[CLOSED] Now I know I got to play my hand. What the winner don't know, a gambler understands.

[beatupgrass]

Who: Rocket (beatupgrass) & various others
What: A series of closed prompts for stuff Rocket is up to this month.
When: From September 1st to September 13th
Where: Various places.
Warning(s): Some vaguely alluded to cybernetic surgery. Will update as needed



[PROMPTS BELOW.]

Comments

SESSHOUMARU { obligatory who let the dogs out joke.

[beatupgrass]

[The problem with drawing up schematics while drunk for a person he can only barely remember is they are nearly impossible to decipher, so it took Rocket a little while even after he got the parts necessary to make the damn thing functional. And then after that, it was a matter of tracking down the guy whose... name he definitely never got.

Fortunately, it's not like a white-haired dude with weird fashion sense doesn't cut a pretty memorable figure. He does finally find him, and that's how Sesshoumaru came to find a (not-a) tanuki chilling in his path with a bag slung over his shoulder.]

Y'know, dude, maybe the next time we get wasted together, we should probably, like, exchange names or addresses or something. Or maybe we did and I frickin' forgot- I dunno.

wags tail

[antipathic]

[ Sesshomaru hardly remembers what happened that night, but he does recall fairly well of a tanuki who promised him him... something. He can't say pinpoint for sure exactly what, but there's a promise there that needed to be revisited. Plus, the tanuki knows how to make weapons— that makes him a priceless ally to keep by his side.

Unfortunately, he'd failed recall the creature's name, and hasn't been able to get in touch. That's not even mentioning the fact that he wouldn't know how to use the phone, either... but at least, every once in a while, he would be able to catch a whiff of his scent, but considering how diverse this world is, he can't say he can completely pick him apart of everyone else.

At least Rocket manages to find him instead. It's easy enough to sense that he's coming, and upon hearing his voice, he turns around, nonchalantly staring down at him. ]

Tanuki. [ said as a statement, as if Sesshoumaru only knows him by this name alone. ] You came to deliver on your promise...?

[ Not that Sesshoumaru completely remembers what that was, but maybe Rocket can enlighten him. ]

[beatupgrass]

It's Rocket. [He still doesn't know if Tanuki is an actual animal or if Sesshoumaru is just really bad at remembering names. He does kinda seem the type.]

'Course I did. I never break a promise... Well, I do, but not when it's about showing people how awesome I am.

[He's about to drop the bag on the ground when it occurs to him this is not a... street conversation. Or a street project.] You got any moral or personal objections to the clinic? I'm gonna need a few things to do this right.

[antipathic]

[ it's a mystery... but realistically, he's both bad at remembering names, and he's stingy about using people's real names before they're acquainted. so he hums noncommittally. ]

So you built it.

[ it is a sword? or one of those blasters? it hasn't even occurred to sesshomaru that it may be an arm... ]

Morals do not apply to me. [ pause. ] What exactly do you need?

RIN } what is this word "spa?"

[beatupgrass]

[It's a beautiful day in Olympia- a nice breeze is blowing and it isn't too hot- and that means people are out and about taking in the sights.

It's an ungodly amount of feet to dodge for someone this tiny, and Rocket has had enough of the traffic, so he takes shelter underneath the awning of a building, sneezing at the heavy floral aroma wafting out from it.]

Yeah, yeah, keep walkin' losers. Get on your way to something stupid, why don't you?

[He's a little tense.]

[jewelling]

[ Fortunately for Rocket, Rin had the same mindset as everyone who was scrolling around and appreciating the cool breeze. It was also fortunate for Rocket that Rin managed to catch sights of him squeezing his tiny body underneath a building structure.

She was curious enough to see what the little fellow was up too, so she gets on all fours and peeks in on him while he’s still in his space place. ]

You know Rocket, for a big tough guy, you're quick to hide with your tail between your legs. [ She lets out a small laugh. ]

Don't tell. Was my impression of you a false one?

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket bares his teeth and works his way out now that he's not worried about being stepped on.] Shut up. If my tail's between my legs, it's cause I don't want it to be stepped on. These people have no respect for a height disadvantage.

[He makes a show of brushing himself off.]

[jewelling]

[ Okay, well, his sudden outburst about being at a disadvantage did make the magus a bit sympathetic towards the creature. It must be a hassle, dodging and cutting his way through a crowd while hardly being noticed by oblivious eyes.

She merely sighs at his words and reverts to her original position. ]

I’ll tell you what, Rocket... If you get out from under there, I’ll let you plop right on my shoulders. [ a beat. ] Or perhaps, I could cradle you like a baby–if you’re into that.

TRACER } gotta go fast

[beatupgrass]

[While Rocket is ornery and unapproachable, it's not hard to find him, which is a curse for him, but a blessing to anyone who might need his skills. To make it even easier, he tends to spend long hours closed up his house working on his projects.

Rumors have apparently spread, however, so the knocks on the door that come with requests haven't been that surprising, and are well on their way to being the start of something. So he's expecting some stranger with some object they need fixed whn he answers the door.

He was not expecting someone he can sort of remember from a drunk-addled state. Dammit. And here he thought maybe he'd only have to contend with Juvia in regards to The Great Carrying of Insert Date Here. The look of stunned horror crosses his face before he schools it into indifference. Don't acknowledge it, and it'll be fine.] Uh... Yeah?

[quevalry]

[ The second she heard that Rocket has some useful skills besides being a very interesting drunk, Lena had blinked herself over to his place. Of course, it might have been wise for her to give him a heads up, buuuuut, that's effort. Anyway! Who doesn't love surprise visits?

A big grin is smacked onto her face when she see's him and Lena pokes at her chest or rather, at the glowing object in the middle of it. ] I've got a job for you! Want ya to help me with this.

We can call it even for when I helped you.

[ Even though she wouldn't actually expect anything back for that, but, Lena see's no harm in mentioning it. ]

[beatupgrass]

[It does have one upside- Rocket doesn't even pause to consider how this could potentially benefit him before opening the door wider to allow her access. He is happy to consider it a favor owed.]

If it means we never ever speak of that again, then whatever you want. Come in.

[He waits until she's inside and then shuts the door, and only then does he look up at the... glowing thing.] Is that a reactor of some kind?

[Geez he really was drunk if he didn't notice that.]

PROMPTO } we're in the spy business

[beatupgrass]

[What's Prompto doing in the noble district? Maybe he's patrolling, maybe he's taking pictures of the rich people, maybe he just FEELS LIKE IT. Either way, he's just minding his own business hanging out near the Institute when all of a sudden, he hears a hissing whisper from behind a trash can.

A familiar hissing whisper.] Psst. Yo, Promptly. C'mere for a second.

[punshots]

[ If he's visiting the Institute, then there's a 100% chance he's there to "drop in" on his girlfriend. He's in the middle of a marching stroll towards the front steps when he hears his name - or, almost-name - whispered from beyond a garbage can.

Oh. He knows immediately how this is going to go. But in spite of himself, he can't just...ignore someone calling out to him, so with a little half-step jig of indecisiveness, he finally trots towards Rocket's hiding spot behind the can with a quiet groan. ]

Hey...Rocket! Long time, no see! [ Hard to be too upset about that right now...though he did still owe the guy MAJORLY for helping him out with his camera while ago. ] How's it...hangin'? Behind this trash can? Suspiciously?

[ He said no illegal favors!!! ]

[beatupgrass]

It's not suspicious. It's covert. [God, Prompto, get your shit together.] I'm gettin' the lay of the land.

[He looks back at the Institute, looks back at Prompto, squints, and then:] You seem like you're pretty comfortable with that place.

[Rocket is not gonna lose an opportunity like this.]

ANA } all i wanna do is [gunshot gunshot cash register noise]

[beatupgrass]

[The Edrathe Ruins make for a decent enough place to let off some steam with some target practice. The structures built by the old settlers make perfect vantage points for doing some sniping... Not that there's anything really to snipe, except maybe the local fauna and Rocket is not about that when they're just minding their business.

So he's set up old cans a good hundred feet away- way too far for his laser rifle usually, but he's trying to adjust it to produce a lower concentrated beam over a greater distance. So far it's not working so well.

He's paused to adjust, tucked safely in the open maw of the dragon head statue, and by the time he brings his gun back up, someone else has entered his line of sight, not quite recognizable just yet.] Hey! If you don't wanna get shot, get the hell down.

[nanamari]

[ Ana's thoughts have been running along the same line. Though she does the bulk of her practice in the simulation room, where she isn't wasting her limited ammunition, it's important to get the lay of the land and practice with her current weapon. She carries her rifle slung over her back, and her sidearm under her coat, just in case.

The scrap can setup draws her attention, and Ana steps into range between shots. It's the best way to avoid a stray bullet gone too far. The sniper will see her while lining up a shot, as long as they're not out to kill anything living - and she doesn't think they'd bother with the cans, if that was the idea. It's only a moment before she's being yelled at.

Ana waves and steps out of the line of fire, but she makes her way closer. There aren't a lot of gun-toting talking raccoons hanging around, after all. ]

It's more effective if you threaten to shoot someone when they're actually in range. [ She hooks her rifle strap over one of the dragon's teeth the way most people hang up a coat. ] What are you trying to do? Maybe I can help.

[beatupgrass]

How do you know you're not?! [Rocket shouts indignantly from between the dragon's teeth- way too indignantly for Ana to be anything less than 100% on the nose. None of those cans have so much as a scorchmark on them.

As she gets closer, he hefts his gun up so she can see the thing.] I don't usually do a lot of sniping, so I don't typically build weapons that have a really big range. But I figured I could expand my horizons a bit.

RIZA } obligatory 2spoopy prompt

[beatupgrass]

[Despite the creature that he resembles, Rocket is not nocturnal by nature. He's just restless, has good night vision, and enjoys a little bit of a challenge. So maybe doing some target practice out on the marshes during the evening isn't a solid plan, and maybe he regrets that now and is on his way back.

He's about to cross the edge of the hollow to head back into Olympia proper when he inadvertently upsets something that causes a loud SNAPPING sound. He jumps backwards, startled and does the only thing he can do- he fires on it. Repeatedly. With a string of very loud, very distracting KZZZWARK noises. It's only after he's stopping shooting that he can almost recognize the tangle of melted and scorched metal as some sort of trap- most likely laid there by someone who wanted to keep the scavengers away... Or, you know, other, less noble reasons.

Rocket growls and fires another shot at it just for the anxiety attack it caused, cursing into the night.] Son of a bitch.

ERMES } [we will rock you playing in the distance]

[beatupgrass]

[There's plenty to do in Olympia if you try hard enough- it's just that Rocket doesn't usually try. Still, between jobs or holing himself up to work on his projects, he can be convinced to come out and do something frivolous.

Today's frivolous activity? A lunch of some sort of mystery meat on a stick with Ermes while they sit out on the sidelines of the palace courtyard watching people spar with each other.]

Oh man. Ouch. [Rocket laughs mockingly as one guy gets clotheslined right in the chest by a guy wearing much better armor.] He's gonna feel that one tomorrow.

[kissintime]

Man, these people suck! [She snorts, picking at the meat on her stick with her fingers. The meat here ranges from great to barely edible, and sometimes appraising the way it got cooked on the inside helps. After a moment she chucks it into her mouth and in-between bites:] No wonder they needed the refugees to help fill the guard ranks if this is the best their planet has.

[Still, doesn't stop her from watching. Reminds her a lot of the prison yard scuffles. Only no guards to break it up, and people aren't trying to genuinely kill each other.]

Hey, hey, we should make this more interesting. Wanna start a bet?

[beatupgrass]

[After disgusting lizard meat on the road to Olympia, Rocket will eat just about anything as long as he doesn't know what it was before it was cooked, so he's being a bit more voracious, only pausing in his assault of the meat to give the people punching each other and whacking each other with swords and whatever an appraising look.]

I got ten silver on the big dude who didn't bring armor. [He points to a muscly dude who is indeed foregoing armor for the sake of better maneuverability, and his punches always seem to find the weak spots.] He's ballsy. I can respect that.

MANTIS } have you seen this bug?

[beatupgrass]

[At some point (and the fact that Rocket doesn't know exactly when tells you exactly what kind of person he is), Mantis and her stuff just quietly left the house. Given she doesn't possess that much stuff, it was fairly easy to brush off as late nights working or something equally normal.

But it's been a few days, and Quill's bound to notice soon, so Rocket takes matters into his own hands through sheer paranoia and a desire to not be the last person who realized Mantis is missing and getting chastised for it.

He figures the first place to stop is the clinic, since they would have seen her last, so he bursts in, looking to start interrogating when he

sees

Mantis.

Just right there, helping people. Like she do.] ...Mantis?

[Is she a clone. Is this another bug lady? What the fuck, Mantis???]

[uglybug]

[It's true: Mantis and her stuff -- what little she has -- had quietly left the house one afternoon and she simply had not come back. She had been told that she had a room here, that she would be welcome here and... well. Here might be more comfortable, for a variety of reasons.

She's speaking softly to a woman near the entrance, giving her a few last instructions on wound care and offering a smile and a gentle touch, when Rocket shows up.

Not just shows up but bursts through the doors, looking for all the world like he's about to start in on someone.

That can't be good.] Rocket? Are you all right? Is someone hurt? Are you hurt?

[beatupgrass]

[He's still kind of open-mouth (like a suffocating fish) staring at her like he can't quite believe what he's seeing. After a few seconds of trying to figure out how to word things so it doesn't look like he was worried, he manages to sputter:] No, but I thought you were. Did you just- did you- ?

[He makes a vague gesture with his hands, trying to word something the way he wants to.] ...Did you ditch us?

JYN } i steal everything

[beatupgrass]

[Ah the noble district. One day maybe Rocket will get enough cash to live here among these fancypants rich people and consider making an honest person of himself in this new life away from his universe.

...Nah.

He'd rather just knock these fancypants rich people down a peg by relieving them of the money and valuables they so clearly have too much of. Case in point? A very regal looking older woman across from the restaurant he's sitting in who has been talking animatedly to a much less decked out older woman for the past twenty minutes.

He props his chin up on his hand, ears flicking to catch bits and pieces of her nattering to see if there's going to be a break for the two of them to split off at any moment, but every time he thinks their conversation is dying down, they find a new thread and he sighs in exasperation, turning to his partner in crime across the table.]

I feel like I am now way too informed about the personal lives of a bunch of people I neither know nor care about.