Podpop!

[cityship]

[ooc: Newbie Helpers List | Instructions: Post your character with one post establishing them as being podpopped. Tag each other in groups of 2's, 3's, and 4's, to get some interaction to start with. If a thread doesn't already have 2 or 3 people tagged in, tag it with your character's podpop popping near the other people, rather than making a

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[sniping_meister]

He hadn't really expected the damaged Dynames cockpit to be warm when he regained consciousness, nor had he expected to be -

Well. The last he'd checked, the Gundams weren't equipped with slime, and Haro didn't have hands to steal his clothes.

He paused for a moment, sitting on the warm floor, propped up and leaning back on his hands, his hair dripping onto his bare shoulders, listening.

"Stacy, hmm? Not exactly who I thought I'd be talking to."

[haruno]

"I don't think anyone I've seen so far expected Stacy." Of course, reactions so far ranged from outrage, general denial, a strangely calm acceptance, and confusion; no one had expected Stacy.

That was part of the problem.

"Are you all right?" As far as she could tell, no one had been dumped out into the massive cavern -- for most intents and purposes, that's what she chose to call this place -- with any injuries. Still, it was worth asking just in case. From where she stood a short distance away, wrapped in what appeared to be a generously sized towel for all intents and purposes, Sakura waited for an answer.

Or whatever else might come, but at least she was stance ready if it turned out she'd confronted a fighter prone to lashing out over talking. Taking hits as a shadow clone was ill-advised.

[sniping_meister]

He smiled warmly at the girl, twisting his body to hide what he could. She was wrapped in something - he could only assume in the name of propriety.

"I'm just fine. What about yourself?"

[haruno]

Sakura averted her own gaze, figuring his attempt was signaling his own discomfort. Her illusion at least preserved modesty; creating a different kind of illusion to preserve anyone else's was only polite.

"Drying," she said mildly. "Healthy, hale, and whole as far as I can tell. Outside of the confusion, unexpected location, and the voice in my head, I feel fine."

It was just all the other factors that added up to feeling on edge, ill at ease, and concerned (if hopeful) that looking around would provide answers outside the path the rest of her was walking up... and maybe even a familiar face or two.

[sniping_meister]

He laughed - her speech was so formal, even in this kind of situation.

"Well, that's about all you can ask for."

[haruno]

"Given everything I listed... I guess. Wouldn't object to a face or two I recognized, but this is a better start than it could be."

You know, in your standard alien goop covered awakenings.

"If not as informative as I'd like."

[sniping_meister]

"Well, that's half the fun of it, isn't it?" he teased, smiling and standing. She hadn't commented on his continued nudity, so he assumed she didn't mind.

[haruno]

"Running around naked, slime covered, and underinformed? Yeah. I can't believe I haven't done it before now." She smiled briefly, though her humor was short lived.

Coming from battle to this, hearing things that made no sense, and worse? Hearing them in her head... it was unsettling.

Sakura's response to unsettling was to get active.

"Might as well keep on the move, now that I'm living the dream."

[sniping_meister]

"I'm sure I could think of a number of worse scenarios. At least here there are lights." He pointed at the floor and its strange luminescence.

[haruno]

Sakura glanced down at the lights, willing to concede the point. She'd have been able to manufacture a way to see had there been no light, but it wasn't wise to presume everyone could. "Lights that lead you places, if you're willing to follow."

She shifted, looking back much the way she'd come. "Before I was really moving around, I saw a few figures walking that way. There's a spiral walkway toward the end, but I haven't been to the top of it yet." Half of her was by now, but she wouldn't know what that half found until she released.

[sniping_meister]

He glanced around the rest of the space, then turned back to the girl.

"It seems like it's the only way."

[haruno]

"The only direct way." So far. Possibly at all.

She quirked up an eyebrow, stepping to the side. It'd be a bit of backtracking on her part, but... "Easiest way to find out is by testing it out."

[sniping_meister]

"I suppose that's true, isn't it?" He took a few steps and turned his head over his shoulder to look at her.

[haruno]

She looked back, a little curious. "Are you looking for an escort?"

[sniping_meister]

"No, but if you were heading that way, I figured we might as well go together."

[haruno]

She paused, then smiled, shaking her head. "Fair enough." Checking to see who else she could find in this mess of whatever these were hadn't been a smashing success yet. Whatever the mechanism of their arriving here, let alone the mechanism of their release, people seemed to be coming without obvious detrimental effects.

"Not that there's much to see along the way. As far as I can tell, it's hundreds of thousands of these things we came out of in every direction, and lights along the one pathway leading up." Repetition in part, but worth it in her opinion.