[video] fish out of water

[katsudork]

[If the young man that appears on the screen, sitting in his Medbay bed, looks like he's slightly in shock, it's because he is. Yes, the Medbay staff, Officer Erin, and RJ Brande explained it all, but that doesn't mean it was easy to accept as reality. The staff, worried about how he was dealing with it all (which was with a lot of yelling) had even called in a tiny little alien psychiatrist to speak to him.]

[She'd actually helped a lot (even if her sheer existence only added to how unreal everything felt) but that doesn't mean Yuuri is adjusting well. There's a part of him that's still not sure any of this is real, and even if it is, he's not sure what he's supposed to be doing.]

[He feels disconnected from everything. It's like his brain is watching a movie projected on the back of his eyes, and his body feels strange and heavy, like it's not his own, just dead weight he's tethered to. His brain is still swimming with everything they told him, with words like "end of existence," "you'll find that you have superpowers" and "could use your help" floating in and out of focus. He'd nodded in agreement to it all but his brain hadn't put it all together in a complete picture yet.]

Um. Mm.

[He makes some wordless muttering noises, looking for words. They told him there were other people here, that he could talk to, other people like him that had come from other worlds, but talking to new people is something he finds difficult on the best of days and this is probably one of the worst.]

My name's Yuuri Katsuki. I'm -- [He should say who he is, right? Say something about himself. Except it feels almost silly to say what he is. He's in a sci fi novel now, or a comic book, or something, so what does being an athlete matter in all this?]

[So he breaks off into another weird mumbly noise.]

I have ice powers. I don't have a superhero name yet. They said I have to have one, but I haven't really thought up a good one yet so if anyone has any suggestions, that would be... [He trails off.]

[His brows furrow and he reaches a shaking hand up to push his hair back.]

This is real, right? This is all actually real?

Comments

text

[turntex]

are you serious thats the third ice guy this week
is this an omen of some space ice age or something jesus
anyway
yeah its real

[bachido]

[That does not look like a happy person prepared for strange adventures.]

Are you all right?

text

[katsudork]

[Text is a little easier. He doesn't have to keep his face composed when it makes overwhelmed and horrified expressions.]

ok

[Sounds fake, but ok.]

i didn't really have a choice or anything but they said that something specific brought us here so maybe it was trying to be funny when it picked my powers.

[It's not funny but...maybe it was just trying to be.]

[katsudork]

[Yuri nods.]

[Then he pauses.]

[Then he shrugs.]

[Then he pauses again.]

[Then he shakes his head frantically.]

I think whatever brought me here made a mistake.

[turntex]

why is that funny
are you also a winter spirit
oh or maybe youre just frigid
get it
though if thats the case then you arent getting it thats the whole point

[icysmile]

Maybe I ought to look into trademarking things if ice powers are going to be this common.

[katsudork]

i'm a competitive figure skater.

so with ice powers that means i also get to be a human zamboni.

[katsudork]

i don't really have control over the power thing, you realize that right?

[He doesn't want to get sued for just existing when he doesn't even have any space money.]

[bachido]

[Kubo restrains himself from laughing.]

That sounds familiar. Would you feel better talking to someone in person? I would if I were in your position. Do you want to meet somewhere, or would you like me to come where you are and show you where everything is?

[He'll drag himself away from his mother to help out a new teammate. Sariatu will understand. She'll probably even encourage it.]

My name is Kubo. I'm a storyteller. I haven't been here too long but it was a little overwhelming when I arrived too.

[He was mostly delighted by it, but he also lived a strange, strange life before arriving. It prepared him for more strangeness. This boy does not look like his life was the same.]

[Video]

[icysmile]

Wow, they are scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't they?

[She considers him from the camera for a moment, waiting for him to cool off a little. When that doesn't seem to be forthcoming, she clears her throat.]

Take a deep breath and just hold it for a few seconds. It might help.

[turntex]

yknow it doesnt help your earlier point about being 100% about selfless heroing if you start looking to trademark shit to protect your brand
just sayin

[icysmile]

That's why it's best for me to start now, before ice tricks are considered free for the public!

[She really, really hopes the teasing tone is coming off through text. Probably not, he seems a little frazzled.]

[katsudork]

No.

[He knows that sounds terrible probably, but. It's already overwhelming as it is. Having everyone at the other end of a computer screen means he's not entirely alone but there's a healthy distance that keeps him from feeling like he has to be actually sociable.]

I'm fine right here. Talking to people on these phone...things.

[turntex]

seriously
haha shit i cant decide if thats hilarious or just uncreative
a little of both but im leaning towards the latter theres definitely more wild shit that could have been done if this time trapper dude had to base a superpower on competitive figure skating
like wolverine-style claws except instead of claws theyre blades coming out of your feet
bam 100% original aint nobody gonna overlap with that

[icysmile]

I can tell we'll need a stepladder for those jokes to hit their mark.

[turntex]

wow rude

[icysmile]

And yet, no lie has been told.

[bachido]

[Well that honestly just confirms Kubo's prior thoughts that 'boy some people seem to like talking on these more than in person and that's odd but I can't judge!']

So, you must be from a place where machines like these are normal? I'm not. I'm sorry if I offended you.

video

[katsudork]

[He doesn't need to hold his breath purposefully because her saying the thing about scraping the bottom of the barrel has him sucking in and holding a breath.]

[Then glaring.]

[He may be shy sometimes, yes, but 'bottom of the barrel' is totally out of line.]

Okay, I'll admit than I'm probably not superhero material. But 'bottom of the barrel is a little --

[There's no other word for it.]

Insulting.

[He frowns and climbs out of bed, setting up his omnicom on the tray next to his Medbay bed.]

Considering that not everyone can do this.

[He stands on one foot, arching his back and touching his other foot to the back of his head, a move that only someone as flexible as a ballerina or gymnast could pull off. When you factor in how he's still dizzy from inhaling poison gas, it's even more significant.]

[It's as much a 'fuck you' as a physical gesture that isn't sticking up a middle finger can be.]

[And then it's even more of one, because he just stands there like that, like it's absolutely nothing, while still talking to her.]

Physically, I could probably do whatever being a superhero needs. It's just that all of this -- superpowers, space travel -- that's just fiction in my world. I don't really know how to...

[He finally stands normally again and the moment of his professional pride being offended passes and he goes back to almost mumbling.]

It's like someone suddenly telling you that you have to be a police officer or a soldier when you've never even thought about it before.

[A pause.]

In space.

text

[turntex]

holy shit dude

[katsudork]

the ice thing is fine

i'd much rather have the ice thing than things coming out of things.

[Please don't tempt fate, Dave. What if the Time Trapper suddenly changes its mind and gives him stupid feet blades?]

[turntex]

boring
anyway so superhero names huh
what about cold feet

[katsudork]

[He shook his head again, just as franticly, feeling as if he'd been rude himself.]

Nononono! You didn't offend me. I'm just--

[He didn't really have a way of explaining it well.]

I always get nervous when I meet new people anyway, so with all this, being crowded by people would make it more overwhelming.

And yes, it's familiar. This thing is like a smartphone.

Video

[icysmile]

[Well, it's not an unimpressive showing. It looks like some stretch she'd catch Pao-Lin or Origami Cyclone doing, it's almost painful just to watch. She couldn't really manage it.

Still, she huffs and waves her hand dismissively.]

That's exactly why it's bottom of the barrel. You shouldn't be getting asked to put your life on the line before you've even figured out how your powers work. You haven't even adjusted yet. Look at you, you're stretching to show off while you're still in the hospital!

[Seriously, she thought that kind of pointless machismo was the realm of Rock Bison and Koutetsu. Thankfully, he didn't try to hold it forever.]

Get back in bed before your body decides it's not as good as you're trying to force it to be. Geez. Pushing yourself like that is only going to make your recovery time longer, you know.

[At least he's not looking like he's going to cry anymore.]

video (but it's fine if Dave stays text)

[katsudork]

[He turns bright red.]

Like I said, I'm a competitive figure skater. I qualified for the Grand Prix Final once. And completely bombed [It's muttered under his breath] but I at least qualified. And might qualify again.

Maybe.

[He'd barely gotten off the ice before he'd been grabbed, and he wasn't going to find out if he'd qualified until the end of the competition.]

[And getting kidnapped to another dimension is kind of, maybe, sort of going to throw a wrench in his plans.]

That's the second most important international competition besides Worlds.

[He doesn't think he's that great but he has at least a little pride.]

But being able to physically do...whatever, with this hero stuff, isn't the same as knowing what I'm doing.