[video] Checking In

[whyarewehere]

[ It’s that time again, gang! Grif’s broadcasting from scenic his room. You can tell it’s Grif’s room because it is an absolute disaster area. There’s all kinds of empty containers strewn everywhere, a pizza box, his other uniform (it’s rumpled and in serious need of a wash), and scattered bits of an orange suit of armor. Of note to those who’ve born witness to this appalling scene before, the far wall has a shiny little plaque on it. That’s new.

All of this is visible in the frame because Grif’s slouching back in his chair with the comm propped up on his desk. He’s a scruffy, somewhat flabby guy swiveling his chair lazily to and fro with one leg while eating… something as he talks. With his mouth full. Because Grif. ]

Alright guys, it’s come to my attention, as the one who tries to keep track of this shit around here, that we have new people. And when we have new people, that means we have new superpowers to figure out how they work.

[ Because clearly, clearly Grif is the only member of the team to take an interest in others and what they can bring to the table. It’s not that he’s nosy and just wants to know if anyone has eye lasers yet. He just gives and gives for this group, he swears.

Grif deigns to swallow before he continues. ]

So: New people. Lay it on me. Who are you, and can you do anything awesome? If it’s not awesome, make it sound awesome, cause that’s what I’m here for.

I’ll start for you:

[ He thumbpoints at his chest, getting space twinkie crumbs everywhere because he’s using that hand. ]

I’m Grif, Doubletime if you want to be that nerd who uses my code name, and I’m pretty much the fastest thing on this ship. Which is awesome.

[ He pauses for a moment, then adds, ]

…And the rest of you should probably come say hi? Tell them stuff? And tell me about the mission because I was stuck back here babysitting the ship and I mean... I took a lot of good naps, but...

[ He shrugs. Then he finishes off the space twinkie, balls up the wrapper, and throws it over his shoulder where it lands on top of the orange helmet. He is not even remotely concerned by this. ]

((( This is a free for all mingle post! Grif will reply to everyone who responds, but if you want to have a character jump into a thread with anyone you are absolutely welcome and, in fact, encouraged. This is set after the end of Lantern Plot, so characters who've been away on that are able to tag in too. )))

Comments

[isthisapidge]

So nobody has seen my lion? It's...well, it's giant green robot so it's not really possible to miss. At all.

[Well, this sucks. OK...deep breath, get out of ramble-mode.]

Anyway, I'm Paladin, but my friends call me Pidge. I've got some stealth powers I guess, but my real strength is computer programing.

[whyarewehere]

Last time I checked, lions weren't robots.

[ This is clearly the most important thing to take away from Pidge's response. ]

What kind of stealth powers are we talking? Can you go invisible? Invisibility's pretty cool.

[isthisapidge]

Well, it turns out some robots are lions. But all not robots are lions. Sometimes they're robots made out of lion robots.

[And that's where the if-then statement breaks down somewhat.]

And yeah, but it seems to be more of a...cloak, kinda like bending light around myself? It's not too different from the invisibility tech

[whyarewehere]

Hey, you can just call it invisibility, only the nerd squad will argue with you if you do.

...You know what, I'm not even going to touch the lion robot thing.

[isthisapidge]

If you don't understand it, all you have to do is say so. [The shrug heard round the room.]

[nerdninja]

[ did someone say robot? ]

How giant is giant? Independent AI, or strictly set functions?

[isthisapidge]

[heck yeah!]

Try spacecraft size! Independent AI unless it has a pilot, but it can be influence the pilot through a kind of neural connection. I have a theory about the way it influences brainwaves through electrical charges, but I haven't been able to test it yet.

[nerdninja]

[ Look at this nerd's eyes lighting up. ]

I wish I could see it.

There's some pretty great tech around here, though - well, I'm from the twenty-first century, so that's also comparative to my own era - might be something that'd at least let you work with the general principle, if not the specific case.

[isthisapidge]

[Kindred spirits!]

It's even cooler when it's combined with the other four into the giant warrior robot.

Sure. Maybe it'll get me closer to understanding the exact combination of technology and magic this thing uses. I'm from farther in the future but Voltron wasn't exactly made on a human...er, earthling timeline?

[Yeah, actually she just kind of assumed he was an alien but "twenty-first century" sort of tipped her off. Belatedly, but still.]

[fragileandsoft]

How giant are we talking?

[isthisapidge]

Have you ever seen a space shuttle? It's a little bigger than that.

[fragileandsoft]

That's pretty big, all right. Is it a robot-robot, or a pet that also is a giant robot?

[isthisapidge]

It's...more like a fighter ship actually, with, you know, stuff like tail lasers and mouth canons. It's meant to be part of the most powerful weapon in the universe, so it's not really curl-up-in-your lap material.

[unrecovered]

You're missing your giant green robot lion.

[Did he hear that correctly? Because what the fuck.]

[isthisapidge]

Uh, yeah? It's part of a super-weapon called Voltron.

[She can say it again, if he needs it.]

[unrecovered]

[It's a good thing he's already had the Alternate Dimensions explanation, because that's about the only way 'Voltron' said so matter-of-factly makes any sense whatsoever.]

...you're a Voltron pilot.

[Just gonna. Let that sink in. Yeah. Voltron is recruiting young these days, huh.]

[the_civilian]

If there were a giant green robot lion, I'd probably be goggling at it right now, so I don't think one's turned up. Maybe it'll show up later?

[HELLO FELLOW NERD. Tadashi resettles his baseball cap on his head and smiles.]

Hi Pidge, I'm Tadashi. Or, uh, Sunfire. I don't know what the tech level is where you're from, but if you want to talk robotics or computers, count me in.

[isthisapidge]

Well, mostly I've been working with alien tech made over ten-thousand years ago, but as far as earthling technology goes, we have ships that can reach Pluto's moons.

[Not sure what that will mean to Tadashi just yet, but...OK, try not to let the little lump form that forms every time she mentions Kerberos.]

...And, yeah, I get the feeling that if I do get my lion, I won't be the first to know.

[the_civilian]

[Tadashi laughs.]

We're still playing hard-to-get with Mars where I'm from, so I guess I'm still playing catch-up. I'm guessing the lion is the ten-thousand year old tech rather than Earth-tech?

[googledox]

[The green alien that appears on the screen has an arch expression. It's not that Pidge has done anything wrong, but the Time Trapper stealing a giant green robot instead of letting Pidge use it is yet another sign of its delusional desire to mold them all into being a perfect team of Legionnaires.]

[It could've been more practical and could've let Pidge use her very useful giant robot but noooo.]

Unfortunately, the Time Trapper -- the being that brought you here -- doesn't always see fit to bring in important weapons or personal belongings.

Mostly because of the megalomaniacal notion it has that it's somehow preventing the apocalypse by kidnapping you all and altering you so that you can best service the team. It seems to think that everyone will be more effective with independent powers of their own, even though that's hardly tactically sound.

[They'd really be much better off with giant robots.]

From what I've gathered, you'll be needing a space in the lab?

[isthisapidge]

Oh, what, is the principle that I'll be more loyal to the team if I think we've all been captured by an insane person?!

[Because that only kind-of sort-of worked with Allura and Coran tried it. Oh well, deep breath.]

Yeah, a space would be great. My skills are geared more towards engineering and programming, if that makes much difference.

[googledox]

We believe it's more that the Time Trapper is trying to force you all into a mold -- a futile attempt to recreate the dynamic the Legion used to have before the majority of our number went missing.

Naturally, recreating the past is impossible. All the Time Trapper is doing is kidnapping and endangering you all needlessly, and its actions are made even worse by not even allowing some of you to keep what powers or equipment you're already skilled with.

[It makes no sense to make people have new powers, to alter powers, or to lessen powers. It also makes no sense to take valuable weapons or equipment away. And for what, to force everyone to be more cooperative?]

I'll make sure your lab space is properly equipped for your needs. We may not be able to replace your mechanized combat unit, but I can do that at least.

I am Brainiac 5. The Legion isn't a military organization so we eschew ranks and formal hierarchy beyond the Legion Leader and Deputy Leader, but if that wasn't the case, I would be considered something like it's chief science officer.

[deafleppard]

I would just like to say that computer hacking is way harder than the movies make it out to be.

[isthisapidge]

Are you talking about Legion computers specifically? Because I'm just seeing a challenge here.

[deafleppard]

Nah, just... in general. I tried it some time ago. Didn't really go so well for me.