ximilialog | MINGLE | The "Everyone's Tired and Hungry" Post-Mission Pizza Party

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MINGLE | The "Everyone's Tired and Hungry" Post-Mission Pizza Party

CHARACTERS: Everyone! A free-for-all general chill-out time, thrown haphazardly together by a mad scientist.
LOCATION: The Mess Hall
DATE: Sometime after the mission. Y'all know.
CONTENT: The Orb Crew tries to relax for a hot goddamn minute.
WARNINGS: Likely drinking or drunkenness, the usual party antics. Very mildly image heavy, NSFW for naughty threads, properly marked.

It seems the party has been properly set up for you all! But of course, there's an exuberant amount of 'Newton*' flair added to it, and people can find all sorts of random things — markers for drawing on the pizza boxes (which he distinctly requested, super important) cover the tables, and it's clear by the one designed like a Pikachu and a dinosaur that he's already began scribbling on them. He's also made... board games literally comprised of pizza boxes as well, including Chess and Connect Four, which is lovingly set up side-by-side on a table and done with intent to annoy.

They've got one deck of cards for games, no chips; you'll have to just make some of your own out of pizza box cardboard. The most grand of all creation appears to be a normal-sized Skeeball table, made of flimsy material, with oranges for balls. It may or may not last the night, but it sure works for now!

There's a very strong bottle of liquor from their last mission open for everyone, and, well, it will get you drunk quite fast if you're not careful. But it's also a Bring Your Own Beer situation; hope you guys asked Viv for some to plan for the party!

Lastly, there's classic bar rock playing from an iPhone rigged to a speaker that looks very very cobbled together, from loose bits and bobs from the lab's many boxes. If you go fiddle with that phone's playlist, you may be able to find a small collection of songs that aren't rock, but are likely from the 90's or early 2000's.

And yes, there is a couch with a sign on it, designated specifically for people who wish to nap. If they'd like. Don't be rude, let people lay down when they're sleepy. (Maybe Newton just put that there for him, honestly.) There are 50 pizzas total, which is practically a whole-ass pizza per person, so enjoy! (And thanks, Viv!)

Feel free to bring your own flair to the party, if you'd like.

These are just a few things for a m b i e n c e.

(*If you mention him, he will appear like a terrible omen.)

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[Seated right nearby, legs sprawling, chair nowhere near the table since his knees don't quite fit under it, is Rosinante who seems to be polishing off the last of a piece of fish, held over a bowl of rice.

Pizza is, in fact, not food. In his opinion.

But he does know what it is, and it takes him a second to figure out what exactly she's asking.]

The pizza? Wait, that part? That's cheese. Comes from milk. Cows.

[Oh, thank gods he's not the only one here who doesn't know the most basic things that everyone else seems to take for granted.]

❰ nodding slowly, jiang yanli holds the piece closer to her eyeline as a form of examination. cheese...a dairy product. dairy and milk aren't exactly staples where she comes from, let alone things like cream or cheese. the texture is strange, and the taste is dry...it isn't exactly awful, but it also doesn't make her look forward to more bites. ❱

Thank you. I'm sorry if it was a question most would find obvious. ❰ since everyone else seems to be devouring this food left and right, with a dozen discarded pizza boxes piling in one corner alone. this person who has responded to her inquiry is definitely an odd one out, which in some ways may be rude to make note of. but perhaps not to signal he's not alone. ❱ I'm much more accustomed to eating what you have there.

No need to apologize. I've spent the last couple months asking questions people here probably find pretty obvious too.

[He shrugs. Learned a lot, though, in the process. At least he doesn't back away from it, and nobody's given him a hard time. Good folks here in general, he's finding.]

I don't like pizza. Don't like bread in general, like that crust it's always on. And when Viveca said we could have anything. I got supplies to cook things I do like. There's more in the kitchen if you want some. I stuck the rest of the rice in the refrigerator, and you're welcome to it.

Admittedly, I don't know how much more I can eat of this. Of course, I won't waste it. But I don't think it will be a repeat meal.

❰ she doesn't have as big a gripe with the bread, but the cheese...she doesn't trust it. the vibes are way off.

it also shocks jiang yanli that she's met with sudden generosity. so much so that her eyes widen and she dips her head low in thanks. ❱

It's kind of you. I may take you up on the offer, though I promise to not be greedy. I also requested quite a few ingredients that I'm accustomed to that you're welcome to — ah, I don't know how you feel about soup, though.

❰ it is by and large a soup stockpile. ❱

Soup's fine. I have more than just rice left, too, but that's all that's ready to eat. I got a couple heads of cabbage, some onion, should be more fish in the freezer. Plenty of things for salads and stir-fries. That all goes well with soup.

[Look, he's nine feet tall, he eats a lot of food, okay? Don't judge.

Her earnestness makes him smile, though.]

What's it like where you're from originally? Anything like all this, with the space stuff?

I'm glad to hear it. I make it a habit to leave what goes uneaten in the cold box — I'll make sure to label it from now on so you know what to look for. We can make quite a meal between us, I think.

❰ this is actually exciting news, and it shows on her face. soup, stir-fry...food!!

jiang yanli finds an available space of counter to set her pizza on, neatly unfolding and wrapping the napkin around it. no one needs to see her partially eaten food. this feels obscene, but she's really not feeling this whole cheese business. ❱

It's definitely not like the ship. It was somewhat similar to Gyeongje. This level of technology is far beyond what I could have ever imagined. I never even thought of space outside of looking at the stars and moon at night.

Are you more familiar with things like space?

Sounds great, I'll do the same.

[Thanks, Sengoku, for raising him right. Pizza and the like are popular enough in his world too, and most twenty-something young Marines aren't typically the sort to prefer home-cooked fare with lots of vegetables. Then again, he was never a typical kid either.

So he sure doesn't blame her for setting aside the pizza, and he doesn't mention it. She tried something new to her and he'll give her credit for that.]

No, not at all. We have old stories back home about people visiting the moon, but, you know. It's just myths. Not reality. I can't say my home is much like Gyeongje was either, but it has a lot more in common with that than this place. No, it's lots of little islands and vast seas. I've spent a lot of time on ships. This is actually the longest I've gone without being near the ocean.

[Aside from the first six or so years of his life, but. That's not getting brought up now or ever.]

I spent quite a bit of time on the water, too. Not the ocean — it sounds so exciting! — but my old home was surrounded by many lakes. We grew lotus flowers. It was our clan's pride.

❰ she lets out a long breath, trying to sound wistful...but the sadness can't help but creep into her voice. sure, she misses the water...but it's so much more than that. it's the good old days — the days of family, of togetherness, being unaware of the awful things on the horizon. ❱

I'm grateful for a lot of things related to the ship...but I would like to see water again, hopefully soon.

Sounds beautiful.

[And she must miss it, judging by that look on her face, and the sound of her voice. Maybe in just the same way he misses the sea, the feel of wind in sails. The smell of Sengoku's sencha and the bleating of the old man's goat when she wanted treats and attention.

Hell, he's missed the latter things for more than just a few months, it's been years now. His brow creases at the thought of how much longer it might be before he can really see home again - or if he ever will.]

Have you tried out that simulation room yet? It's not the same as the real thing, but however that place works, it seems like it pulls right from your memories. You could see your lotuses again, at least for a little while.

No...admittedly, I've been trepidatious. I'm not usually the type to go for something so bold...and I don't know. Maybe it's best to leave the past in the past.

❰ the lotuses are so far back in her timeline, at this point. revisiting that specific time in her life feels like it will only lead to an avalanche of memories of what came after.

but that's not this man's business, and she suddenly feels foolish for even eluding to making it his. ❱

I'm sorry for being melancholic so suddenly — the sea sounds very fascinating! I've never actually seen the ocean myself, but I know it's quite a vast expanse of water. To be so familiar with it must mean you're quite an adventurer?

[Given her earlier fond description of those flowers, he finds her reluctance puzzling. But it's her choice, he supposes. He certainly knows that need to leave the past well behind him.

Some of the time. Some things can't be forgotten, or forgiven.

He shakes his head a little when she apologizes, and takes the hint to move on.]

I don't think of myself as an adventurer exactly, but I guess you're not wrong. Most of what I do is pretty mundane to me, fending off pirates and sea creatures and making sure ships get where they need to go, but people here keep saying that sounds exotic to them. In reality it's a lot of time spent staring out at the waves, patching sails, and keeping my pistol oiled.

❰ her understanding of pirates is...nil. sea creatures, though, gives enough to work with that she can create horrific and gigantic creatures in her mind. ❱

I can't say I know what a pirate is, but I do think it's impressive you can handle creatures of the sea. I can't imagine how monstrous they can be — and with no where to go but staying aboard your ship!

❰ but she's also sure that anyone's life can be considered mundane, except to the outside observer. of course exciting things have happened to her, but her day to day life as what amounts to clan royalty? living among beautiful gardens, the wife of a future clan head? it was her every day existence, but maybe it's glamorous to someone else. ❱

At least it must be relaxing in spots, surely? I always found it so calming to just be on the water, watching it move.

[Never heard of a pirate?

He'd be jealous (and briefly, he's surprised given how constant they are in his world) but he decides it's probably a translation gap - either a literal one or a cultural one. Easy to fix.]

Definitely, and that's why like I said, it's a lot of staring out at the waves. The seas are enormous and there's more open water than action.

You say you've never heard of a pirate, but how about, mm, a bandit? A criminal? That's all they are, just on the sea rather than land. Well, and they're on land too, of course. Always raiding towns and taking advantage of others for their own gain. They think calling themselves "pirate" somehow makes that romantic instead of just awful. At least the Sea Kings and other monsters are just living their lives and don't know any better.

❰ jiang yanli nods, painting a picture of what this would look like in her mind. she's sure that it's nothing like reality — it's hard for her to envision anything without putting her own world's spin on it. ❱

That's terrifying — there's nothing romantic about being a terrible criminal. ❰ she's not sure how overcomplicated it all might be. her morality can be gray, but to harm others with no just goal, to steal only for greed is a stretch too far. ❱ You say it's mostly waves, but it certainly doesn't sound so dull — did you find the last mission to be so uneventful as well?

No.

[He says it with emphasis, with concern in his eyes, then shakes his head a little.]

No, I - that wasn't uneventful. I just meant that most days at sea, nothing more than sailing happens. You could go weeks without seeing another ship. It's when you do that you have to be ready for trouble, in case they're not friendly.

[He frowns a little before continuing, as his voice takes a more solemn note.]

That mission was anything but uneventful. People died who didn't have to.

❰ she nods solemnly. jiang yanli certainly found it to be a whirlwind of activity and emotions. from the first fight, people getting infected, the breakout — the ensuing melee that ended everything. jiang yanli still remembers how hard it was to keep the tremble from her hands during her meeting with aunt min-ji.

those certainly weren't the first battles she'd seen, nor were they the first she felt a certain stake in, but the memories did sit in her head differently. there was something different about acting as an outsider, impacting a world she'd never see again. ❱

It is hard to believe that before long we'll be doing it all over again — under different circumstances, I'm sure, whether better or worse. What the outcome may be...Battles seem inevitable in any world. ❰ her fingers entwine, hands disappearing into the sleeves of her robe. ❱ I can only hope that our next mission leaves a smaller number unharmed as compared to the last.

I've been talking to a few people about that now. These orbs have the potential to cause a lot of harm, put a lot of people at risk. I know it's supposed to be for the best that we collect them, but I worry about what happens if taking one for ourselves does more harm to other people than we're willing to stomach.

[At which he glances over at her. She seems so relatively innocent compared to so many on board. The last thing he'd want is for someone like Yanli to have to agonize over whose lives to spare and whose to condemn. But she's here with them, isn't she? She'll have to make these sorts of decisions too.]

❰ and therein lies the part of her that is deceptive. unlike some others, her hierarchy of sacrifice is very clear cut in her mind. decisions may eventually be painful in regards to it, but to hurt others to achieve her goal...that's alright, in the end. to mend her family, to undo those wrongs. repercussions are worth that. ❱

It would be advantageous if there was a way that people wouldn't have to be hurt in matters such as these. But I think these things are essentially unavoidable. We all have regrets to rectify, perhaps to clear our own pasts of such wounds.

I suppose in some ways it's not reversing pain, but simply restructuring it elsewhere.

[That's an interesting response, and coming from someone else he might actually be concerned. Rather, he takes it as simple naivety, or perhaps an optimism that whatever the orbs require, it can't be that bad. There's a lot he'll do to undo his own regret, there's no doubt, but he has his limits. How far will he go to ensure the happy future of one little boy?]

I hope you're right. I mean, I hope whatever it takes, it's worth it. One thing is right for sure, like you say - it's not like we're gods. We can't make everything perfect for everyone.

❰ jiang yanli gives him a solemn nod. it's such a heavy thing to think about, and yet...that's the least of the weight that she feels on her shoulders. ❱

It will be, I'm sure of it. But in the meantime...I suppose at least we have pizza to enjoy.

❰ she hasn't forgotten the napkin-encased slice she's all but abandoned. it will never be finished, but that's what makes her chuff out a laugh. ❱

Or things nicer than pizza.

[He smiles; his empty rice bowl sits just within reach. Right, she probably wanted to go get what he'd set aside, and here he is taking up her time.]

The beer's pretty good too. Might get myself another. Let me know if you have trouble finding the rice and vegetables and all that, all right?

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MINGLE | The "Everyone's Tired and Hungry" Post-Mission Pizza Party

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