'Cause he hit you with a chuffleguff.

[wrathfulkhan]

Characters: Gene, Jackie, Deon, Peridot, Avery, and YOOOOUU!!
Date: July~
Location: Oot and Aboot
Situation: Shenananananananabananigans
Warnings/Rating: Will be added as they come up

A. [Gene] | throughout Keeliai | throughout July | open
Keeliai's been weird lately. So many people leaving...it's like a huge swath of the Foreigner population has been decimated. He's pretty sure he doesn't like that. He can be found at the Dojo, most of the time, but otherwise he's working on government or police business, and quietly taking notes and taking tea whenever he has a free moment. (Good luck trying to read the notes, though - they're in Mongolian script. Whatever he's writing, he doesn't want other people to read it.)

B. [Jackie] | Fire Sector | early July | open
Jackie is scouting out places for his date. Which means he's looking at the nicer restaurants, and may be taste-testing! He'd be happy for company.

C. [Deon] | the College | throughout July | open
Deon is hard at work doing research for SI and just for fun. He's not going to lie - he finds the latter more interesting. He can be found all through the college, usually writing or drawing schematics or with his nose in every book he can find about the Dreaming.

D. [Peridot] | Metal Sector | throughout July | open
Peridot's scouting out an area to use as a garage of sorts. Since she doesn't have an actual home base - being a Gem, she doesn't need to sleep, so lodging is unnecessary - she's going to see if she can rent one. And maybe see if she can find that Poe gent. He had mentioned droids.

E. [Avery] throughout Keeliai | throughout July | open
Mochi's arrival has spurred hope in Avery, and so they're out almost every day scouting around for more cats. They're scouring the sectors, occasionally calling out some of the cats' really weird names. "Jam Band? Bramblepelt? Junta? Are you guys out here?"

F. [Deon] | the Morrigan | mid July | closed to Shay
Deon's opted to go see Shay, since he'd be happy of a friend right now, and goes by the Morrigan. Since he has walk-in privileges, he opens the door, shuts it behind him, and walks in on an odd sight.

"Shay? Are you...what are you shaving with?"

G. [Gene] | Raine's apartment, Earth Sector | a day after Raine posts her announcement | closed to Raine
Raine's worst fear has been realized - which means she's lived Gene's worst fear. She'd woken up to an empty bed. And that made his heart hurt with empathy (still weird). He'd gone to the wedding (so recently...) and he'd made Raine's ring for Solomon. Raine's been there for him in the past. It's time for him to be there for her.

He walks to her apartment in the Earth Sector, and knocks on the door with one hand, a small box in the other. "Raine?"

H. [Gene] | House Spicy Iron Dragon | mid-July | closed to Tony
Gene walks into the room he shares with Tony, kicks his shoes off, and grabs Tony by the shoulders, a bit of a crazed look in his eye. Maybe that's due to the lack of sleep.

"We are going to go out on a date," he says, his teeth gritted.

I. [Jackie] | the Hotel | early July | closed to Brigid
Jackie's very nervous about his date. He's gotten all spiffed-up for it, but he hasn't had a date in a few years at this point. So he's waiting in the lobby of the Hotel, wearing a nicer outfit than he usually does, holding a few flowers. They're red and orange.

J. [Gene] | House Spicy Iron Dragon | July 22 | miniplot, y'all!
Gene feels weird when he wakes up. Somehow...smaller. He knew he had a habit of curling up in the night, so he stretches.

Nope. Still smaller.

He scrambles out of bed, thumps on the ground, and realizes his eyes can barely peek over the bed at Tony.

"Shit!"

Then he scrambles down the stairs, trying not to fall down them.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

As long as he got out of the house without anyone seeing him, this would be okay. Last time, this was Zatanna's fault. This time, it probably is too. He just has to get to her.

K: [Gene] | Welcome Center | July 22 | closed to Zatanna
A very annoyed six-year-old stands before the counter. He can't see over it.

"Ahem."

L. [Jackie] | throughout Keeliai | during the miniplot | open
Your friendly neighborhood bartender is now a pug.

With tattoos.

Wearing a little white hoodie.

Have fun!

M. [Deon] | throughout Keeliai | during the miniplot | open
Sooooo the roboticist is now a bright orange robot...not like he'll admit it's him. Except it'll be hard to hide when he speaks, because it's unmistakably Deon's voice, just...synthesized.

N. [Gene] | throughout Keeliai | July 26-end of miniplot | open
It's Gene, everybody! But different. Older. Granted, only by a few years, but those few years make a difference. Like longer hair. And a bit of a mustache. And did he get hotter??

O. [Gene] | House Spicy Iron Dragon | July 27 | closed to Pepper
As is his wont, Gene's made tea. And he's thinking. As is also his wont. This is a familiar attitude, even if the exact look is unfamiliar.

P. [Gene] | The Dojo | July 26 | closed to Tony and Heather
Gene has been sparring with Heather on occasion, and he enjoys the verbal sparring, too. Hasn't changed since he's been altered through the past week, either.

Q. [Jackie] | Brigid's place | end of the miniplot | closed to Brigid
It's been a dog's life, har har, and Jackie's despaired of ever getting back to normal. Well, he's about to wake up normal now. With his hoodie. And nothing else.

Have fun, Brigid!

---

Feel free to PM me or hit me up on plurk at Chatvert if you want a starter!

Comments

I!

[bostonhowler]

So, it's been a while since Brigid's been out on a date. She's not even sure that the other times count as dates. (Spoiler: they don't.)

She's nervous about it. And she's got very little in the way of proper clothing for a date. But, she's got her long skirt and a nice shirt to go with it, and her ballet flats. They're a bit nicer than what she normally wears, so that's something right?

Oh God, she's not ready for this!

All the trepidation disappears when she sees Jackie though. Smiling shyly, she meets him in the lobby of the hotel. "Hi." She's a little breathless.

they're. so. CUTE

[jinzhong]

Oh hell, she's so pretty. Jackie's suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"H-hi." He's dressed in the local style, his soul gem hanging on his neck.

"You look nice." He smiles.

UGH CAVITIES FROM THESE TWO

[bostonhowler]

He's dressed in lovely clothing. She might have to see about getting some more local clothing for more dates. Will more dates happen? She hopes so.

"You look quite handsome." She says, smiling.

MY TEETH CAN'T TAKE IT

[jinzhong]

Oh no she gave him a better compliment!!! Help!!!

"Can I have your hand?" Beat. He realizes what he's said. "I mean, to walk with you!"

C.

[aprettyflyboy]

[If he can at least admit it to himself, Poe is more than a little bit lost. He has heard about the college and wanted to see it for himself, check check what subjects they teach and see if one interested him. But at some point he took the wrong turn and lost track or where he was.]

[craftlife]

Deon looks up when he hears someone come in. "Hello," he says. The other man looks a little bit lost, but Deon's not going to call attention to that. "Looking for something?"

[aprettyflyboy]

"Hello, sorry for the inconvenience." Poe gives the man a smile. So far most of the people he had encountered around the campus were Foreigners but not all of them and he was careful not to accidentally offend any Kedan.

"It's the first time I visit the campus and I'm afraid my sense of direction leaves much to be desired. I wanted to check what classes are available here and if any teacher in this campus was familiar with advanced technology."

G | 10th July, then | :c

[ruinsprofessor]

It takes Raine a while to open the door, and when she does she looks tired, circles heavy under her eyes like she didn't sleep well, or perhaps didn't sleep at all. "Gene," she says, with some small amount of surprise, and almost automatically stands back a little to let him in. "What are you doing here?"

everything is sad and I am literally tearing up right now wtf

[wrathfulkhan]

"You help me out all the time when I'm dealing with my problems," he says. He looks a little haggard as well, like he's been crying and trying to hide it. "I'm here to return the favor. And be here for you, even if you don't want to talk."

He sighs, looking at her in the eyes. "I...understand this depth of grief. Not exactly like this; not for a life partner. You don't have to let me in - I understand if you want to be alone. But I have something for you."

i feel you.

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine opens her mouth, closes it again, and looks at Gene thoughtfully, considering her answer again. In a moment she smiles; it's a sad, tired excuse for an expression, but it's a smile nevertheless. "I have a phobia of deep water," she says, apparently apropos of nothing, and shakes her head, pulling the door open farther. "It was one of the last things we argued about; I... have a propensity for trying to hide weakness from my friends when I shouldn't. Come in, Gene."

She appreciates it, even if thinking back to that conversation with Solomon has made the smile quaver. But she can recognize, at least, that her desire to be alone is rooted in not wanting to present anything less than a calm and collected front for the people who depend on her. In this case--

It's all right, to depend on others every now and then. "I can make tea," Raine offers. Maybe.

D

[no_light]

Kylo Ren should really know better by now than to watch only his Force senses when he is walking down a street and exploring the properties of his darkness-detecting obsidian knife, but here he is again.

This time, barely managing to avoid running into the other person. Progress.

Still, it doesn't stop him from glaring and snapping, "watch where you're going!"

[peridiot]

Oh stars no.

Peridot can't help but snap back. Who did this tall pale human think he was? King of Keeliai? He's not a Diamond, she doesn't owe him squat!

"Why don't you watch where you're going, you clod!"

A

[lasergrenades]

Just when things were starting to get going the new government, a large number of Foreigners - many of them friends - went home. Pepper has tried to keep busy, tried not to let it throw her off balance, but it's been hard. She's tried to keep to her schedule when she's not holed up in her room, but even she needs a break.

Gene's made tea, so Pepper goes to the kitchen to avail herself of some and spots the notebook she's seen him with a few times.

"What're you writing?" she asks, pouring herself a mug.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene looks up when Pepper comes into the kitchen. If she thinks he hasn't noticed how she's kept to herself lately in the wake of losing so many people, she's got another thing coming. But maybe now isn't quite the time for it.

"Notes for the new government," he says, and taps the notebook. "I've been in the library, reading up on the history where I can find it. If we're going to build a structure, we need to know more kedanese history than we do now. Otherwise we may as well be building on sand."

[lasergrenades]

They keep on top of each other, even when they don't appreciate it.

"Good. That's good," she says, nodding. Pepper picks up her mug carefully and goes to the table. She peers at the writing for just a moment before sitting. "Must be like getting back to school. Did you know Tony barely knew what a library was until he came to the Tomorrow Academy? Rhodey ended up doing most of the research anyway. What language are you writing in?"

A

[looksfine]

Fortunately for Gene, Aya's own translation matrix--like that of Keelai--did not extend to written works. She could only read the language of the Guardians, and the occasional vocabulary word of English or kedanese she had committed to her memory banks since her time here.

Which was precisely how she knew the script in front of Gene was neither of those things.

"May I ask what language that is?"

Sheer, innocent curiosity.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene looked up when Aya asked. "Mongolian," he said. "It's the language of my forebears. I was lucky enough to learn it young." So he didn't lose the chance to learn it entirely when Zhang killed his mother.

[looksfine]

"I see." She did not recognize the language by name alone, but could assume it was of Earth origin. One of the many...many dialects that seemed to originate from that single planet out in sector 2814. "Is there another in Keelai who communicates in this language as well?"

H

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony's just finished getting dressed after taking a shower when Gene walks in and demands a date in a tone that seems more appropriate for 'put the money in the bag' than planning couple's day.

"Um. I was just..." Tony almost says 'just about to go do some work.' But, upon further consideration, taking into account Gene's crazy-eyes, Tony decides that maybe that's not the best tack to take. "....thinking the same thing," he finishes. Smile! Ha ha! Good save, Tony!

[wrathfulkhan]

Don't patronize him, Tony.

Suddenly all the fight seems to go out of Gene, and he pulls Tony into a tight hug and puts his head down on his shoulder. He might be crying. You'd never get him to admit it.

"After what happened to Raine and Solomon," he says quietly, "I just...I want to make the most of our time here. Whatever we have left. I love you too much not to."

[highprofilerichkid]

Oh. Well. Jeez.

Tony hugs Gene back. He's not sure what to say, but there's no lack of conviction in his embrace.

"Sure," he finally decides on. "Whatever you want. We'll take the whole day. Just for us." And if anyone needs him at the College, they'll just have to take a rain check.

O

[talktiltheydrop]

Aging around seven years overnight in the middle of everything else that's been happening - trying to build a government, trying to run a police force, and losing a lot of close friends - has not really helped things. But in other ways it's been... strangely cool to see what she's going to look like in the future.

Still, when things get crazy, tea helps. Gene always makes tea, so there's always tea around to help. It's nice, to have that stay the same when everything else feels like it's changing.

"Hey," she says quietly, smiling when she sees Gene. His face is a little different, but she recognizes the attitude. "You're doing that pensive thing," Pepper comments, reaching to pour herself tea. "What's up?"

J

[highprofilerichkid]

"Hwuh?" Tony snorts, startled awake by Gene's exclamation. "Wha— what is it?" He wriggles out of his tangle of blankets and rolls over, but Gene has already leapt out of bed and dashed from the room. "Gene!" Tony jumps up and follows. "Gene, what's wrong?"

He stumbles down the stairs— and nearly trips over an entirely unexpected fun-sized human being.

"What the—" What the heck is a kid doing in here?? Then Tony gets a look at his face.

"...Gene? Oh my god." A beat of shocked silence. "...So that's why your voice sounded so weird." And Tony bursts out laughing.

COMBO TAGBOMB

[starksolutions]

L.

Tony needs a drink. This magic nonsense is entertaining, but... Well. It's a lot to deal with. He hasn't visited the Golden Koi since all this started, so he decides to drop in on Jackie and see how he's doing (and to get that drink).

"Jackie?" He looks around, frowning. Where is he?

M.

Tony tries to spend time in the Metal Sector when he can, even though he doesn't work for Stark Industries anymore. It's good to have a presence in the technological center of the city, he thinks, and it's the sector that reminds him the most of home.

Technological center or not, though, a fully mobile, independent humanoid robot is not a usual sight.

"Whoa," Tony says, doing a double-take. "Hey—" He wheels around and trots after it. "Hey, are you new here?" It's got to be a Foreigner, so it's probably sentient.

N.

First Gene was tiny, and that was hilarious and adorable. Now, instead of returning to normal, he's been fast-forwarded to what looks like about the same age as Tony is now. This is hilarious in its own right, but also surprisingly... pleasing.

Tony looks Gene up and down, nodding approvingly. "Huh. You know, that's a really good look for you."

P.

[celticromanstone]

Heather enjoys sparring of any kind. Honestly, it's nice to have a good sparring match without the verbal pitfalls that come from sparring with Kylo.

"So, darling, this look works for you. You and I should really spar sometime soon." She flicks a glance to the side. "Your friend can watch, if you'd like." Heather purrs at Gene. She knows someone actually committed when she sees it, but she just can't help herself.