Merry Christmas!

[juststeverogers]

It took an awful lot of work to track down everyone and get their gifts in order, but Steve's going to be running around the Nexus giving out presents to all of his friends. Or inviting them over to his apartment. Whatever works for them!




((Stealing verity's setup--please go to the top level for your character and begin commenting as you like. Feel free to make Steve work to find you, he's got gifts for you all!))

Comments

[juststeverogers]

"Whoa!" Steve doesn't flail at being picked up, her just laughs and hugs Blaze back until she's ready to put him back down on the ground again.

"Sure. I could use a little warming up, myself. You're both welcome. I'm grateful to have such good friends."

[rekindledtitan]

"And we're lucky we've got you. Heh, makes a hell of a difference to last year." She sets him down soon enough: they have places to go, after all!

The bar she was talking about is only a couple doors up, and inside it's warm and brightly lit, with the space to move and noisy company that endeared it to Blaze. Ghost darts over the other patrons to find a good table, and the Titan pushes a path through them for herself and Steve. She's obviously not making any effort to shove and everyone who makes eye contact gets a cheery nod, but people tend to bounce off or slide aside in a hurry.

[juststeverogers]

Steve is careful to follow along closely, keeping to the gap in people Blaze makes as she walks through the establishment. She's clearly a regular here, or at least a unique enough patron that most of the regulars know her.

He gratefully takes a seat when ghost comes back into view with an open spot for them to sit and takes in the atmosphere of the room.

"Warm and cheerful." He says over the din. "I like it already!'

[rekindledtitan]

"Great, isn't it?" The furniture's sturdy (with the side-benefit that Steve's chair won't get jostled easily) and perhaps more than half the patrons are non-human. Blaze mightn't be the oddest figure there but she's one of the heaviest, which is good incentive for the others to take notice. The server who comes over to hand out menu cards is a nimble, long-limbed spider-person bundled up in a face-concealing scarf and an elf hat.

"They have things I never thought anyone could drink here. Most of them are safe for humans, but I can check if you're not sure," Ghost offers, drifting down by Steve.

[juststeverogers]

Okay, don't stare at anyone, Steve. Eyes to yourself. Blaze wouldn't bring you anyplace dangerous, and you don't want to be rude.

Steve busies himself with the menu card as soon as he's handed one. Aside from ghost, he's easily the smallest thing in this establishment.

"I..don't suppose they have just a regular beer?"

[rekindledtitan]

"Right on the back. I don't know if the names will be familiar, but there are descriptions."

At least the place is more noisy than rough - most of the patrons aren't even wearing protective gear, let alone packing obvious weapons. There's a trio of floating jellyfish flashing to each other in a corner, a group of staff from the commercial district trading stories at the next table. It's not so bad for anyone of nonjudgmental inclinations, or who's just sufficiently jaded to the Nexus crowds. Blaze isn't bothering to check the menu, so she's sitting back and people-watching unashamedly.

[juststeverogers]

"Thanks Ghost." Steve smiles warmly at the floating companion before he flips the menu over and reads over the selections. Ghost is right, there isn't anything here Steve recognizes by name, but he'll end up choosing a stout something or other with a name you have to be an invertebrate to pronounce. He can just point when Spider-Waitress comes back, he hopes.

"Is this your usual Nexus haunt then?"

[rekindledtitan]

Spider-Waitress is a pragmatist. She accepts pointing, and taps his choice for confirmation before giving him a clawed thumbs-up. Blaze chips in for a 'Type C powerpack, whatever you've got', which satisfies the waitress. Ghost seems to get an inquisitive glance, but he's withdrawn behind Blaze's shoulder and doesn't come out until the waitress goes on her way.

"Don't really have a usual." Blaze shifts into a comfortable spot (how she sits with all that stuff on her back, who knows). "We've been here a couple times before, scouting. Seems a good place to come back if we need it. Sorta planning to bring a friend from our world to visit. At least once we track him down. He's a Hunter - a real lone wolf sort of Gunslinger, if you get me. Ghost had an idea we'd convince him to come easier if we could offer him a drink, so we went looking for somewhere that'd fit."

"Which included checking their stock, of course."

[juststeverogers]

"Well, speaking from experience, it's an awful lot easier to bribe people into going most places if you offer to buy them a drink." Steve laughs and reaches over to straighten Ghost's hat for him when he comes back out of hiding.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." He says quietly to the small robot with a soft smile. "Blaze doesn't think there's danger here. You're probably alright." Bit there's nothing wrong with being shy. Steve understands.

"It's definitely different. I've never been anywhere like this yet."

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze cocks her head at Steve's offer with a chuckle. Not that she doesn't approve of the spirit behind it, it's just kind of funny to hear little Steve promising to protect her Ghost. The latter certainly seems to appreciate his kindness though. "Ghost's better at spotting danger than I am. Got a knack for taking cover fast."

"Well, I have had practice. I was alone in the wilds for a very long time before I found you."

Blaze gives her partner an affectionate look, though she's soon moved on. "Aren't any places like this at home either. Plenty of drinking holes, sure, but nowhere all these kinds of people could sit down and have a drink together. That's one thing I like about the Nexus. Couldn't do that with the aliens we have."

[juststeverogers]

It's true, Steve doesn't look like he could protect much of anything, but Blaze will be hard pressed to find a person more stubborn than he can be.

"That must have been scary." Steve makes a face. "How'd you two meet?"

[rekindledtitan]

She hasn't seen how determined he can be yet, but no doubt she'll learn. She's had enough lessons from Ghost in how much protection the small can offer.

"Heh. Usual kinda story. The short version goes, I was collecting moss on some old battlefield when Ghost found me. He dug me out of the scrap and resurrected me for the first time, all new and reforged. After that it was just about getting past our enemies and home to the City." She's told the long version before, and doesn't seem to mind talking about it, but she's got other things on her mind.

"Anyway, ready to see your present?"

[juststeverogers]

Resurrected? What is it with the Nexus and undead? Steve decides it's best not to ask. he doesn't want to step on any toes. And maybe it's not the same thing for robot people.

"Partners till the end, right?" Steve nods. "I would, sure. Thank you very much."

[rekindledtitan]

Perhaps it's some kind of statistical law: the longer you're around, the more likely you'll wind up in a place like the Nexus. Or the Nexus has odd tastes. Either way.

"Right!" they both say together, one with fierce gusto and the other with quiet determination. Then they exchange a look, Blaze letting out a laugh.

"I've got the parcel." It materializes just above the table in front of Ghost; from the shape and sound as it hits the polished wood, it's a book, large but not particularly thick or heavy. The wrapping paper is brightly patterned in rainbow colors. The book inside is bound with sturdy leather and contains pencil-and-watercolor images of volcanic Venusian jungles, dune-swept Martian skyscrapers, gently overgrown Earth ruins.

Blaze gives Steve a whole minute to unwrap it and peek at the pictures inside before she explains. "It's a book of prints. The artist is- was? - a Warlock who likes painting the places he travels. There's some note at the start about it helping him focus. Anyway, you seemed kinda interested in the other planets, so we figured it'd fit."

[juststeverogers]

Steve is quite literally knocked speechless by the gift. Strange jungles, alien metropoli, and familiar places now covered in ruin. His fingers touch the pages gently, reverently, as Steve looks at each piece, breath caught in his throat.

It isn't until Madam Spider brings back their drinks and sets them down that Steve snaps out of it, looking up again.

"This is...wonderful. Thank you both, so much!"

[rekindledtitan]

Ghost glows brighter blue, lighting up his woolen hat so the little unicorn horn looks almost like the real thing. Blaze gives him a satisfied nod - good work, team!

"I'm glad you like it," Ghost says happily. "We weren't really sure what to get for you." And so they combined the two most obvious hints they had. The artist seems to favor painted color and vibrant scenes overlying sketched visions of what lies beneath the surface. Hopefully none of the scenes are too familiar, because Blaze hasn't figured out how to tactfully bring up the Manhattan Nuclear Zone and therefore decided there was no need to.

"Me too. They're not the kind of places we get to take visitors - well, most visitors - but at least this way we can share the views." She's busy adjusting the contacts on her powerpack with her fingers. It looks sort of like a metal hip-flask the way she handles it, but with more warning labels.

[juststeverogers]

"No this is...this is perfect. Have you been to these places? Would you tell me about your adventures there?" S
Steve's like a little kid with his first picture book of Wonderland, all smiles and awe.

"Thank you. Both of you."

[rekindledtitan]

Damnit, Steve. You're too adorable and if Blaze could she'd be beaming like a lighthouse. Ghost is trying not to flutter so much he dislodges his hat.

"You're welcome, kid. And sure, we can tell you all the stories you like."

"Although there is a lot of fighting and explosions and... general violence," Ghost points out. If Blaze tells the stories her way, that will be most of them. Better check if Steve would rather not hear about it.

[juststeverogers]

"Well, you guys are soldiers, right? That's to be expected." Steve gives an understanding nod of his head. He'd be a soldier too, if they'd have taken him for the service.

"But, maybe you could each tell me your favorite story of your adventures?" That way if Ghost wants to talk about not death and destruction too, everyone can be happy.

finally caught this one!

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze considers him a moment, then nods to herself. “I go through a lot of favorite stories. But it’s still gotta be how we and Samus dropped half a hostile Citadel onto Venus.”

“You can see the lower part of it in some of the paintings, actually.”

“Yeah, it’s the ugly floating fortress. Can’t mistake it. Samus is a friend of ours - a warrior we know from the Nexus.”

[juststeverogers]

"Oh! You know Samus? She's my trainer." Steve nods eagerly flipping through the book to find the fortress they're talking about. When he does he stares long and hard at it, eyes gone wide again.

"You dropped one of these onto the planet? Wouldn't that have caused a lot of collateral damage? Does anyone live there?"

[rekindledtitan]

"You too, huh?" She's surprised, but approving. "Hey, good for you! I've seen her work, she knows her stuff. Looking for combat training like Verity?" Steve's fragile health doesn't entirely disqualify him from combat (bearing in mind that Blaze considers 'sacrificial last stand' a valid strategy), but it does make her wonder what Samus is teaching him.

"Nah, nobody but Fallen pirates and murderous robots down there. I don't think we even hit much of the old colony, and that's been a ruin for centuries." Fallen are people too, Blaze. She lifts her 'drink' to her mouth for a minute before she gestures at the picture. "Thing is, the Citadel's shaped kinda like a tree. That part you can see is like the trunk, but its roots go deep and the upper part spreads out above the clouds. The robots who built it, the Vex, they think things like space and gravity are just little details."

[juststeverogers]

"Something like that yeah. So far it's been a lot of hand-eye coordination practices and studying." Making a planner out of Steve doesn't seem to be a bad idea, given his physical limitations. He seems to be glad he's able to train at all, really.

"...I...wasn't aware physics was that alright with being treated as trivial. However they did it, it's very impressive." Steve wishes he could have seen it. The pictures are a start though, and they're fascinating enouhg to have him breathless as he studies them. Every detail helps tell a story.

"Did you have fun with that one too, Ghost?"

[rekindledtitan]

"Hmm, makes sense. Gonna have to keep me updated on that, sounds like it'll be interesting." His coordination must be pretty good, she figures.

"Honestly, it was... terrifying. But it did make for one of the most satisfying moments I've ever had. When we landed I didn't even think we were going to breach the Citadel."

"Hey, it turned out easier than we expected. See, this mad Fallen warlord had broken in not long before - and that's a whole other story or two. The Vex had the breach contained when we got there, but with Ghost cracking their quarantine protocols we opened it up again. Found a gravity lift inside that took us right up into the- canopy, I guess you could call it. Only what we didn't realize at first was that a pack of Fallen assassins had followed us in." She chuckles. "That's when the real fun started."

[juststeverogers]

The terminology has Steve lost, but he's following along as best as he can. The gist of it he understands perfectly. They get into a place, get cornered, and had to fight their way out. And, if you're Blaze, that's a heck of a lot of fun. Ghost doesn't seem nearly as thrilled about it.

"How'd you drop something that huge? Did you turn off it's 'to hell with physics' button?"