I’ve traveled all this way for something

[maskormods]

WHO: YOU.
WHERE: Eden East's cruiseship
WHEN: Saturday February 15th, around 5 PM EST
WHAT: Registration in motion... among other things.
WARNINGS: None anticipated; let us know if this should be edited.

" The new frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises -- it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not to their pocketbook -- it holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security. But I tell you the new frontier is here, whether we seek it or not. "
( from jfk's speech "the new frontier," 7/15/1960. )

The sun hasn't set yet and the temperature hovers somewhere just below 70 degrees this evening; imPorts, both recently arrived and not, will have been escorted to this event so that they can meet each other, have a good time, and of course officially state their registration status. Or lack thereof. It's your decision, they emphasize, even though the unspoken "but" is always there.

It's an elaborate spread, certainly much more elegant than last time. Eden East herself, elegant in her backless champagne-colored dress, meets and greets each and every imPort as she flutters to and fro. She'll find you and chat for a few moments, shaking your hand and complimenting your dress. She'll know your name, and she'll have an entourage of aids and cameras following her wake. Captain Holiday, in contrast, maintains the energy of someone who feels out of place holding the Swear-In ceremony somewhere so extravagant. As imPorts arrive he tells them where to be for the ceremony part of the evening, but that they are free to enjoy themselves until then and after.

( Please state your character's official status -- REGISTERED or UNSETTLED -- in the subject header of your thread. Characters who are UNDECIDED may be contacted later in the week for their decision via their IC contact post. )

Comments

[enabeled]

[ The walls make for good lingering; Laura isn't alone in that. Gideon has also been hovering on the edge of the event, not inclined to insert himself further. His dark pants and dark jacket function as formal, more for the fact that the bloodstains from Valentine's Day on his coat sleeves have dried to the point of nearly perfect camouflage.

Laura's appearance and expression (lack thereof) make her stand out, at least to Gideon. Like attracts like in some cases, but he asks casually and without much inflection: ]

How's the punch?

[guiloteen]

[She can smell old blood on him. His clothes. She doesn't recognize it, though. She also doesn't know Gideon. It's impossible to tell how it would have happened, and whether or not they deserved it.

If it had been an accident, it's more probable that he would have changed clothes. People like that do not like to smell of blood.

The glance she gives him is almost openly assessing.]

I don't know. I did not drink it.

[enabeled]

[ Most of it had been on his hands. Had it been planned he'd have shed the coat first, but actions of impulse often mean a splatter. Unfortunately, this is the only nice coat he owns at present, so it has to do.

It's not on his mind now, however. He assumes the look she gives him is due to the initiated conversation; in response to her answer, he nods his head and shrugs his shoulders. ]

Me either. Just thought it looked interesting... among many other things tonight. [ He turns his head to acknowledge her more fully. ] Don't you think so?

[guiloteen]

["Interesting" isn't the word Laura would use to describe the night's festivities, but she agrees with the sentiment behind it. She glances back at the crowd around the punch.]

Yes. There are many new things. [It's almost censure. The tattoo that she could not cut out was new. The network with its invasive connection. New. Some things, though, had stayed the same. Those things, she could always rely on to be true. Even if she did not want them to be.

She half-turns to look at him.] What have you seen? [There's some curiosity in there--mixed with wariness.]

[enabeled]

[ "Interesting" is a versatile word, at least in Gideon's vocabulary. But he's also very naturally inclined to curiosity even when a situation might seem mundane. Things were not always as simple as they appeared. ]

New and unusual. In some cases. Can't help but wonder why.

[ He turns his gaze forward, more toward the center of the room. His hands slide casually into his pockets, and he answers only after some moments pass in silent contemplation. ]

People. They're interesting, as long as you watch long enough.

[guiloteen]

[Laura has nothing to say to that, and doesn't try. But neither does she give any sign of impatience at his silence, or try to move away. Her eyes are on him as he watches the room, memorizing his face, his smell, how he stands.

Most would not have approached her. This she knows, and that and the smell of blood keep her there, at least for the moment.

His next words give her pause, enough to make her response come slowly.]

What do you mean?

[The question is assessment, not confusion--although it may be hard to tell, because her tone doesn't change. As someone who had never not been watching others, the words had pulled at her. But she does not know if he means it, or if this is just another example of something that people say when they do not want to answer.]

[enabeled]

[ Though he doesn't answer immediately, the expression on his face may make clear that it's a contemplative silence rather than him ignoring her.

Phrasing is important. ]

Well, you begin to notice patterns. Very useful for those who aren't certain who to trust. The freedom to compare and contrast.

[ He tilts his head, and gestures outwardly toward the other people in the room. ]

Normally interaction serves a particular purpose. When presented with mirroring purposes, sometimes that interaction can thus be predicted.

[guiloteen]

[She just waits, watching him in silence. Her eyes never leave him. It’s clear that he has her complete attention, but to some, the intensity of that focus might be intimidating, or even inappropriate.

When he finally speaks, something in her expression changes. It's hard to identify the emotion behind it.] Yes. They are… useful.

[She hasn’t moved closer, but she turns toward him slightly.] What is your purpose here?

[In talking to her, but that particular question could carry a variety of interpretations. It's not hostile--but combined with the weight of her regard, it could also be misinterpreted.]

[enabeled]

[ He feels her staring before he looks to confirm it, finding the harsh gaze intriguing in the back of his mind. Why, he can't discern yet, he barely knows this girl-- but knowing himself, he takes on that sort of look when he feels he understands.

He repeats, idly: ]

Useful. [ Before going briefly quiet again. ] Our purpose is all the same, isn't it? Be heroes... be puppets, be someone you don't know, can't recognize. Anything but yourself.

[ There's a cynical lightheartedness to how he says it, both serious and mocking. He adds as an afterthought: ]

Questionable way to live a life.

[guiloteen]

[She can feel his words in her as if they had crawled under her skin, and maybe they had--Laura has heard them in her own heart, not long ago. Even now, they linger. Not a puppet. Never again.

It draws her to him, makes her curious, but it also doesn't do anything to reduce her wariness. It's not simply that Gideon's a stranger. Most people would not say what he had just said to her. They had something to hide, to protect. This man did not hide, not even the blood on his clothes.

Laura doesn't know what that means. He seems to be telling the truth--at least, as much as her senses can tell in a crowded room. But the words could also be a trick. She does not have sufficient data to assess him accurately.]

Yes. That is the purpose that we have been assigned. To be [a beat, as she chooses the word] of use.

[There's a very slight emphasis on the last word, then:] You do not want to help them.

[No judgment. It's simply stated as a fact.]

[enabeled]

[ To be of use. It's succinct enough, and not inaccurate. Not to Gideon's mind, at the very least. To be of use was a layered concept, and controversial, certainly, when it meant being of use to someone that was not yourself. ]

Selflessness... generosity, anything of that nature sort of loses something when forced. If I'm to help somebody, why not let it be upon my own terms? ... I don't see how that's unreasonable.

[ He pauses, then adds, without any judgement on his end either: ]

Am I to assume we might be in agreement?

[guiloteen]

[Levelly:]

What it loses does not matter if their objective is achieved.

[A beat, and then she looks away, back to the crowd. Her next words are quiet, almost as if to herself.] But it is… best to help on your own terms.

[enabeled]

[ He nods at that, finding her logic quite reasonable. ]

Whatever that objective may be.

Sometimes your own terms are all that's left that is really yours. Better that you still hold onto something, in those cases.