Looking ahead, looking behind

[rekindledtitan]

Anyone who’s spent much time in the Nexus may have spotted the robotic soldier in plate armor before, striding by on her (self-assigned?) patrol routes. For the first time in some weeks, however, she’s not in motion. She’s sitting on a bench in the Plaza, making repairs to a length of cloth embroidered in red and white. Still fully armed, of course, but the space rifles are stowed at her back. Her tiny companion floats beside her in its silver shell, panning a bright blue gaze over their surroundings.

Not being the kind of person who likes sitting quietly (less so than usual, of late), it’s only a moment between her sitting down to work and posing a question to those around her.

“So, I’m wondering. Who do you trust to guide you? What kind of people set an example you'll work to follow?”

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[smartass_captain]

The captain is in uniform today, his brisk stroll toward the shopping district faltering to a stop when Blaze posts her question to passers by. She gets a short wave from Jim before he turns on his heel and heads their way.

"Folks that aren't here anymore. That believed in me. Nowadays, my crew. We watch each other's backs."

He folds his arms over his chest.

"It's been a while. How goes the crusade?"

[rekindledtitan]

She can't fault his dress sense, that's for sure. The Exo lifts a friendly hand in reply to his greeting.

"That's a hell of a feeling, getting to work with the people you admire. Spurring each other on. 'Course, sometimes you don't admire them much until you've seen what they can do."

She chuckles at his question. "Going strong and hard. Almost starting to think it's getting easy. And it's Jim Kirk, right? How're you holding up?"

[smartass_captain]

He likes the uniform, and besides, it's a space ship where every ounce of weight counts. He doesn't have a lot of spare clothes. Some, but not much.

"Pretty sure most of the crew couldn't stand me until they saw what I could do, so I can't say I blame them." Jim isn't usually known for making great first impressions unless they're the flirting variety.

"Pretty good. Blaze and...Ghost, was it? Glad to see you guys here. Must mean something's going well back home if you can leave the fight for an afternoon."

[rekindledtitan]

“Seriously? Something you did, or were you just running your mouth?” Blaze sounds amused beneath the curiosity. He doesn’t seem that bad from a whole five minutes of talking.

She nods confirmation of their names, Ghost bobbing in agreement. Her little friend has less expression to work with, but he seems equally curious about Jim, not least by the way he strays out ahead of her shoulder to listen. “Heh, the way the Vanguards talk it hasn’t gone this well in centuries. This last year we’ve stopped two invasions in their tracks and ensured our enemies took nearly all the casualties. Couldn’t even guess how much leadership some of them have left in the system. They’ll regroup, but we’re going to make it cost them.”

“Of course, we do have instructions to keep an eye on the Nexus anyway,” Ghost adds.

[westfallcorndog]

It's Ghost! And that big bot he hangs with. Despite how awkward it is every time Harrow starts conversation with these two he approaches with a casual smile. Between his lips is a half-smoked cigarette, and on his person are obnoxiously summer clothes: A sleeveless shirt, short shorts. At least he's wearing boots. Still, it's nothing as close to the respectability of Blaze's new digs.

"That ain't an easy question. Is bein' good with someone else in mind the same as followin' their example? Or does that only make 'em your compass?"

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze gives him a short nod, pausing her work just long enough to glance over him. “Guess that depends on what you mean by a compass.”

Not the friendliest greeting, but at least it’s more tempered than their usual start. And neither she nor the Ghost is getting tense about his presence – the little bot flashes a little in what might be a greeting. Could this signify some progress?

[westfallcorndog]

Harrow wiggles his fingers in greeting to the Ghost, but otherwise allows the little guy to float in peace. Don't want to scare that delicate robo-bird.

"A compass? Like... Someone who..." Hmm! This is a harder question than he thought. He feels at his jawline as he searches for the words he wants to define this.

"A leader is someone who does somethin' and you follow their example, but a compass is... Someone who you imagine lookin' over your shoulder when you're actin'. You gotta judge your actions by how you think they'd react. It helps guide you toward goodness. Right?"

He looks between the Ghost and Blaze.

"Were you talkin' about a leader, then, or a compass?"

[rekindledtitan]

"Sort of like the difference between a practical example and a moral guide?" the Ghost suggests quietly.

"Hmm." Blaze has to think about it for a long moment. "Both. Either. I think they ought to be the same thing. Suppose I can see how they might not be."

[hellburger]

There's an old man bundled up tight against the cold. A formidable beard spills out underneath the bright yellow scarf wound around his face. "Not many people fit the bill, I'll tell you that much."

He realizes his voice is muffled and pulls the scarf down a little. "But if I've gotta break it down, someone with experience. Someone who knows what the hell they're doing and keeps a level head while doing it."

[rekindledtitan]

His voice is familiar, prompting her to look up and study the visible part of his face for a minute. It’s not usually hard for her to place a Nexus acquaintance.

“Not something you can judge too quickly, most times. Want to make damn sure they earn that trust, huh?”

[hellburger]

If Miller registers her attempts to try to place his (much older) face, he doesn't offer any help. In fact, he clears his throat and pulls his hood closer.

"Absolutely. Especially in a combat situation -- put too much faith in the wrong person and you end up dead." He punctuates that with a derisive snort.

"What about you?"

[rekindledtitan]

Huh. That is unhelpful. It’s really cold for humans though. No surprise if he wants to huddle up. She’ll just have to ask if she knows him – that beard is throwing off her comparisons badly and the shades he’s wearing are worse.

“Talking qualities, I’d rate experience and discipline high as well. But there are other things, too. Honor, honesty, valor. Holding steadfast under fire.”

[bestdadinamestris]

"Feeling a little lost these days?" Hughes takes a seat next to Blaze without asking. They're friends, so that's cool, right?

"For me, I often look to my wife for advice. I can't follow her into battle - mostly because of our difference in occupation - but she's never lead me astray. As for work itself? I trust my friends to be at my side, and let me know if they think I'm on a bad path. In return, I do the same for them. Makes us a good team." It's nice that he's got his body back now so he can offer a genuine smile to Blaze. It feels much better to be able to do that.

[rekindledtitan]

He’s welcome to join her – she’ll even budge up to give him more of a dry spot and direct her armor's thermal regulation systems to radiate her waste heat his way. It’s a subtle effect right now, but she remembers it all counts when you're human. She still snorts at his question. “I don’t get lost.”

“Heh. Set your sights close to home. Guess that’s no surprise. Glad you’ve got people you can count on.” People he cares about so deeply. “What about your superiors, though? You don’t look to them too?”

[bestdadinamestris]

A little extra warmth is always appreciated. "Sounds like you are." He smirks her direction. The teasing has a lot more impact when he can back it up with a look like that.

"That's... more complicated." He didn't really explain that part to her while they were swapped, did he? "Several of my comrades in arms are my superiors. Others might as well be, given their experience and expertise. I still take orders from the top, but things are uneasy back home right now. I can't always trust what I'm told."

[rekindledtitan]

“If my enemies are in front, and my allies at my back, then I’m in the right place,” she retorts confidently. “Hard to get lost that way.”

His explanation makes her look up with a frown. She doesn’t care for the idea of her friend being at the mercy of anyone – any chain of command – that’s less than trustworthy. “Doesn’t speak too well for your leaders.”

[red_room]

"The people I work with. Some moreso than others."

Natasha has a new found respect for the Exo since their last conversation in the Nexus. It still feels strange, opening up to the people she knows should be her mission. But Natasha is careful, and she doesn't do anything without thinking through the consequences.

Blaze is someone she feels she can put a certain amount of trust into. It's more than she can say about most others.

"Do you need a hand with that?" She gestures to the fabric. "Might not look it, but I'm pretty good with a needle."

[rekindledtitan]

“Good to hear.” It’s sincerely said, Blaze’s optics brightening warmly at the familiar face. She knows there are reasons to be a little careful about other military groups. Not to mention the timeline difference. But their business and their goals are basically the same, and that’s what matters to her. Plenty of people see it as more complicated than that. That’s their folly.

Natasha’s offer gets considered for as long as it takes her to blink. Then she shifts up a bit, gesturing at the seat beside her. “Sure, I’ve got some spare. Thread’s heavier stuff than civilian wear, but I’m guessing you’re used to that.”

[red_room]

"You could say that." Natasha quirks her lips in what could almost be considered a smile before she takes a seat. "It's a lot less thick than sewing sutures." She quips before she gets to work.

"What about you?" Natasha asks after a moment of comfortable silence.

[pathfromdarknesstogrey]

As cold as the bloody Nexus still is, Dia herself is still dressed for it in her heavier longcoat and other clothing. She's seen Blaze around, as unique Nexusites tend to draw her gaze, if nothing else to at least note their presences.

"Trust is still something I'm finding that I have to really re-learn." She replied after a few long moments of thought, arms crossed, "It's not easy, when it's been bloody broken."

[rekindledtitan]

“Leaves you wondering where to place it, huh?” The Guardian nods to her, looking curious: the face she knows, but they haven’t spoken before. The style of her gear isn’t so different to the Warlocks back home: she might almost think she’s talking to one of her Awoken comrades.

“Must have been a hard betrayal. Someone close?”

ah, the joys of closing the wrong tab and eating the tag you have half written.

[pathfromdarknesstogrey]

"Leaving you wondering where to place it, who to place it with, and when to do so." It didn't help that most of her teenage and adult life had left her in a society where suspicion was the norm. Political games and finding new and creative ways to off one another without it being directly tied to whoever did it.

Oh, sure. It was technically against the code and law to do so directly, but that didn't stop various Sith from finding ways around the rules. Such 'accidents' were common in eliminating rivals.

She shifted her weight, frowning for a moment as she debated how to explain before continuing, "And it.. sort of was. I was expecting something like it, but expecting it and experiencing it are two different things. Particularly when my former Master," as in Teacher, although in the terms of the Sith and their Empire, the lines could occasionally be more than a little blurred--especially as Dia had been a Slave prior to being sold to the Empire and conscripted as a Sith, "Decided to leave me to bloody die when I didn't quite live up to expectations."

To her credit, the tone was a sort of tired deadpan in the explanation. Not that she was tired of explaining it so much as just tired of it period. Dia understood having to explain herself here--simple logic, really: She was an unknown.

It was refreshing.

At least it was better than having to hide her identity, or being straight up noticed as the Sith Exile.

(honk honk. first ever post. i'm new at this. honk honk)

[rock_on_the_run]

Hambergite cautiously approaches the titan. She was more than twice his height and that alone was intimidating enough to make him feel more than a little bit nervous about the encounter. She also appeared to be heavily armed, that was also a pretty big factor.
Standing next to the titan Hambergite responds after a deep breath.

“W-well I don't really have that someone. Where I'm from, other gems really admire and follow our leader, White Diamond, but I’ve never met or even seen them. And so far everyone else I’ve ever run into has wanted to hurt me so I just have to rely on myself for everything…”

The young gem's words trail off and he zones out for a moment as he stares at the titan’s ghost floating nearby. He snaps his thoughts back together before continuing his train of thought.

“Do you ever feel like you need help when you’re alone, or have you always had something to trust in?”

Awesome! Welcome aboard! :)

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze gives him a friendly nod when he approaches. She’s safely occupied with the needlework in her hands, mending the rents and holes that come from exposure to sustained combat. Still, she looks up with something of a frown at his answer, lowering her needle. The Ghost drifts closer too, still keeping shyly behind its Guardian for now. The newcomer’s questions deserve a bit of thought before she replies.

“Guess I’ve never really been alone. Even out in the field I’ve got my Ghost to guide me, not to mention the Light. But there was this one time, when I was first- newly born, let’s call it. The two of us were stuck out in the wilderness for a while. Enemies closing in on our trail while I was still trying to make sense of who I was and what kind of place we were in. Both of us figuring out what to do as we were going. When we finally found another friend out there it was a hell of a relief. Probably the most isolated I’ve ever been.”

She shifts forward a bit, leaning an elbow on one cloth-covered knee. “So why does anyone want to hurt you?”

Re: Awesome! Welcome aboard! :)

[rock_on_the_run]

Hambergite perks up a bit and lets out a small snort before responding.

“Back on my home world, people aren’t really pleased whenever things they used as objects and tools decide to form up a body and then start thinking and acting for themselves.”

“But I guess I’m still ‘newly born’ like you once were? There’s still a lot that I don’t really know. It's scary sometimes.” He shrugs and scratches the back of his head.