(no subject)

[warandpeace]

Who: Kazuhira Miller | Various
When: Throughout February
Where: Thisavrou
What: Month stuff, open posts and closed posts
Warnings: Will update.

Starters will be in the comments.

Comments

[warandpeace]

Ingress Complex ⋆ OTA.

[There's nothing quite so fatiguing as starting over and over and over again.]

[Maybe for the first time it's exciting, easy. There's a whole world laying out in front of someone. One faces a change with relief, that this is their new world, filled with hope and chance and opportunity they didn't have before. The next time one can tell themselves that they can erase their failures at the previous attempt, correct their mistakes. But then it happens again, and again, and again.]

[By this point Kazuhira Miller feels a little like a sponge that's been violently squeezed until he's nigh on dry. So what must he do? Absorb everything all over again. It's really to his benefit that he's so very stubborn, he'll find something to do with himself. Or else he guesses he'll start over yet again.]

[He's forty. He's middle-aged now, too old for this shit.]

[It's obvious that he's not excited and fresh-faced when meeting this future from the turn of his mouth and the flare of his nostrils, skimming his itinerary on his TAB like it's a foul-scented task, waiting for the next chance at the EN-Line so he can look at the different places and gather some intel (that's how he'll look at it). Eventually he just lets his hands drop with it to his lap.] Do you know what heading I can find the travel schedule under on this thing? [He asks the person next to him. He's still planning on taking whatever transport is departing next to its destination, but it would be nice to know which completely unknown place he's going to find himself in, and maybe take a better look at this mission list later. At least that's easy enough to find.]

[Hopefully someone won't mind a dour accidental travelling companion.]

[warandpeace]

kauto region one ⋆ closed to solid snake.

[It's been a long time since Kaz had vendor food, and for strange alien vendor food this isn't bad. He's picky, though. It's greasy in the wrong ways, the ones that make you dependent on the one single napkin you're stingily given. It could use a little less sauce and a little more meat. The purple hued wrap is a little too crisp, and he doesn't think it's on purpose (it makes it difficult to hold together without the brown paper it's wrapped in).]

[But it's cheap and something to eat on his way to his meeting.]

[Kauto seems like as good a place as any to dwll in. Kaz has sold most of what he could spare to afford a little something in the city. Like any city place, it'll be expensive and he'll inevitably be frugal with furnishing. He's not expecting gold star accomodations, but for a man who likes money the closest he came to that were those years he lived in his father's big, lonely house.]

[He'll take a small residence with a better atmosphere.]

[Outside of the Ingress complex he's hoping that this will be the best place to pick up some information. The Ingress, he still suspects, is a danger. As much as it provides life to these two planets he finds himself wondering at what expense? Where does this "living energy" come from? What about the people that find themselves here at random.]

[They may be playing sympathetic benefactors now, but Miller's trust has worn thin.]

[soldiergenes]

[ At this point no one is really settled in yet, everyone still taking in all the sights and figuring out where they should land. That includes Snake, but he has to admit that this particular region seems the most suited to him. The sort of rural life he'd carried out in Alaska really doesn't compare to the rolling green hills in the second region of this planet, and treehouses and living underwater is all a little too mystical for someone as grounded as him.

Besides, he and Otacon had spent some time in New York City; cities are no stranger to him. He'll need to find a house so that Jaegar actually has the space he needs for once, but there seem to be options. Hopefully the sencs he'd been paid out upon arrival will be enough to cover what he needs.

Either way, it seems fitting that he and Miller would meet up here, and touching base with a familiar face should help with the adjustment process. They'll need to talk strategy too, even if there doesn't seem to be much to do yet save for getting a lay of the land.

Snake makes it to the agreed-upon place without too much trouble and finds Miller standing and trying to eat some sort of street food without getting it all over himself. Whatever it is, it actually looks pretty good. Snake closes the distance between them and nods in greeting. ] How is it? [ The food, he means, but also everything else. Strange that after all this time being migratory, they're going to have to try and live in one place. Snake doesn't know that he likes it, but it is what it is. ]

[warandpeace]

[It is another good long second before he can answer as he does the dance of an individual that needs to swallow and resituate his hands (still gloved to hide that one artificial one) before he can address Snake.]

It's fine. A little too greasy.

[And he wraps up the remains of it in its paper so that he can just carry it. He'll worry about the rest of it later.] I'm thinking of getting an apartment here. It's the most accessible point I've found without actually living in the Ingress complex. And there are a lot of businesses, so employment shouldn't be difficult.

[soldiergenes]

[ Snake sends a glance in the direction of the food stall, wondering if he should get some for himself. He's been so caught up in taking in their new environment that he hasn't actually put any thought to food for a while, but he's got plenty of sencs on him after being paid out upon arrival.

With a nod, he gestures for Miller to follow him to one of the other stalls, figuring they can talk while they stand in line. ]

This region has easy access to the other planet and the Ingress complex, so yeah, makes sense. [ Not to mention it's familiar territory for someone like him, although Snake can't say if that's the same for Miller, who'd been living out on some base in the middle of the ocean for who-knows-how-long.

He sets a hand on his hip as one eyebrow lifts. ] What were you thinking? For employment. [ Technically they had jobs on the ship too, but it had been more freeform. Now they'll actually be working to make a living—what a bizarre thought. ]

[warandpeace]

[Miller grew up in a city. In a slummy area, a place frequented by troops for cheap goods and drinks and a good time, so it's probably nothing he had any reason to share. But it was a city and the only memories he has of it that aren't particularly fond are mostly of other children treating him badly.]

[He doesn't know if it will feel the same way. Now that he's been out on that base in the ocean, but not because of that, because how much more he did know about what dangers he really existed, and how much a person in a city doesn't see.]

[Kaz'll have to be careful about that.]

I don't know yet. I wasn't really able to do any good as a part of security. I never had the means to and to be honest, I don't think I would fare much better here.

But I gotta figure out something. [He finally discards the last little bit of food that he'd wrapped up, only stepping away for a moment before he returns to Snake's side.] I really wish we'd grabbed more of those precious metals from the ship. Gold is useful everywhere. [Surely that could have given them a little more free time worth of money.]

[soldiergenes]

It's gonna be harder to get people grouped together here.

[ The ship had offered them a common ground, a singular location they all shared, and they'd had no choice but to work together. Here, people are much more likely to spread out and do their own thing, depending on their preferences. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Miller might not have the easiest time getting their old crew members to gather under one cause.

The remark about precious metals owes a shrug from him. Snake hadn't brought much to barter either, but apparently his ranking on the Moira means something here. He isn't going to question it. ]

I was thinking security, but more freelance. There have to be people around here who want some extra protection.

[ It's his only marketable skill, is anyone surprised? ]

[warandpeace]

Not a bad plan. Especially with some of the missions they have listings for. Which, if you decide to do any of those, I would be happy to maintain supervisory contact throughout.

[Maybe Miller misses the role a little. He may be capable of civilian life, but he doesn't think that he can embrace it fully. He's always felt a little lost and out of place without a personal goal, a mission. He's had to give up on believing in ideals. Instead, he can believe in a couple of people at a time and get their backs. He can do the occasional selfish thing for himself.]

I feel like my job aboard the Moira went to waste. It did land a lot of money.

I can probably buy a business for that, pay off a room entirely.

[soldiergenes]

[ Having the radio support again, even if it was through the TAB instead of the Codec, would be a nice change. It would certainly make Snake feel a little more at home in a strange sort of way, and so he nods in thanks. He'll keep it in mind, though he doesn't know if TAB transmissions necessarily work from one planet to another. They'll need to test it out sometime.

Snake's position as stealth operative also hadn't come in handy that often on the Moira, but hopefully there will be more opportunity here, even if he also isn't suited to civilian life. They're going to have to learn one way or another. ]

A business, huh. What'd you have in mind?

[ They've reached the front of the line and Snake steps forward to make his order, for some kind of soup and bread. He digs into his pockets for some sencs and forks them over. ]

[warandpeace]

kauto region one ⋆ closed to venom snake.

[It's big enough of an apartment that the dogs could run anxious laps if they keep frugal with their furniture- which Miller doesn't really mind. There's a stacked washer and dryer, a sink and a tiny dishwasher, a compact range and what looks like might be a microwave but he has no idea what it is so he's not going to touch it just in case.]

[The walls are painted a basic off white and the carpet is average, generic beige. There's a window that is a step above staring out at a brick wall- there's some buildings across a street and a tram line which promises to pass on the regular (though Kaz will actually be disappointed if it's so advanced that it doesn't make the train noises he loves). He then drops his sleeping bag into the corner along with his duffel. Maybe he can find something remotely resembling a futon later.]

Well... if we don't like it, we can always try again later.

[And then he gestures towards the bathroom as if it's some novel, amazing thing.] We have our own shower.

Pretty good, huh?

[He observes as Mama runs in circles trying to smell everything, and Joy stands up on her hind legs to look out the window at their tiny balcony, her front paws on the window sill.]

[alterplex]

[ An apartment. Venom can't remember the last time he's stayed somewhere that weren't barracks or ship holds, hollowed-out bunkers or broken houses lining desolate desert. The furnishings are modest, yes, but they're furnishings nevertheless— they're meant to be spaces to occupy, places to live in.

It's all so alien, really. Eggshell white, padded carpeting. Reminders of domesticity that he's not sure he should get comfortable in, let alone indulge.

When he settles his firearm on the kitchen counter, it looks immediately out of place among the rest of the housescape. He feels out of place here, battered and torn and better-suited to sleeping in the cramped back space of a helicopter, but that's less of a complaint and more of a personal issue.

He goes back for his pistol, which settles in its usual position at his hip. With that done, Venom swivels his attention up towards Kaz. ]

Won't be hearing any protests from me.

[ This is already far more amenities than Venom is used to, at any rate. ] Beats the ACC.

[warandpeace]

[They both look out of place. Kaz reaches back and pulls the hair tie out of his hair, splays his fingers and lets it slide/roll up around his wrist.]

[They're not like what was on the ship, carbon copies of casually misplaced strangeness on each floor. This, for the first time, feels like something they can make theirs. So he opens up his duffel bag and pulls out some of the pictures he'd stowed away (including one of a very young half-Japanese boy, who, despite being blond, looked more of a mix back then.]

Here.

[He holds them out in a small box to V.] Figure you could do the honors of picking a spot for these.

[Kaz may be picky about clothing, but he trusts Venom's bewildering but charming arrangements of images more than his own. Give him all these images and he arranges them like flowers, balance and meaning and patience that he doesn't understand until he's sitting in the middle of them.]

At least we don't have to worry about ill-advised orders for a little while.

[They just have a whole new set of worries.]

[alterplex]

[ Photos, yes— those are pleasant. Venom's kept some of his, tucked alongside cassettes with the evidence of the Angel of Peace's slow downward spiral.

They're both equally important, and Venom sifts through a few of the bent corners littering the box, turns over some of their fond reminders over between his fingers. ]

...I'll see what I can do.

[ He may not know anything about being domestic, but he knows how to line up whatever he's given and preserve them with an overwhelming sense of care. Evidenced by the reverence he has for the sepia-burnt colors that pass over his callused skin.

The latter topic sours his calm, but not enough that it shows on his expression. ]

Worst part of all of this is the lack of direction. Orders at least tell you something.

[ Following them or not is at least a choice. Right now? There's really nothing to work with. ]

[warandpeace]

The good thing is now that we can choose our own direction. Take your shoes off by the door.

[A friendly reminder as he points off that direction, and goes about getting some of their dirty laundry out because he needs to take care of that mess. They've barely had a chance to wash anything, even in their best situation.]

I wonder how many of the people on these two planets know about what happened. [Idly discussed as he makes a pile by the washer that he's going to have to come back to later.]

[It's easier to consider the questionable actions of the Savrii. In their domestic world where things like mass murder obviously happen in the background. It's not unlike anything they've encountered. Except they've always been on the base.]

[Now they're out here, in the middle of the average public, and it's overwhelming and daunting and everything in their lives has taught Miller that this can't be trusted. He doesn't know about V though.]

[alterplex]

[ His shoes. Right— he has a feeling that he read about that somewhere, that the Japanese take off their shoes at home. Whether or not that's his knowledge or knowledge filtered through a sieve is irrelevant; Venom lifts a brow, heads back to the entrance (the house has already been explored in with those same boots on, though, sorry Kaz), and leaves his well-loved footwear by the door.

(after all, he can still kill a man on his bare feet.)

There's nothing Venom can really do here, is the thing. In all his months of being alive, he was never told what it would be like when the chain of command stops and the hushed whispers of his purpose peter out to white noise.

He strays by the entrance of their apartment, caught between being here and being... elsewhere. Present but not-quite present. Displaced. ]

Can't say. We'll have to gather more intel. [ His responses are functional, practical. Gentle as always, but meandering. ] Difficult to tell where we stand with the locals, but they seem welcoming enough.

crapping your inbox up too quick because I was awake

[warandpeace]

[At the very least he doesn't want dirt tracked habitually all over a new carpet.]

[Kaz settles down on a bundle of a sleeping bag, elbows on his knees (he's getting too used to that artificial arm for his own good). Kaz has done civilian life before, as he's observed, but it's been so long that without some strange bugs drugging him, without it being masked between a boyish young soldier's eccentricities as he mocked an old tired crush, he doesn't know what to do with it.]

[He does know what he thinks of it, however. It's artificial as carefully manufactured as any other civilian setting they've encountered.]

Do you remember how the world heard about some mad cult and their nuke? The way information filtered out of Cipher? The stories people knew of the Boss that didn't match up with how the mission went? [He'll never admit Skull Face was right in some regards, but it is true.] I think they are genuinely welcoming.

But I don't think they're like the people letting us in. That's the only way I can make sense of it. Has anyone outside of our people ever been genuinely kind to us without it being dirtied somehow? [By ulterior motives. By idiocy or naivety. By a need for control. (Yes he does know that he's no better.)]

[warandpeace]

eosoros. closed to explorers

Miller couldn't stay out of the business entirely. His diner was basically ready to go, food ordered, recipes lined up, menus printed. But running dispatch was familiar. Getting someone's back (even over a radio) felt right.

Beside him he had a price sheet laid out, ready to list how many sencs the total samples would come out in.

He didn't venture all that far into the new world, far enough that he could use the tab to keep in contact and supervise. Be ready to send in someone for rescue (even if he was relatively sure that the people he was helping out could handle themselves.)

"Alright, we're on sample retrieval. If you can make it as far as L-7, you'll get the most profitable objects. Try to not exceed allotted space.

"Here is a list of permitted weapons and explosives." He held out a sheet of paper. "Trained dogs should help you locate especially valuable items, but be prepared for hostile items and heat fatigue." It was a basic rundown of information, but you could guarantee that Kaz was going to have a check-out of their load-out just so they wouldn't nullify their profits with some costly mistake.


OOC: I'm fine with any type of response here, action or prose. This is a general starter for each of the explorer threads.

[saveyourserpent]

Equipped with a number of weapons saved from his travels (he made sure to take care of his belongings, even through various crashes and whatnot), Liquid was ready to explore. Looked like Mantis the dog was too, barking and wagging his tail as Miller spoke.

"I can handle a bit of heat," Liquid said with a huff, but he was also certainly planning to be reasonably careful for the sake of his dog. It wasn't like he didn't already have a good amount of money, to start.

It was more the exploration he was interested in. And with Miller on the radio... well, there was a weird sense with that, considering he'd personally played that role once.

Weird.

He glanced over the paper to make sure what he had was permitted. "Well. Let's make some money, I suppose."

[warandpeace]

"That's the best thing I've heard all day." Music to his ears, practically. The older Miller, the one that lived in Alaska, had given up on his dreams of comfort and wealth. He'd chosen a frontiersman's way.

But here? Now? He still loved his money. Really the only thing that came with leaving the ship that he liked was that. He'd only get a small bit of the profits here, but it was worth it.

"Alright, we may have to use midway drop points, depending on how many samples you get. Attach your tab to your coat with video on so I can see what you see. I'll keep mine to audio for now."

[saveyourserpent]

"Not getting a lot of partners then?" he asked, going over what he'd brought one last time, just to make sure. All seemed well, so he reached down to scratch the dog behind the ears before straightening up.

He just couldn't see why people wouldn't want to go do dangerous things for money!

Okay, he could, but he liked a challenge, anyway. Although maybe if it was earlier in the trip, when he'd just got on the ship, he might not have been so keen to help.

Didn't matter now. The mission was fine with him.

"Maybe I should attach it to my forehead so you can see what I see even better, hm?" he joked as he stuck the device to his coat anyway, turning this way and that. "Alright. How's the view?"

[warandpeace]

"You actually could put it on your forehead, but the coat would suffice." Besides, a glowing TAB would be too easy a target for hostiles, should they happen.

"The view is fine," he elaborated, watching his own screen. "I'm getting a little bit of help. I figured it would be a good excuse to get a lay of new land." AKA he wanted to know what sort of research that the Savrii would be doing.

"Would you be fine with getting doubles of each sample?"

He wanted to have their own people look at them, too.

[saveyourserpent]

The forehead TAB will have to be for another time. "Well, I'll certainly be checking out new land." Although they've had plenty of exploration since Liquid found himself on the ship, and especially so after the crash, he can't deny it's a little more interesting than hanging out in his treehouse all day.

"Of course, of course. No point in just grabbing one, eh?" Aaaand he's certainly more interested in independent business than the people in charge, anyway. "Anything else you want me to bring back?"

[dancingblade]

[Fi herself has no real need for the currency (not that she was aware of at any rate). Nonetheless, there was no reason why she could not assist others in the missions that were being presented to them... And gathering information for future use would work favourably in the future.

Now she hovers next to Miller, observing as he prepares others for the task ahead of them. Based on what they know, Fi would be well suited to this sort of mission... But she has never set out on her own. It's dangerous to go alone-

She turns to look at Miller, nodding her head before speaking;]

I will do as I am told. The functionality of the TAB appears to be inconsistent on this planet. Perhaps it would be best to save the available channels for others.

[a pause, then Miller will hear;] I can detect your thought waves as long as you remain in a location known to me.

It would be best to confirm usability before setting out.

[warandpeace]

Wait you can-

[And immediately he starts telling himself to not think of sex, because that's the first thing he shouldn't think about.]

[But she's not wrong. Using her... whatever she's doing, would be helpful. It's not that different from Psycho Mantis, but he can only guess that her intentions are noble. (And, if she's still paying attention, those thoughts of her valor are completely doubtless.)]

I can hear you, though.

But I do want you to take Joy to help you with sample and threat detection.

[He says it out loud still. He doesn't know how well he can think at someone.]

[dancingblade]

[She would appreciate the censorship, but she's too clinical to worry about it...

Fi watches Miller quietly as he attempts to sort out what she means. There's a nod to confirm as as listens to his orders. Once he's done-]

Assumption; I can freely read the minds of individuals known to me. That is incorrect. Shall I repeat the instructions?

Though I can detect thought waves as long as your location remains known to me, they must also be directed at me. If you need to contact me, think as if you were speaking to me.

[she turns to look at the dog that Miller indicates before turning her attention back to him]

How would you like us to carry the samples, Kazuhira Miller?