0008: NEW ARRIVAL BRIEFING

[crux_npcs]

Who: New Arrivals, Graham Baker
Where: Briefing Room
When: Late afternoon, Aprilo 29th
Warnings: None

When awakening, the immediate surroundings are swarming with activity and very chaotic. The people in the medical ward are polite and understanding, but firmly refuse to answer questions until the briefing. Especially not after some group of kooks earlier decided that they'd throw a tantrum and bug out of the hospital before anything can get said. Either given hospital outfits resembling very comfortable pajamas, drone bodies, or their own bodies, they are escorted by polite, unyielding people in red and black uniforms to the briefing room. Fortunately for the robots, things are much more organized.

The Briefing room is large. Not enough to accommodate a giant, but spacious enough for several dozen people. The tiles are black and featureless while the walls are nice, soothing colors. The chairs are high-backed and well-cushioned, more like comforting eggs floating a foot or so off the ground than anything else. Set into the ceiling and floor near the front is a large holographic projector. The floor in front of each seat also has a smaller projector, allowing people to see what the bigger device is showing without having to angle for a view. As of now, it merely displays a rotating pyramid.

Ten members of Security line the walls and various exits, looking rather displeased to be here. Graham Baker, a balding man in an ill-fitting suit, stands at the head of the room with an easy smile, seemingly unbothered by any previous ruckus.

[Questions to the NPCs will go in the briefing thread. The rest of the post is there for people to mill about and do whatever with. The mods will not be doing hangar/medical awakenings unless it's specifically asked for.]

Comments

[chaoscontroller]

Shadow was, of course, oblivious about anyone else's reactions to his words. He had his own issues to deal with in that the moment and he'd rather focus on not creating a crater in the middle of the briefing room if he allowed his emotions take the best of him. Despite of his efforts, though, to observant eye, there might be the random sparkle of energy coming from the hedgehog, as a electrical malfunction.

However, Shadow did feel a heavy stare on him, turning almost automatically to meet yellow eyes looking rather seriously at him. There was no recognition in Shadow's features for this individual, but he did stare long and hard, if only because the other looked like someone that could come from Shadow's world, but a moment later, the hedgehog turned back to the front of the room again.

[espio]

Espio, however, didn't take his eyes off Shadow when he turned away. He had no idea whether he had been recognised or not, and Shadow did not seem very interested in him, but still the fact it was Shadow played on Espio's mind. He flinched when he spotted a small crackle of energy, but it didn't seem to mean anything.

Finally, though, despite his head still buzzing, he realised he was staring and averted his eyes, glancing anywhere but at Shadow - At Marco, at Baker, at the floor.

"Damn..." he murmured softly to himself, thoughts turning to absolute chaos.

[fierybluebird]

Marco glanced over at the chameleon, he seriously doubted that the information from the briefing was causing the usually most straight-laced member of their team to swear. He tried to follow Espio's gaze, but he doubted it was the floor either. A quick scan of the room however, revealed Shadow. Ah.

Without a word of explanation, Marco completely picked up the chameleon and held him in an iron-tight hug. If it'd been Blackbeard, would he have been able to restrain himself enough to wait to make sure that it was the "right" Blackbeard? Probably not, and aside from which, there was no good Blackbeard. Only a dead Blackbeard.

"Just don't go it alone," Marco quietly whispered as a reminder.

That had been Ace's downfall, and the downfall of the whole family in a way. Maybe if he'd never left Thatch's side... tch. Too many maybes and what ifs. He couldn't change the past, but he could learn from it.

"And he might be a different one."

Maybe. Not that it was any consolation. But Espio had a stronger conscience than Marco ever would.

Even so, he kept holding on. Just in case. And because murdering people in a crowded room of officials like this was a bad idea. And more importantly, Marco wanted to remind Espio he was still there for him, no matter what, even no matter how much Espio objected and kicked him in the face for it.

[espio]

Scooped suddenly out of his seat, Espio was momentarily confused, but knew it had to be Marco. Who else would pick him up so casually like that? But hugging him in front of everyone, especially when he had a deadly enemy present? Really?

"I know," he hissed, quietly, glaring upwards. "Now put me down! You're embarrassing me!""

[fierybluebird]

"No, and stop acting like Ace, it just makes me want to squish you more," Marco deadpanned and stuck his tongue out. "Would you feel better if I switch to phoenix?"

[espio]

"No, I'd feel better if you just put me down!" Espio complained, punctuating his protest with a kick.

[fierybluebird]

"Not happening," Marco kept on deadpanning.

Never underestimate his phoenix stubbornness.

[espio]

"What, I have to sit through this whole stupid briefing with my idiot Captain squeezing me to death?!" If nothing else, it was at least providing him with a solid distraction from the main problem, though his voice was rising a little in his frustration.

[fierybluebird]

"Aye!" A giant happy smile.

Seriously, now that he knew what his mistake was, confirmed a few theoretical suspicions, and was fairly certain that he could find Thatch and Ace and Namur again, he was in a much better mood.

[chaoscontroller]

It's impossible not to hear the small quarrel the pair is making, even if Shadow can't exactly listen what it is all about. But he does turn back at them, if only merely glancing over his shoulder with a mostly curious stare than a judgmental one. He's completely distracted from the briefing by how close those two seem to be.

Aren't they lucky?

Not that Shadow cared being alone... It was alright, it was how things were supposed to be. If he was there it was because of an accident, otherwise he'd probably be dead. Shadow wouldn't want any of the people he met before to be stuck with him in there, in the middle of a war. Sonic and the others were where they belonged, or so he hoped. He? He had always been the one that didn't quite belong in that picture, his part in that tale was over. And it was alright. Even if he cannot stop staring at them.

[espio]

"Oh, great, now we have his attention..." Espio muttered, returning Shadow's stare with a glare of his own.

[fierybluebird]

Marco just gave Shadow a light friendly wave of his own. Couldn't hurt.

[chaoscontroller]

The glare was easily ignored. It wasn't hard to assume that the chameleon (it was a chameleon, right?) didn't seem to be enjoying his friend's attention in public, Shadow would probably fluster in the same way. Or not... he wasn't even sure. But it was the waving what was completely unexpected.

The hedgehog tilts his head slightly and a blinks couple of times... What should he do? Ignore it or reciprocate it?

In the end, Shadow didn't bother waving back, but it was obvious the gesture didn't go ignored as he held his non threatening stare for a mere second or two. Then again, he turned back to the briefing, even if his whole attention wasn't in it anymore.

[espio]

With Shadow's attention off them again, Espio allowed himself to go limp, speaking to Marco with a flat voice. "Seriously. You can put me down. I swear I am not going to try to murder anyone in a room surrounded by uniformed security staff with unknown technology at their disposal."

[fierybluebird]

A pause as Marco rapidly thought that over. Granted Espio was sensible to the point of making Marco look rash, but it wasn't just that he was keeping him from doing something reckless. He wanted Espio to know he was with him every step of the way. If Espio said to attack and kill, Marco would without thinking twice. And emotionally, Marco knew that if Blackbeard was anywhere near him and he wasn't allowed or able to instantly attack and kill him, he'd want his entire family tackling him in hugs to hold him calm.

Wording all that however was the harder part.

"I know. That's not why I'm still hugging you, yoi." It was vague, but maybe Espio would figure it out.

Besides, with the realization that they were in fucking outer space without a planet's gravity holding them "down" and instead a fake gravity that Marco didn't know how to deal with yet, and unknown pilots and the vacuumous lack of air outside the ship, he wanted the reminder that Espio knew this kind of thing and was familiar with it.

"But if it's bothering you that much I might let go." A sly grin, "Maybe."

[espio]

"Yes, I know." Marco always did the 'never letting you go' hug when trying to remind him that he wasn't alone, especially given Espio's more recent problems. "But your sense of time and place is terrible."

[fierybluebird]

"If I waited for better openings, I'd never get anything done," Marco argued, blatantly ignoring how his terrible sense of timing also basically ripped his family from the Balamb Garden in the middle of the war. Oops?

[espio]

"You're hardly accomplishing much now," Espio pointed out. "Put me down, and pay attention."

[fierybluebird]

Marco sighs, but reluctantly puts the chameleon back in his seat, before fidgeting, and tucking his feet crosslegged underneath him and spreading his arms out on either side of Espio and Grell's chairs respectively. Maybe it wasn't paying attention, but he looked like he was in his element at least.

Talk about a 180 degree turn from earlier.

[espio]

Espio gave a small huff, and folds his arms irritably. Still, at least Marco had provided him with something of a distraction from Shadow... but he could at least not act as though he was completely comfortable with the situation.