Semi-Open RP: Astronomy Field Trip

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

((Open to everyone who signed up))

Last time Slartibartfast had done one of these, he'd carried everybody to Magrathea in an old converted van. This time, there were so many people going, he'd had his ship the Starship Bistromath delivered, and it now sat idling on the lawn. Irrational behavior wasn't going to get them to Magrathea in anything like enough time, however, so he'd refitted it with an Infinite Improbability Drive.

"All right, ah, everyone, I want you to, you know, to find your partners, and we'll get on the, the, you know, the ship. I do hope everyone dressed, uh, dressed sensibly."

Comments

[schizowarrior.livejournal.com]

Molly wondered if she should have brought a sign--she didn't know her partner, after all. After a moment's thought, she did just that: taking a folded scrap of parchment from her pocket, she wrote 'Molly M' in big letters with a Magic Marker (who knew where she'd gotten that) and stuck the sign to her shoulder.

[wright-phoenix.livejournal.com]

Phoenix looked around and saw the 'Molly M.'

"Molly M? As in Molly Michon? I'm Phoenix Wright."

[redonme.livejournal.com]

God, this looked to be either the weirdest or the best thing he'd ever see--hell, maybe both. Shaun didn't know what the hell to expect from this trip; he'd just signed up because the idea of touring a factory that made planets was pretty cool, even without knowing just what he was getting himself into. He eyed the spaceship, occasionally poking at it with the cricket bat, and wished that Ed could have come on this, too--well, alive Ed; zombie Ed would have just tried to eat his classmates.

[charlesofdensen.livejournal.com]

Ofdensen looked around the crowd, trying to pick out a person that would look like a Shaun Riley. Having failed in said picking, he turned to the nearest person (who happened to be Shaun) and asked, "Do you happen to know which of these persons is Shaun Riley?"

[whosneverbeen.livejournal.com]

Luna was thrilled about this field trip. She was especially thrilled with her choice orf partners, since Strong Bad sounded like the name of someone who would go around being very hot without wearing much in the way of clothes. And Luna was seventeen and had healthy urges, including the desire to stare at scantily clad men whenever possible.

She waited patiently for her partner to arrive, face half-hidden by the latest issue of the quibbler.

[sbisawesome.livejournal.com]

Strong Bad would have agreed with that assessment of himself! He was not only hot, he was awesome, and he never wore a shirt, except when he was at work or doing a modeling shoot!

The big-headed, wrestling-masked, boxing-gloved little humanoid trotted into the growing gaggle of waiting students. His large, pupilless, slanted green eye-equivalents scanned the group. "Hey, which one 'a you guys is Luna Lovegood?" It sounded like it could be a lady's name! And Strong Bad was all up ons the ladies.

Mercifully for everyone, he had omitted the Mongolian aftershave lotion (i.e., gasoline).

[daxtastic.livejournal.com]

So, he definitely wasn't bluffing then. She walked up to Slarti, to wait for the students.

"You have a ship," she said, blankly. She'd been looking for anything space-ship like for months! "Any chance it goes through time, too? Say, 300 years or so?"

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

Slartibartfast smiled. "Ah, hello, Professor. Yes, I, I do have a ship, but it doesn't, ah, it doesn't jump through time except by, you know, by accident. We try not to, ah, to do that anyway; I'm--or I was--vice-president of the Campaign for Real Time, which tries to, you know, to preserve history as it was before time-travel. Of course," he added, glancing at the castle, "this place must be, really it must be giving them a royal headache. I'm glad it's not my problem anymore."

[wrinklesintime.livejournal.com]

Meg stared at the spaceship in amazed wonder. It was definitely one of the coolest things she'd seen at Hogwarts.

She'd never met her partner, though, and after some thought dug out a scrap of parchment, wrote her name on it in sloppy, hard to read letters, and stuck it on her shirt with a sticking charm.

[makeminemayday.livejournal.com]

((Warning, slow response time - periodically checking the TV in other room for a news report.))

May was running late as usual, but any fears of not being able to find the meeting spot were dashed as she looked out the window of Gryffindor Tower - the spaceship on the lawn made it pretty obvious where the meeting spot was.

Still, she had to take a shortcut, and instead of coming out the doors of the Great Hall, she came running around the corner, seemingly coming from a side door not visible from that side of the lawn. Which was true if you substituted "door" with "window."

Not knowing what her partner looked like, she wandered through the crowd for a few minutes, peering at the signs and nametags some people had made. It took her a minute to decipher the right nametag. "Hi. Meg, right? I'm May. I think we're partners?"

OOC

[puredeadthingy.livejournal.com]

This is Mel-mun posting on behalf of Brice- and Lola-mun: LJ is currently hating her computer and whatever computers/browsers she uses to combat the problem, it persists. She's working on it, but she may or may not be tagging.)

Re: OOC

[wired-goddess.livejournal.com]

((No prob, Wired lain can just bum around and stalkfollow another group or just go solo))

[gamma-quadrant.livejournal.com]

Buzz groaned. I should have realized. Field trips are always like this, and I'm the shortest person here. How exactly is a partner I don't know going to find me?

Eventually, he decided on hoping against hope that his partner would wait and he could find him (or her; hard to tell with a name like "Chance") instead. If worst came to worst they'd be the only two people left when everyone else had paired off.

[chance-silvey.livejournal.com]

Chance scans the crowd. She's never met anyone named Buzz Lightyear. It sounds pretty damn space-age, but it's not like you can tell a spaceman by the way he looks, given the crew of Serenity --

-- or can you? Her shoe's untied, and when she kneels to re-tie it with a grumble, she sees a little toy spaceman. In a spacesuit. Who appears to be alive.

"Um. You wouldn't be Buzz Lightyear, would you?"

[semper-fi-house.livejournal.com]

John stood at the edge of the crowd of students, scanning the class for the young man he'd met the other week. He'd been surprised when the boy had asked him to be his partner for the field trip. He seemed like a pretty good kid though, and John was perfectly willing to spend the time with him; besides, the young man clearly was in need of some better authority figures in his life.

Suddenly he spotted him, looking about himself, his neck craned upward slightly to try to see over and around the taller people around him.

"John!" he called, waving a hand. "Over here, boy."

[internetgoddess.livejournal.com]

Lain stood looking around for her partner. Of course, it'd help out if she knew who they were. She toyed with the idea of making a sign post with 'Archie Kennedy' splayed across it but she decided to rather spare him the embarrassment of it.

And so, instead, she began to mingle in hopes of finding him.

[traitorormartyr.livejournal.com]

Right now, Archie was looking between her and Wired Lain, slightly amused at how alike they looked.

"Excuse me," he asked Lain (he of course did not KNOW it was Lain), "but are you two twins?"

[wired-goddess.livejournal.com]

Lain of the Wired, still tired from bad sleeping patterns, walked into the hall wearing a very strange style of dress (http://www.geocities.com/punistation11/).

She stood for a moment looking around before she headed into the crowd. She saw Lain also walking around but decided she'd speak to her later least she tempted another banishment.

[angelicbadboy.livejournal.com]

((Just figured I'd tag to show that Brice is around, but LJ is still hating my computer. >.< Really sorry! Am at a friend's now, but won't be around for long.))

He was so not good with people. Brice looked around the crowd, wondering who this Lain of the Wired was and how the heck he was supposed to recognise her. (Him? He had no idea.) Well, this'd be interesting... The angel sighed and pushed up his shades on his head, looking around. A hint,
just a hint... Okay, nothing. Finally he gave up, found a piece of parchment, and scrawled his name on it, before attaching it to his jacket.

Worth a shot. He looked stupid, but he'd rather have that than assault random strangers and ask them if they were this... Lain.

He hung around sort of casually near a young girl, hoping that someone would approach him.

[forcedexile.livejournal.com]

The Exile wondered if Professor Dax knew what she was doing when she paired her up with another Jedi. Not that they were going to cause trouble, it's just the irony. Or some other word that's on the tip of her tongue.

She stood patiently, looking for Aayla.

[blue-ataru.livejournal.com]

Aayla recognized the Exile from her Sorting, and was able to avoid the awkwardness that usually occurred when she had never met her assigned partner. She nodded in greeting. "Are you as ready to see this 'planet factory' as I am?" she asked with a wry grin.

[office-michael.livejournal.com]

Michael showed up in his usual attire - suit and tie. And on his head was his captain's cap.

"All aBOOOOOOOOOOOARD!" he shouted, clapping his hands in an excited sort of way. "We~~~ are about to depart on a fantastic voyage! And I~~ am your captain. Your LEAder of this ship, if you will. And once we reach our cruising altitude, I will be talking to you about leadership." He looked around, waiting for someone to tell him how hilarious and/or profound he was.

[chaotic-miles.livejournal.com]

Miles arrived at the designated area, full of energy as usual. He looked around the crowd of people, trying to figure out which of the men present looked like a Michael Scott. When he heard one man make an attempt at motivational speaking, he approached.

"That was brilliant!" he carroled, offering a hand. "Hi... Miles Vorkosigan. Are you really in charge?"

[whoopwhoowhoop.livejournal.com]

Zoidberg waited for no man!

...Unless he was told to. Then, Zoidberg could wait all day! He trusted that this Jack Harness could find him. After all, he was a famous Inspector Doctor.

[twoyearsmissing.livejournal.com]

Jack raised an eyebrow curious. So that was to be who he was with... Well he'd done worse on a Friday night in one, no a few other systems. He was dressed sensibly. So perfectly normal slightly informal uniform with greatcoat and the webley hidden away, he was paranoid. He'd started at the ship a while and decided it wasn't quite what he was after so it was safe in that respect.

"Inspector Doctor Zoidberg?" Jack smiled, one of his best of course, making the right impression was everything. "Cap'n Jack Harkness."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

((Okay, here goes a giant narrative dump--tag in at whatever point in the proceedings you feel like))

“All right, now, ah, now if all of you could, you know, just climb aboard, we can be off.” He opened the ship’s side-doors to let everyone in, ducking up to his little control panel. Because he was carrying so many people on this trip, he’d retrofitted the main interior with school bus seats, and added a luggage rack for anything people felt they needed to bring with. He had also, mindful of last time, laid in a good stock of airsick bags.

Everybody loaded, he shifted several levers, laid the coordinates into the Improbability Drive, but paused before slamming the button.

“Now, ah, I have to, to warn you that, well, this might be a bit…disturbing.” And with that, he brought his hand down on the button, and the ship stretched, contorted, and vanished.

The trip only took a few moments, before the ship landed smack on the snowy surface of Magrathea, just outside the factory. It took a moment more for normality to restore itself, and when it had Slartibartfast turned and wrenched the lever that opened the doors. “All, ah, all right, in we go.” He’d arranged for everything well in advance, so that it was easy enough to get them all inside where it was somewhat warmer--though that would change once they got out into the factory itself.

Normally, anyone going out onto the floor went in something very like a yellow-wired mining car. That arrangement was in no way feasible for this trip, so he’d ordered what basically amounted to a barge, one that would--though it would be a squash--accommodate everyone. “All right, everyone, ah, everyone on board? Yes? Good.” The cart’s door securely latched, he swung it round to face the main corridor (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/StevieBarry/red.jpg) that let out onto the factory proper. The cart picked up speed at an alarming rate, and he said, just above the roaring of the wheels, “I, ah, this might disturb you a bit more, I’m afraid. Scares the hell out of me, certainly.”

Just when it seemed certain they’d splat against the end of the corridor like a bug on a windscreen, the doors slid apart and the entire crew found themselves instead spat out on the floor (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/StevieBarry/girders.jpg) itself. It was colder in here, though not so cold as it had been outside, and they were zipping along at an appreciable fraction of jet-speed.

“This, you know, this is where the half-finished projects wind up,” he said, as they cruised over (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/StevieBarry/planetsurface.jpg) the surface of a continent-in-construction. “That one down there is, ah, I think it’s called Chemania,” he said, pointing. “Can’t, you know, can’t remember who ordered it, but the specifics are, well, really they’re taking ages.”

They zoomed onward, past planets half-built, past the complicated girder (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/StevieBarry/PDVD_005.jpg) system that supported some of the lighter bits, and out yet further into what looked like open space.

[charlesofdensen.livejournal.com]

Well, Ofdensen will be damned. Planets were made by people. He held on tightly, people bumping into him, looking for all the world like a little kid. Hey, even he can be surprised.

As a side, he's really glad none of the band members came on this trip. They'd be demanding a planet of their own.

[ninth-doctor.livejournal.com]

The Doctor had arrived. Was he on the list? No. Why? Because he's Dax's bloody assistant, that's why! Only students sign up, is how he figured. And since he wasn't going as a student...well, there you go!

"So's this Michael bloke being a pain in your arse yet?" he said from behind Dax once he found her. He was good with unannounced arrivals. It's what he does, damn it, get off his back.

[daxtastic.livejournal.com]

Dax could not grin. The Doctor hadn't bothered to sign up, so as a professor she couldn't let him know that she was quite happy he put in an appearance.

Really, insanely, would probably have to reexamine later why she was in fact so happy, happy.

Oh, screw it (careful Dax, someone's picking up earth slang!). She grinned. "Actually, Michael was the only TA who followed proper protocol for this trip. So far, I'd say he's doing a better job at it than you are." What? She could be happy and reprimanding at the same time.

[tomowildcat.livejournal.com]

((This takes place before the gang leave, I need to get my things unpacked and get ready for work tomorrow, so this is a placeholder. Sorry I'm so late!))

"HEY, everybody, I'm -" Tomo's customary shout was cut off as she spotted the ship and skidded to a stop, momentarily struck speechless (a historic moment in itself).

But only for a moment. "That's the ship? AWESOME! How fast does it go? Does it have lasers? I bet it does!"

Backdated to before John H.'s comment...

[toilet-doe.livejournal.com]

John took a breath and clambered up to where the growing group of other students was, idly searching around for Older!John. He'd intended to owl Older!John after he got out of the hospital wing, but his fingers still weren't cooperating as far as writing utensils went and his attempts at using a quill with his left had only resulted in more ink being splattered over his clothing. One of the house elves had kindly helped him after he'd figured out how to summon one. Who knew that angry shouting could actually pay off eventually. The elf who had helped him had been nice enough to come back every morning and help him with his tie and trousers, which still proved to be his most difficult articles of clothing. It was a good thing he'd long ago gotten used to being at least half-naked in front of others. And the elf didn't seem to think anything was funny. In fact, he told John about a room on the seventh floor where the elf would get him a spare 'wheeled chair' to use when his legs were bothering him. For now, he tried to see over the heads of everyone around, all of whom seemed to be older (and taller) than he. He wondered how you managed to single out a Marine. Look for the one whose back was straightest, he supposed. He sighed and remembered suddenly about the detention Mr. Maturin had given him (http://community.livejournal.com/hogwarts_hocus/1323205.html) in the Hospital Wing. He hoped that since his new meds seemed to be working so well, he wouldn't get another. He also hoped that Lily and the other doctors had forgiven him for yelling at them. Particularly because he had to go there every day as soon as he got a PT plan worked out. He'd been doing it by himself as best as he could, but knew that wouldn't cut it for long. As it was, he hoped he didn't have to wait long to find him...

[lilypotter60.livejournal.com]

After the group had gotten underway, Lily made her way from where she'd been lurking ninja-like in the back of the vehicle up to where a lovely young woman was seated. After an owl conversation with Dumbledore (http://community.livejournal.com/hogwarts_hocus/1332270.html#cutid1), Lily had undertaken the task of getting to know one Camilla Macauly. Her mentor had pointed the woman out to her at one point so that recognition would not be a problem; and now Lily smiled down at her, radiating nothing but friendliness and a bit of confusion.

"Sorry, but...would you happen to be Camilla? Everyone else seems to be pretty well paired up, so I was hoping the process of elimination would help."

Lily had, of course, been using the time since she had arrived for the field trip to watch Camilla. If Dumbledore found her hard to read, Lily knew she had her work cut out for her. But this is what she did, something she was good at. She could get people to talk. Hopefully this outing would prove fruitful.

[c-macaulay.livejournal.com]

No Henry, no Charles, no Richard, no Bunny -- not even Silas watching her, which meant no safety net, but it felt so good to be alone. No one here expected anything of her. Camilla could simply drink in the sights of the ship and the factory. The unaccustomed freedom was at once exhilarating and profoundly relaxing.

How much had she missed, all the time she'd been alone and searching for a way to resurrect Henry? She'd been so intent on her goal, and so heartsick missing him, that she had never truly registered how good it was to be absolutely free.

When someone said her name, it came almost as a disappointment. She turned with a smile that didn't touch her eyes. "I'm Camilla Macaulay, yes," she said, polite as ever. "And you must be Lily Evans."

She'd noticed the names on the signup sheet, of course. She'd simply hoped that the DADA professor would have better things to do with her time than audit an astronomy course. She knew nothing about Lily except for the woman's name and faculty position. You'd have to know nothing about Lily, to think she'd ever miss out on a chance to see a planet-building factory.

[nicknamegirl.livejournal.com]

((Will be very slow at tagging; LJ still hates my computer. Am at a friend's now, just thought I'd tag and show that my pups are actually there. >.<))

Lola had never met Tara, and was a bit curious. Meeting new people was always fun, and she hadn't been on a field trip in ages. It'd be educational! She was of course dressed sensibly, in jeans and a top with the words Flying High on it, and her combat boots. Mel had given her that top. It was stylish, yet comfortable and would work great on this trip. Lola knew her fashion. She was also a considerate person, so she'd written a proper name-tag for herself, which she'd pinned to her top. Easier that way.

She looked at the starship with keen interest. It didn't remind her at all of the glass pods angels used to get from Heaven to Earth during missions, and she was curious on how it worked. But okay, she'd have to ask someone later. Right now she looked around for this Tara Mclay.

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

On they went, the light of a distant sun (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/StevieBarry/floor1.jpg) illuminating more of the planets-in-construction. Some of them were quite odd (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/StevieBarry/PDVD_003-1.jpg), made to suit clients who had creativity but not practicality.

[daxtastic.livejournal.com]

Up until this point, Dax had been taking diligent notes. The factory was odd, certainly. But she dealt with, studied, and categorized the 'odd' on a daily basis.

This...this was far, far beyond odd.

"Oh," she said, voice rising a few octaves. She put the quill down. There were some things you just had to look at.