten far, 'n when I caught my fist woulda been up their ass. No worries, mate."

"Oh, I don't doubt it." He answers, moving one arm to prop his head up a little and the other to absently pet Max. He's always wanted a dog.

Oh- Raleigh props himself up and gropes for his bag, pulling out two glass bottles of what he's pretty sure is sparking lemon-aid and offering one up. Only right to share seeing as he's crashed your beach spot. It's not beer..which damn he could go for one right now, but there have been weird tremors coming out of the breach and so none of them are allowed to drink. Soda it is.

"So you're you settling in? Feel weird to be back at an Academy?"

Max snuffles and shoves his head against Raleigh's hand, adjusting a little to be more towards the petting hand than his owner.

Traitor.

But Chuck's relaxed anough to not really give a fuck and he takes the offered soda with a pleased expression, twisting it open.

"'S a little weird, but seein' as I'm not really a cadet..." He shrugs, and takes a sip. "'S just like other 'Dome's, I guess."

"Superb. This one, at least. Well worth the money."

Looking up at him brings back way too many memories that she tries to ignore at all times, but she doesn't want to move away just yet. Being closer to him than she has been in a few years makes her feel warm and comfortable all over again. She hates it, on one hand, wondering if she looks somehow weak and vulnerable. But on the other hand, it's Jacob. And he's wonderful.

Glancing down again, she notes his food and frowns.

"I've interrupted your lunch."

Raleigh answers with a sort of non-committal shrug, not exactly sure what response he was expecting. Something along the lines of the one he got, actually.

Chuck is more or less right. A little more staring, more questions, a lot of prancing around in his drive suit, but hey. Free food.

"Brand spankin' new and you'd think they'd put air-con in the Ranger quarters."

Chuck barks out a laugh.

"Too hot for you, Becket?"

It doesn't really bother Chuck - he's used to heat, high temperatures. Humidity, too.

He whines for emphasis before laying back in the sand.

"Sometimes I'm pretty sure I'm dying."

Which is dramatic, he knows, and it really isn't that bad...just culture shock. For someone with such a reputation for being adaptable to any situation this is just one big ol' exception.

"If you're cold you can just put on another layer. If it's hot you're out of luck and the last option is to peel your skin off which I'm pretty sure sucks."

"Some benefits then, to being out of the country."

He just stays smiling even as he pulls his head back, away from her even though the temptation is there to keep close to her and rest his cheek against hers. He's not allowed to be like that with her though, is he? But he does enjoy having her around so keeping her close is the name of the game, at least for now. He squeezes her hand again, chuckling.

"No, you're seeing me in the middle of my culinary tour of the city."

"I hate being cold," he says decisively, taking another sip of his drink, squinting out at the sparkling water. "This is much better. 'S fuckin' gorgeous out here."

Bundling up sucks. He hates it.

"Shall we go somewhere that's a little more conducive to eating?"

In other words, somewhere quiet they can sit and talk and either catch up or make plans for the foreseeable future. If they're going to be around each other, they're going to have to keep the peace or keep their distance. The reunion may be sweet now, but with his temper and her sourness, it could go south fast.

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[ open ] Valparaíso, Jewel of the Pacific

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