Time for a big ol' Nexus Block party

[sumarusfinest]

On a sleepy summer morning a wonderful smell begins to waft throughout the Nexus. For those familiar with this place there can only be one explanation but for those new faces to the nexus this may be a strange thing: seeing so many people flocking toward the sweet and savory scents perfuming the Nexus.

There are a few tables set out this morning in the Plaza in front of a small cafe loaded with several carafes of coffee, a myriad of pastries from more than a few different worlds and cultures, and a large pan of eggs and sausage kept warm over a chafing dish. On either end of the table are disposable plates, cups, and cutlery as well as a few welcome pamphlets in a small container. Along the front of the tables is a hand made banner.

Meet and Greet

Manning the tables is Katsuya Suou, red apron on and a cup of coffee in hand. He looks far too cheerful for how early in the morning it is. It's always satisfying to put one of these on and see the throngs of different people stuck in line together to get their food and find a place to sit among the tables and couches nearby.

"Right then, is anyone hungry? I've got more than enough here for everyone so please mingle among yourselves or feel free to ask me anything you'd like."


((OOC: This thread is ALL ABOUT threadjacking and hopping. I encourage folks to tag on each other's comments and mingle rather than to reply only to me. This is a huge opportunity to have your characters interact with people they wouldn't have talked to before. Branch out! Meet new people! Scheme new schemes! Steal the last chocolate croissant!))

Comments

[rekindledtitan]

"I'm afraid the, um, explosion flung us into separate nightmares," Ghost says quietly. Even now, thinking about it makes him drift down, closer to the bigger bot. "It looked like an abandoned spaceship, and there was a... creature in the vent system. Our friend Adia was there, but... not having my Guardian there was the hardest part."

"I was worried about you too." Blaze reaches up to touch him, just for a second before she looks back at Jesse. She's lousy at bluffing, so rather than even a fake sort of cheer in her voice, it comes out gruffly determined. "Everyone made it, though. Think a couple of people came out with injuries. Not us, though."

She gives his hand on her arm a pat, as gently as she can. Does her best to lighten her tone for Jesse. The things Blaze won't share openly can be counted on one hand. As hard as it is to even think about telling him the whole truth this time, holding it back is almost painful. "...Thanks, though. For getting all concerned."

[notalldead]

"Abandoned ship with somethin' creepin' in the vents? Hot damn, this sounds like a nightmare all right. Or somethin' outta a horror movie. Glad y'had someone with ya, though. Ain't nothin' worse than being alone in a nightmare on top of everything else goin' on in it."

Part of him still wants to be angry that this happened at all, and that anger manifesting towards whatever psychic caused this. Even though his better judgement and kinder nature reminds Jesse that it was an accident. At least according to Blaze, it was. But still, if someone's capable of that sort of thing, shouldn't their failsafes be more secure? Shouldn't they be more careful about being around others? It's not fair and it's not right. It's like walking into a place with your gun in plain sight and no safety on. Irresponsible to the point of it being condemning.

He's shaken out of his scornful thoughts when Blaze speaks to him again, however. And he's kind of glad for it. No use and no good getting mad at something that already happened by someone who didn't mean it. "I mean, that's what friends are for, right?" Jesse gives her a small, rueful smile. "Gettin' fussed over one another? I got faith in y'both to always come out on top in a scrap, but I sorta wish there weren't scraps t'begin with!" He laughs a little.

[rekindledtitan]

Jesse's anger is reasonable, honestly. And Blaze's attitude might be different if she'd ever happened to run into the man responsible in the year since then. As it stands, he's remained out of sight and out of the Exo's troubled mind, easily forgotten amid her more immediate problems.

And though thinking back on the Nightmare - taking Ghost from her, what it did to everyone around them - her feelings about the Nightmare are... tinged by hindsight. She did learn something in the Nightmare, after all. It may have saved her from a worse - and more permanent - fate.

It's also true that Blaze can't say the same for anyone else. As far as she can tell, Ghost's recovered fine, and look at him right now. He's gone quiet beside her again, shell spinning back and forth once. She knows how many details he's leaving out there. Not that she can throw any stones. He doesn't complain when she uses his story as a distraction.

She chuckles along with Jesse, more amused than he is. "You're talking to the wrong bot for that. If there weren't battles to fight, there'd be no use for me." She gives Jesse's shoulder a small, playful shove. "Think I need to convince my friends not to get so fussed all the time. Even though it is- hm. Kinda nice."

It's touching, to know that they care, even if she feels their fears can get a little absurd. None of her friends in the Nexus have seen her really hurt and none of them ever should... because as far as she's concerned, any battle that dangerous is one they have no place in.

"So, you found a new camp all right? Somewhere safer for the kids?"

[notalldead]

Imagine how Jesse is gonna respond when he gets the description of the man responsible for the Nightmares. Either of them. He wears a WHAT on his head? He's a spider with a WHAT kind of head?

"Hey, not havin' any battles to fight don't make you useless. Just means yer gonna find a whole new purpose. Or at least some interestin' hobbies." Maybe Blaze can take up a sport. Baseball's fun!

Having the conversation turned back onto him is strangely reassuring for the cowboy as well. He's concerned, deeply so, for both the robots he's speaking with. But maybe talking about more positive developments and not worrying about even more fiascos his friends were needlessly put through would help him settle back into Nexus life. "Yeah, we done set up shop in another subway we found in a place called Castlegar. Picked up another Rotten along the way too! Fella named Clark. Kind of a bigmouth and as bossy as a school marm, but still one of us. Hopefully he calms down once he's got his bearings with the gang. And now that we're back up towards Canada, we're startin' to hear stories about there bein' a place nearby that was workin' on a cure! So things are lookin' up fer me and mine, I think."

[rekindledtitan]

No matter how much Blaze avoids discussing the whole Nightmare thing, it's going to come back up. There's no way she can let her friend go without warning him who to look out for. And that's going to make some fun description, especially considering she's working off secondhand accounts.

There's a moment, when Jesse reassures her, where the Exo tilts her head and lifts her brow plates and it's hard to say if she looks doubtful or amused. "Hmm. Well, I'm never gonna run short of enemies. Good thing too: I already got stuck on the whole hobby thing."

They'll figure it out, though. And in the meantime, it's cheering to hear Jesse talk about his new home. A new friend too! And... "That's wonderful news! It's about time you all caught a break like that. Hope your new territory stays quiet enough for you to come visit us a whole lot more." Her voice softens, the Exo reaching up to clasp his shoulder. "And... I hope it pans out, with this cure. I can't imagine anyone better to find it." Nearly everyone in his world deserves far better than what they've received, but his people have been through so much.

"Whatever happens, I'm glad you made it back. Hasn't been the same without you around."