Crowds

Date/Timing: 6 January 2019
Setting : The Shed; Vaucluse, NSW, Australia
Note: This ficlet has since been made redundant by "Drills"
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Pietr wakes suddenly, nose twitching.
He sneezes, blinks, and his eyes burn.
Mobile buzzes under his pillow.
Fumbles for it.
AGNIS: FIRE. There is a fire. Please evacuate.
Rolls his eyes and out of bed. Feet in slippers, out the door. Down the corridor with the herd of staff, into the muggy Sydney air, to his rendezvous point.
Yawns.
Mobile buzzes from pocket.
AGNIS: Congratulations, Officer. You have successfully completed your first fire drill at the Sydney Shatterdome.
Huffs.
AGNIS: However, if this had been an actual fire, your delay in leaving your quarters likely would have resulted in your death.
AGNIS: Sloppy, Vos. Really damn sloppy.
Glowers.
p_a_vos: Yr teh reason I was slow!!!
AGNIS: Evacuation is your first priority once you detect wasabi.
AGNIS: Distractions should be ignored.
Makes an obscene gesture at the mobile's camera, jams it back in his pocket.
It vibrates indignantly.
Snorts.
The crowd starts shuffling toward the Shatterdome.
Pietr joins them.
A tap on his arm.
Officer Davega!
Pietr beams, steps in from of them, walking backward. ::Good morning!::
::Good morning, Officer!::
::Pietr, please.::
::Tsuki, then, Pietr.:: Davega smiles. ::Zhi-zhir-zhir.::
::He-him-his.::
::So? Is it true?::
Pietr raises an eyebrow.
::You're going to be a Ranger?::
Shrugs, 'maybe'.
::But you managed to Drift with Little Hansen?::
Mouth twitches up. ::More to it than that, right?::
Tsuki laughs. ::Seems to be, but I'm just a lowly mechanic, what do I know of such exalted things?::
'Pfft!'
::Have you had breakfast yet?::
Shakes his head. ::Need. Coffee. Badly.::
::I was headed to the canteen to meet some friends. Would you like to join us?::
::After I change.::
::What's wrong with what you're wearing?::
Pietr looks down at himself, raises an eyebrow. ::I'm in my pyjamas?::
Tsuki blinks. ::Your what?::
::Pyjamas.::
::That looks—:: Frowns in frustration. ::—sorta like 'housecoat', but I'm not sure what you mean.::
Pietr sighs. ::Sorry. I sign weird sometimes. I meant 'sleeping clothes'.::
"Oh!" Tsuki brightens. ::Pajamas!::
::Right!:: He beams. ::I can't go to the caf in my pyjamas.::
Tsuki 'pfffts'. ::No one'll notice.::
::I have a rank to uphold, now! Maybe!::
Tsuki shakes zhir head. ::Fiiiine.:: Sizes him up. ::You and I are about the same size and my room's on the way, so you can borrow something of mine.::
Pietr grins, sweeps a bow.
With a laugh, Tsuki offers an arm.
Pietr accepts and away they go.
A short time, a dark grey jumpsuit, and Pietr's pyjamas in a laundry hamper later, they stroll into the caf.
Pietr bounces over to the line and collects a mountainous breakfast and—
"Three cups of coffee?" says the brunet next to Tsuki.
Pietr grins, plunks down across the table from them, gulps a mouthful.
::This's Juliet,:: says Tsuki.
"She-her-hers," adds Juliet. "Nice to meet you."
Pietr waves, bobs his head, 'same'.
::And this's Andrea.:: Indicates a petite, glasses-wearing brunet on the other side of Juliet.
Andrea mumbles something.
::Would you have her repeat that?:: Pietr asks sheepishly. ::I didn't catch it.::
Tsuki pokes Andrea.
Andrea turns pink, says, "She-her-hers," enunciating carefully.
Pietr beams. ::Great to have a name to go with the pretty face.::
Tsuki translates.
Andrea goes carmine.
Juliet laughs, turns to Pietr. "She's more than a little spoken for."
Pietr's face heats. ::So am I!:: Brandishes his wedding ring. ::Not flirting! Just a compliment! I saw you on Tuesday—::
"It's okay, Ranger," interrupts Juliet. "She blushes whenever anyone says something nice to her."
Andrea nods fervently.
Pietr flicks imaginary sweat from his forehead.
The trio giggle.
He grins, turns his attention to his eggs.
They're gone and he's on to the sausage when there's motion in his peripheral.
Officer Riley, frowning.
Pietr bobs his head.
Riley's mouth turns farther down. "You're getting the Jaeger, ay?"
Shrugs, 'maybe'.
Riley says—turns away.
"—off him, Lachlan," says a bright-eyed blond plunking into the spot beside Andrea. "'s'not his fault our funding got canceled /or the powers-that-be are desperate to give the squirt a Jaeger." Grins, eyes sparkling. "He's gotta deal with the Hansens; ain't that punishment enough?"
Pietr feels Riley huff.
"What're you boys doing here, anyway?" asks Juliet. "I thought you were supposed to leave for Anchorage this morning."
The blond leans back, laces their fingers behind their head. "We got lucky and our appointment with the crazy science lady's been canceled. 'parently, she's coming here to check out our new friend." Bobs their chin toward Pietr.
All eyes turn to him.
::First I've heard of it.:: Furrows his brow. ::And who's the 'crazy science lady'?::
"None other than Doctor Caitlin Lightcap herself."
::To check on me?:: 
"Yup."
Pietr blinks. ::Why?::
Juliet says, "You Drifted with Chuck—"
Andrea cringes.
"—and you're okay."
::What—?::
A hand on his shoulder.
Pietr twists around.
Ranger Jones the Older frowns down at him, says, "C'mere a minute."
Pietr shrugs, stands, waves to Tsuki, Juliet, Andrea, and the blond, bows to Riley, scoops up his empty tray and mugs, and follows Jones to the exit and the bin, and then out of the caf.
Right {out of the caf and} into what looks like the /Vulcan Specter Rangers' suite, straight into a small bedroom. Lots of big books on shelves, stacks of notebooks, including a couple which look like sketchbooks.
Jones opens a dresser drawer, paws through.
Pietr creeps closer to the sketchbooks.
Twists—
Pietr freezes, waves.
—gives Pietr a frowny once-over. "You're new to the whole Ranger thing—" Turns away, digs in the drawer a bit more, turns back. "—so you need to know we don't wear each others' colours in the 'Dome." Hands over a muted purple sweater. "Put that on over top."
Pietr's eyebrows climb.
"It's disrespectful to your team." 
Eyebrows twitch a little higher.
Jones sighs. "Don't really get it, either, but it's how things work."
Pietr nods, stuffs himself into the sweater.
Jones frowns. "A little snug."  Shrugs. "But you'll only need it until you get back to your room. Then general colours until you get SE kit, ay?"
Pietr flicks a salute.
Jones rolls his eyes. "C'mon, let's get outta here."
Tags: Ficlet, Pietr, Pietr (ficlet), AGNIS, AGNIS (ficlet), Sydney Shatterdome (setting), Conversations via SMS, Tsuki, Tsuki (ficlet), Chuck H (mention), Juliet, Juliet (ficlet), Andrea, Andrea (ficlet), Andrea (description), Lachlan, Lachlan (ficlet), Jason, Jason (ficlet), Jason (description), Caitlin (mention), Jackson, Jackson (ficlet), Jackson is an artist, Jackson and his jumpers, Ficlets with tweaks, Ficlets with comments, Shatterdome (refectory)
Category:Ficlets (incorporated)
Category:Comments
Category:Ficlets with comments)
Category:Ficlets made redundant
Category:Pietr (meta)