99 Biker Friends

[godbent]

Who: Haruhi and Buffy
What: A Mission
When: September 26th - September 3rd
Where: ON A BOAT
Summary: Haruhi has a Ship Cook mission, Buffy has a Sailor mission, and they are on the same boat. Things happen as a result of this.
Rating: ???

[ Haruhi is here following her last mission. Immediately after, really. She signed up for a follow up one mostly because she only managed to get one person interested in the Brigade at the library, so she still had a good five badges left. So she was going to get them all distributed on the boat. Besides, being a ship cook is hard-ish work but it's probably something you can do easily. With that in mind...

She was disappointed when she was on the mission with Buffy Summers. Frustrated, really, when she saw the other woman among the volunteers.]

Comments

[herotypical]

[ it's a few days into the sail before buffy comes across a crewmate sporting a familiar looking pin-patch-badge-gang-symbol thing. at least, that's how the slayer describes it when she asks the guy about his accessory. she hadn't exactly paid the closest attention at the top of the mission when they'd all gathered at the dock, so imagine her surprise when she hears there's another luceti-type on the very same ship.

and of all the others, it's haruhi.

curiousity -- and, perhaps, some mismanaged camaraderie -- urges her down to the kitchens one evening: it's post-meal and while most were busy with upkeep and tidying, buffy found herself looking for some kind of a snack. she'd held a watch up on deck through the usual feeding hours, and now feels entitled to some kind of meal.

of course, when looking to fill this entitlement, she searches out the one familiar face. buffy raps bare knuckles on the stainless steel countertop on the kitchen's far side. right next to haruhi. ]

Of all the rust-buckets in all the universe, you had to cook on mine...

[ a little retro-cinema reference always breaks the ice, right? ]

[godbent]

I didn't plan on that one either, toots.

[She answers this evenly, with a little bit of a forced accent. She's actually pretty amused with being able to do that one, stirring the soup/gruel here as she is.]

[herotypical]

Toots. [ brows up -- head tilted. but buffy laughs -- dry and wry and other words ending in ry. ] Nice. What's a girl gotta do to get herself a halfway-to-midnight snack?

[godbent]

That's a good question, what are you offering?

[There's a sidelong smirk on her face as she says this. She's in a position of power, so why not...]

[herotypical]

My charm? My wit? My incomparable company?

[godbent]

What, you want us to eat together?

[herotypical]

Apparently yes. But it sounds like I can just about go ahead and axe that offer.

[godbent]

... No, hold on.

[she needs to go ask her co-cooks here if she can take the time off. She didn't eat yet, after all. So... it's just a light pause before she comes back, this time with the plates for the both of them in both hands]

[herotypical]

Wow. She doesn't just cook -- she delivers, too.

[godbent]

You're the one who wanted to eat together, shut up. If we're going to sit together I might as well bring it over.

[Which is why it's handed off before she marches on ahead to a likely looking spot to have both of them sit]

[herotypical]

Well, duh. [ she follows -- but at a slow and sly distance. ] You can't tell me you don't feel some kind of kinship. We're the only two Luceti reps on this ship. We're practically obligated to stick together.

[ after all, so many other on the shipped seemed to distrust them simply because of where they were from. ]

[godbent]

[She does feel it, but...] If you ask me, that probably obligates us to be making an impression with everyone else. You don't gain anything just by talking with the same people all the time, right?

[She knows that's a hollow sentiment though, because she is going to sit with Buffy and does feel the kinship]

[herotypical]

...Guess venturing outside the common circle isn't exactly my strongest of suits. [ she admits, slipping into a seat and leaning her chin onto an open palm. ] Public relations? Not my bag.

[godbent]

Which is a shame, given that you probably have more of a rep than me.

["I killed the General once" is a bigger deal than being the leader of the SOS-Brigade. At least for now. She says this lightly, shifting into her own seat.]

[herotypical]

My rep is a think I don't really care to wear on my sleeve -- [ contrary to popular belief, she doesn't like the fanfare. and the allusion to the general -- the notion that she might mention him to anyone but her most trusted confidants -- is met with a certain amount of pricklyness. ]

[godbent]

... Why not?

[Genuinely. She doesn't get it. Yes, there at things she might not advertise about herself or her past, but never things which are accomplishments. She doesn't understand the purpose of not doing that. It makes people underestimate you to begin with...]

[herotypical]

...You don't think it comes off a little crass?

[ that and...well...expectation is a thing that everyone else can use against you. ]

[godbent]

Not is it's factual. Showing off is annoying, sure, but if it's just some factual achievement, you might as well establish it.

[herotypical]

[ she stabs at her food with a fork. ]

If it's all the same to you, I think I'll stick to my mode. I don't like the way they look at me. [ when they know. ]

[godbent]

It's not like I can stop you.

[Quite literally, you super strong freak gosh ]

[herotypical]

[ and then buffy makes a pretty stupid mistake and unintentionally parrots haruhi's thoughts: ] Not even if you tried.

1/2

[godbent]

[ ... ]

[godbent]

Yeah, of course not.

[And with that, she indignantly goes into her food a bit deeper. She would roll her eyes, but that was just annoying, so she can't bring himself to do that]

[herotypical]

...Told you so. Bragging? Super annoying.

[godbent]

Whatever. [A huff, and-] So, do you get along with anyone else on this ship?

[herotypical]

No, I...

[ a flap of her hand. ] This may surprise you to hear, but I'm not actually all that good at making new friends. [ ... ] Except this is you I'm talking to, so I'm guessing it'll actually not surprise you at all.

[godbent]

No, it's a little surprising. I mean, it feels like every time I'm talking to one of my friends you're in with them too. [Shiki, Winry, Minato to some extent, Kyon...] ...But that makes sense. [ A slight sip ] No one I know's on here either, honestly.

[herotypical]

It'd be easier if there were some of those Excenn folks around. I mean -- at least they still like us.

[godbent]

It's not like everyone in each enclosure is entirely universal. [...] But yeah, that would be helpful. [...] Have you noticed anyone from Kin'cora on a mission before?

[This tone shifted as she goes on - the initial statement is defensive towards her. The second one is a more apologetic notion that she has a point. The third is just a change of subject]

[herotypical]

Missions? Nah. [ her brows lift. and then: ] I'll be honest, I don't seem to get my name picked for too many of these. After the last time, I think I've been branded a flight risk.

Unfairly, I might add.

[godbent]

Are you sure it's "unfair?"

[ Not that she goes on a ton herself ]

[herotypical]

Dead sure. There was an escape attempt the last time I went a-missioning, yeah. But that had nothing to do with me. I was the victim. The unwilling patsy.

[godbent]

[ A patsy? Buffy Summers? But you know, despite this, she can't help but be- be a little curious]

How far did you get?

[herotypical]

Not very. At least, not before they snapped us up and slapped us with a cute little punishment Shift.

[godbent]

Seriously? Even ill-informed, you weren't able to get anywhere?

[herotypical]

The guy doing the escaping isn't known for his brains. Now -- if I'd been aware that an escape was in the cards? Then -- yeah -- damn straight we would've gotten somewhere. If not a somewhere that was very far at all.

[godbent]

Mmm, okay, okay. [And she takes a long sip out of the flask she has - of water - and nods to herself] Honestly, I guess I can't talk - I haven't made an escape attempt.

[herotypical]

My advice? Don't, unless you're with someone whose skin you wouldn't mind sharing for a few weeks.

[godbent]

[ ... ] Wait so you got fused together with this guy?

[herotypical]

...Kinda. Not really. It was more of a body switch sitch.

[godbent]

Then wouldn't I be safe for that, if I did it solo?

[herotypical]

Now, there's a question. Is it better to be swapped with a stranger the Mallies pick out for you, or a semi-trusted sorta-friend?

[godbent]

Neither of them. But I'm going to say--- wait, are you suggesting I go and body switch with you?

1/2

[herotypical]

God, no. I--

2/2

[herotypical]

You think I'm a sorta-friend?

[godbent]

No-! [She starts a bit, before she corrects with] You're like... a friend of friend, so doesn't that count? And besides, you got weirdly specific there!

[herotypical]

Because I was talking about a specific weirdo, actually.

[godbent]

Yeah but you were adapting it to my situation, so it was about me.