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

[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.

[adastrea]

[...Okay, she's just. Telekinetically yoinking the light from his hand and putting it on top of something he'll have to stretch a bit to reach.]

Don't you worry about that.

[Annnd she's off. One only wonders what the morning's evaluations will bring.]

[downbygravity]

[About what it sounds like. It goes from the lovely guided tour she missed a huge chunk of to them testing about everything that they can think to test that they might need out of a soldier, often in big loud groups, publicly. Pecking orders are being established. If she looks, she'll see the upperclassmen are gathered and watching by about midway through it.]

[adastrea]

[She doesn't, pretty pointedly--after all, she knows his name and face, she can pick his mind out of the crowd without having to look. She knows he's there.

But as far as the evaluations go...she's physically fit, with reflexes that are near superhuman, leading her to upset some of the pecking orders and probably earn herself more than a couple enemies in the sparring rounds. She also shows some natural leaderly bearing, some terrifying blade and firearm skills...and all the engineering and computing ability of a rock. It's honestly a little sad, after how much she's swept the rest of the tests. But that aside, she's pretty clearly paved her own way in.]

[downbygravity]

[Well, after a fun day of testing and yelling at people, she'll find she's being pushed with the rest of the recruits toward another area. This time she's face to face with him and the other overachiever upperclassmen.

Seems they're being split into and assigned squads under these jerks.]

[adastrea]

[That's fine. She will in no way be abusing her powers to influence who she's assigned to. that would be a reckless use of her abilities and plain sill--who am I kidding.]

[downbygravity]

[He can sigh and rub his temples when he realizes this is probably why the whole thing got jumbled.]

Welcome to the squad. We begin in earnest tomorrow; tonight for acclimation. Do not expect an easy time of it. Any questions or complaints you feel the need to voice?

[adastrea]

[There's no questions, just a blond failing to completely hide a smile. This is your life now, Leo. This is your life now.]

[downbygravity]

Then I trust you're all ready for a quick jog before we head back to the dorms?

[You know. Nice. Quick. Two miles. He seems unconcerned with it.]

[adastrea]

[IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN THAT TO BREAK HER. >:|

There is a cheery 'Yes sir' among the more shocked and despondent responses.]

[downbygravity]

Riou, why don't you come up to the front with me? Your records showed you were an overachiever.

[Oh he's keeping a close eye on her.]

[adastrea]

[He can also keep a close eye on her butt, if he slows down his jog a little, but that's neither here nor there.

Even if it's a really nice butt.]

If you insist, sir.

[downbygravity]

[Look, her cadet CO could probably be an underwear model. Good looks are something you can literally buy in this era and it's awesome.]

I like your attitude. I think you've just become my new assistant. Interested, Riou?

[adastrea]

[See. This is a trap. She knows it's a trap. She knows he has to know she knows it's a trap.

And it's not one she can refuse in any convincing manner.

Oh, it's fucking on.]

I'd be happy to, sir.

[She's gonna fucking deck you the moment she has an opportunity.]

[downbygravity]

Fantastic. You'll be responsible, then, for making sure the rest of your squad can keep up for this. Only another klick to go!

[He grins rather widely. Look, she decided she wanted him as a CO, she knew what she'd be getting herself into.]

[adastrea]

...Yes, sir!

[Well then, she'll have to drop back a bit.

And then he can probably hear the sounds of her fucking terrifying the stragglers and the lazy into picking up the pace.

Of course, by the time they get there, she is a bit behind, carrying some poor girl who made it in on technical scores and just couldn't keep up the run, but she's there. She wants to kill him. But she's there.]