idiots in spaaaaaaace

[adastrea]

[In a world with, perhaps, a passing resemblance to a one we know well--where Mars and Luna had their civil war, but, perhaps, the dwindling lifespan of humanity was not an insurmountable force. And where, as the years of living in space had continued, young martians had begun to display odd powers, rarely.

Such espers did not usually live so long, but for a girl with a familiarly tragic loss of family in the final days of war, her incredible and somewhat uncanny luck in avoiding the series of disasters that had befallen everyone she cared about wasn't of much concern.

What was was this base tour of the new cadets, and someone had snuck off, trying to catch a glimpse of the legendary war heroes or, perhaps, the dyne in all those stories.

This certainly can't end badly.]

Comments

[downbygravity]

[There's quite a few of them, some weird machines from the war, well preserved though the room is closed up and dark.

Well. Was dark. Now there's a beam of light crossing back and forth across the floor and walls. Someone saw her.]

[adastrea]

[Well, she'll do what she normally does in this instance. Hit the shadows and wait for someone to come into view so she can mindwhammy them.

Good ideas only, here.]

[downbygravity]

[Well, he's getting closer, given where the lights are coming from.]

I know that you're in here...

[adastrea]

Go away.

[This isn't the trick she's best at, but for most people, it's still enough. Just a pressure and a fog in his mind, willing him to leave.]

[downbygravity]

[That seems like it should work, but, whoever this random cadet is, he's actually pretty strong willed, given he's just locking up and now shining the flashlight in random directions, possibly on her.]

[adastrea]

[Ow, flashlight in the eyes. She hisses a bit, and tries to double-down on the mind whammy, which won't in any way end with her pinned to something, or attacked, or anything.]

[downbygravity]

[She would be so lucky. No, no, some low-pass primal part of his brain seems to have recognized her and the fact that she must be the source of it, since well, it got worse when he spotted her, so now he's advancing, and might be trying to just grab her, maybe choke her, his vision's kind of swimming and it's just a hand out for her.]

[adastrea]

Aah, don't--!

[The power recoils, but comes with a brief, sharp spike of fear--it's hers, and it's some darker shit than you'd expect, even in a situation like this.

There's also a brief crackling spark and heat, before she remembers roasting someone will not help her out any here.]

[downbygravity]

[That is a flashlight directly in the eyes but he hasn't touched her yet.]

What are you doing here?

[adastrea]

...Trying to see if I can spot a Hideon?

[She's basically pressed as far back into her corner away from him as she can, hands up to try and block any moves but she's pretty clearly not a hand-to-hand fighter.]

[downbygravity]

You are supposed to be with the other cadets.

[He's got a cadet uniform on himself, if she can see through the glare, though one that marks him as upper-class and one of the squad commanders.]

[adastrea]

And you aren't?

[Squinting, a little bit, but she's not coming out of that corner. Strict cop routine may not be working.]

[downbygravity]

Not until the new cadets are assigned squads. Until then, we are to keep most the base in lockdown with the security team. That includes here.

[He'll stop aiming the flashlight right in her face.]

We both know you know you're not supposed to be here. I'm amazed an esper's gotten away for this long.

[adastrea]

[She flinches, and sparks start to form at her fingertips.]

So what? You going to turn me in, or are you going to save time and kill me yourself?

[downbygravity]

If you report back to your squad right now, then I'll do neither. If you want to keep making a fire and trip the security lockdown then you'll be explaining to the authorities directly, and they'll do whatever it is they do to espers.

[Yeah, he's talking shit when all he's got is a flashlight and apparently some iron willpower.]

What'll it be?

[adastrea]

...And how am I supposed to trust you won't tell anyone? They kill people like me for existing, and that's if I'm lucky.

[downbygravity]

You really have no choice in the matter, do you? Aside from that I could have let radioed already, or that I could have let you set off the alarms in here with your powers.

[He shrugs.]

The choice is yours.

[adastrea]

...Tell me your name, first.

[downbygravity]

They call me Leo. Nobody calls me by my actual name.

[adastrea]

I guess that'll be good enough.

[Rubbing at her eyes, and then...holding out a hand.]

...Signe Adastrea Riou.

[How skittish she is might make, suddenly, a hell of a lot more sense.]

[downbygravity]

[He will shake her hand.]

Well, then. Don't expect preferential treatment, if you wind up under me. You're a recruit, same as any other.

[adastrea]

[Well. She'll just take the moment of the handshake to pretty clearly give him the kind of once-over you only get from a psychic, before she's apparently satisfied of his trustworthiness and shrugs.]

I expect nothing from no one, but I should really be honest, I don't relish my chances of ending up under anyone.

[...she may be playing at a different meaning, possibly.]

[downbygravity]

You may be surprised you find to come to regret those words.

[He smiles, faintly.]

Out of here.

[adastrea]

If you can actually make me regret them, on the field or elsewhere, I'll swallow my pride whole, but not a moment before then, understand.

[Squinting a bit in the gloom of the hangar.]

...Well let my eyes adjust again since you saw fit to blind me.

[downbygravity]

[Shining the light in her face again for complaining, and then toward the exit.]

Try not to get lost again. You'll have time to prove your worth, or lack of, in opening evaluations.