please lock!

[borahae.]

xx.█████
xx.█████
𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 ! ! ───────────


aquarius ✩ twenty-three ✩ cismale ✩ homosexual ✩ tag: ro ✩ location: crash site

xxxIn his dreamlike state, only seeming to catch glimpses of what was apparently his reality and what he could actually come to terms with, Percy heard the tall stranger mutter something about hitting his head and, with a distant look, gave a hum of numb agreeance; it made sense, now that he considered it, and the ash colored boy found himself unconsciously reaching a hand up to the back of his head as if to inspect for further injuries. He imagined he'd have noticed the pain had he truly left a dent in his skull, considering the pain that had bloomed in his shoulder upon first shifting it, but one could never be too certain. Especially in situations like such, where his senses seemed to be all over the charts. Sure, he could see just fine, but there seemed to be something a bit foggy about his hearing, and there was this offensive smell he just couldn't shake that vaguely reminded him of damp books and overripe compost.

Pulling his hand back and assessing it briefly, admittedly relieved to find it free from blood but hyperaware now of the dirt it harbored, Percy looked down at himself and felt the corners of his mouth twitch in sudden displeasure; while he was unlikely to frown, the sudden realization that his bright cerulean clothing was plastered in a brand new array of neutral-toned stains was certainly testing his usually cheery composure, his dislike for messes and appreciation for order at war.

Feeling suddenly uncomfortable in his attire, the material itchy on his skin, Percy lifted his attention back to the other male across from him at the reintroduction of the stranger's voice and felt himself growing flustered once more, his cheeks flushed and brows furrowed as he internally scolded himself and offered another round of apologies to the blonde "Ah, no! Honest. I swear on my heart, I'm not usually like this. Please, don't get the wrong idea." Shaking his hands about wildly as if to wave away all concern, feeling horrified at the impression he'd managed to leave on this poor passing stranger, Percy didn't seem to catch the other's playful intent and instead began to fret over how he could repair the damage he'd done to his image, offering up a smile in hopes of passing on his sincerity. "Apologies, once again. It really won't happen again. Not ever."

Ready to again offer a spew of apologies at the wince the boy gave following his sudden initiation of physicality, the other's comment only furthering his embarrassment and self-loathing, Percy pulled his hands back from the other and once more furrowed his brows as the stranger began to speak, his eyes widening as the words 'crash-landing' left the charismatic male's lips. As if then feeling the fog lift from his senses, the male finally took a look around at his surroundings and all but gaped, squeaking out a response after taking a moment to take the reality of it all in "Oh...crash landing? I just...I'm not too familiar with the planets of Astromenta, so I thought...well, I assumed..." Trailing off, his implications of I thought this was one of the other 11 planets, minus Capricorn or Aquarius clear as day, Percy then turned back to the other and offered a sheepish smile as he really let his prior ignorance set in "You aren't wrong about the smell, though; It's musty, loamy, and unusually offensive. I can sometimes be quite sensitive to scents, so I thought maybe it was just me. "

Seeming to gain some of his feign confidence at the honest smile and introduction offered by the other he now knew to be Ro, Percy offered an unusually bright smile of his own, nodding politely and returning the initiative eagerly "Ah, Percy! I'm an Aquarian. Or, well, from Aquarius, if that's easier. It's a pleasure." Looking around them as the other mentioned running into a Virgo, curiosity running through his veins, Percy internally wrestled with himself before turning back to Ro and once again opening up "There's others, then? You're all I've seen, so it's a bit of a relief to know that we aren't alone." Then, with a start, Percy once again spoke, multiplying in speed and only furthering his embarassment "Oh, not that there's anything wrong with you, of course! You're actually quite charming, and you've been very kind, and....well, i'd probably still be sitting in the dirt trying to figure this all out, so you've saved me half a lifetimes of worry, but...well, I should probably just shut up now."

[borahae.]

xx.█████
xx.█████
𝐌𝐀𝐗 ! ! ───────────


zodiac hunter ✩ twenty-five ✩ cismale ✩ pansexual ✩ mentions: bambi ✩ tag: rory ✩ location: main corp.

xxxStanding back as the dark haired female began to hash it out with Bambi, tensions high and feeling rather passive about the situation, Max felt his eyes instead drifting to the red writing still blinking on the large screen in the center of the room, catching the words 'radiation overload' for the first time since the panic had settled at U.A.I. Regarding the words with furrowed brows and the slightest of frowns, cursing the sudden emergency for forcing him to wake at 5am and deal with far more than his paycheck was worth, the white haired male settled with grumbling and silent complaints to appease his frustrations as he switched into work-mode; this was something that would take the whole team, much to his displeasure, so he may as well try to fix the unexpected mess as fast as possible. The faster, the better.

Momentarily shifting from glaring at the monitor as he felt a pair of eyes settle on him, figuring the best way to figure out the situation would be to examine it first hand, Max looked to Rory and watched the internal battle she faced in making her decision in understanding. Being stubborn himself, he knew that to go along would appear as if she was giving in to Bambi's taunts, so the male felt no trouble at being rejected; in fact, hearing her reasoning, the short male gave a small nod as and an even smaller smile, the corners of his lips curving upward very briefly before again returning to their natural stoic state. "Mm. Okay." Then, with hesitation and his usual awkwardness and lack of social skills, Max offered a quick goodbye before turning away and heading in the opposite direction "...Good luck, here, too."

Trekking down the hall in search of the others who were rumored to be prepping to set out and check out the scene, Max passed by the sort of office space that they'd been using for plotting and planning of future situations and again hesitated, glancing inside the large empty space before offering a sigh and heading inside; despite his prior agreeance to head out to the site, Max knew he had better make an official report for this morning's events, knowing full well that his team members had yet to do so. Besides, with his experience in the military, he was of better use here, anyways.

Slinking over to the large wooden table and adjacent whiteboard, Max gathered a map from a nearby drawer/dresser and used magnets to attach it to the board, grabbing another magnet to mark the approximate site and labeling it to the right with red marker. He had a strong feeling that they'd be needing to do some future damage control, something Max had far more behind-the-scenes-experience with anyhow, so some preparation ahead of time never hurt.

Heading over to the computer at the front of the room, the space set up very similar to the setting he was used to at his previous job, Max pulled up a new document and began to type tirelessly away, reporting the unidentified circumstances and the current procedures being used to handle them. Numb as he threw name after name and assignment after assignment, his attention to detail immaculate, the white haired male finished addressing their current courses of action and moved on to offer his opinions on future decisions; Max was surprisingly quick-witted for someone who was sluggish and all but whining a few minutes earlier, and he prided himself in his efficiency, rightfully confident in his skills.

Finishing, oblivious to the movement of time, Max kept a copy on the computer in the meeting room and sent a second to Dr. Rennalds before packing up and heading to his original destination; suiting up.

[borahae.]

xx.█████
xx.█████
𝐋𝐄𝐎 ! ! ───────────


aries ✩ twenty-three ✩ cismale ✩ pansexual ✩ tags: rhae, odette ✩ location: crash site

xxxReleasing an amused snort just shy of a giggle as the blonde stranger offered a charismatic response to his prior comment on her plans, nose scrunching upward as his smile only widened, Leo shook her hand with more enthusiasm than probably necessary and was quick to respond to her introduction "Confidence; I like it! It's a pleasure, Odette. Y'know, I always liked Virgos...some of the most creative people to exist. Also super friendly. Such a charming mix, ahhh~" Then, with a contented sigh, the dark haired male let go of her hand and, with absolutely no hesitation, continued to spew his first thoughts/opinions on the newest victim of his intrigue "We're gonna be great friends. I see it now."

Only turning his attention away from Odette as the same voice from before cut in, not particularly interested in facing the annoying male but the word 'earth' catching his curiosity, Leo felt his smile momentarily slip and his brows furrow as he let the statement sink in. While he'd never really paid much attention in his schooling years regarding history and the varying forms of life, he was certain he'd heard the name 'earth' come up more than once, and as the blonde continued with clarifying her thought, Leo went about trying to put together what he could remember about the planet. Wasn't it in the Milky Way? How'd they end up so far?
Regardless of how and why, the Ariesian hardly a stickler for details, Leo seemed to be drawing a blank on his past history lessons until suddenly he wasn't, gasping aloud and eagerly announcing his findings "Ooh! Isn't earth the planet with life? What do they call them...humans? How exciting!"

Practically shaking in his bones in his elation, suddenly very eager to start exploring the world outside of their crater, Leo turned back to the stranger as he cursed grouchily towards the two of them and rolled his eyes, scoffing and having no problem voicing his displeasure "Tch. So grouchy. What for?" Suddenly happy to scold the stranger for being so openly unfriendly, ready to chew him out for his inexcusable and contagious pessimism, Leo watched as the other began to walk off and frowned, calling out to him to no avail "Oi! Wah, He's really just walking off like that? Impatient and grouchy...what a mix."

Quick to switch back to his child-like wonder as he turned to face the blonde, Leo gave a grin and couldn't hold back his excitement as Odette asked if he'd be interested in tagging along, eagerly nodding and again making his way over to her "Oh, yeah, sure thing! Of course I'd love to~" Offering a contented hum as he neared Odette, Leo had no hesitation in reaching out and linking their arms, having zero concept of boundaries "Well, let's go then, Odette! We should probably catch up with killjoy, up there, too; best we travel in a group, as much as I'd like to leave that wet blanket behind."

[poppyxoxo]

~~Odette Jane Harlow~~
she/her, 24, Virgo, bisexual, location: crash crater, mentions: Rhae, tagging: Leo[/center]

Odette happily allowed the stranger to shake her hand. She wasn't uncomfortable and she actually rather enjoyed it because in the span of a few minutes, she felt slightly special. Someone who didn't even know her had already taken some time to get to know her a bit, especially given the circumstance. She would make sure to keep up contact with this one, how could she not? "My confidence comes and goes but I've got to wear it sometimes, you know? Air it out, try something new. You're very kind though, it's good to meet someone passionate" she returned, allowing their hands to drop. "You know, I can already view you highly" Odette added, the corners of her mouth rising into yet another smile.

"I think that's what they're called" Odette agreed with Leo's statement about "humans". Virgos happened to be very studious and during one of her interested hours of study, Odette had learnt a little bit about the now close by planet. She watched Leo intently for a moment, finding it rather interesting to be around someone with such excitement. It seeming lifted an unseen weight off of her shoulders. Odette was honestly glad that she didn't have to pull out her reserved look around him. What a change of pace! "Don't worry, he'll reveal himself to us soon enough... hopefully".

"Oh good! I didn't want to go off on my own. Don't get me wrong, I'm independent but not on a planet I so messily arrived on" Odette hastily explained, opening up her arm to make it easier for Leo to link their arms. "Alright, let's get going" she matched Leo's excitement before taking off, gently pulling on her arm. Her eyes followed Rhae as he huffed, walking quite a few paces ahead.

[borahae.]

xx.█████
xx.█████
𝐋𝐄𝐎 ! ! ───────────


aries ✩ twenty-three ✩ cismale ✩ pansexual ✩ tags: rhae, odette ✩ location: crash site

xxxGiving Odette a smile that radiated through his entire being, his whole body displaying his absolute joy and enthusiasm, Leo listened as the girl spoke of confidence and offered up a breathy chuckle before returning her playful words with thoughts of his own "Well, I think it suits you; you should wear it a little more often. Your confidence, I mean! Though, you know, you look stunning in that dress, as well. I don't see a lot of purple on planet Aries, y'know?" Going unspoken in his brief moment of silence was Leo's sudden desire to wear only purple for the rest of his days. Maybe dye his hair purple, too. Blame it on his impulsiveness, but Leo had always been very thorough in his fanboying.

At catching the blonde's compliments and warmth regarding their meeting, the dark haired male outwardly offered a sigh, as dramatic as ever as he spoke his agreeance to her comment at viewing him highly. "Ahh, you have no idea how refreshing it is to be around you, Odette; you're the first person here that I've met who wasn't wholly and entirely boring. Or downright against my charms and positivity. It's like only the most complicated and miserable of Astromenta crash landed here."

The other's smile contagious, returning it with ease, Leo furrowed his brows as Odette spoke of the male who'd wandered just ahead of them and couldn't help but to scoff, turning to the front and narrowing his eyes at the stranger who'd rubbed him the wrong way from the get-go. Shooting daggers to the back of the boy's head, hoping that the other could feel his hostility even from the distance they had between them, Leo turned back to Odette and almost immediately softened his look; unfortunately for everyone, however, his words couldn't budge with the same forgiveness. While the blonde seemed very eager to see the other open himself up to her, Leo couldn't help but to hope the male would steer clear from him all together, and due to his lack of brain-to-mouth communication, the male had no trouble in voicing these thoughts. "I have absolutely no interest in him. He can be as allusive as he wants to be; I couldn't care less."

His face unchanging, seeing no issue in remaining as honest as possible, Leo laughed as Odette went on about not wishing to travel alone and hummed in agreeance, overjoyed when the blonde too partook in linking their arms together. "Well, Odette, you're in luck, then! I just so happen to be super against traveling alone, too; it's dull, am I right? Far too much silence for me."

Then, with a start, Leo led the both of them towards the moody male ahead of them, picking up their pace ever so slightly so they could catch up. "Hey, wait up! We're coming with you." Calling out to the male, contradicting his previous hopes of avoiding confrontation, Leo turned to Odette once again and, with his signature smile, asked a question; after all, she seemed to know what she was doing, out of the lot of them. "So, what should we be looking for? Anything agreed upon? "

[senna_]

──────── 𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐘𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐙

he/him;.26;.cancer;.demi;.located: crash crater;.mentions: tags;.tagging: odette, leo

As panic shot up to highrise, it had taken Rhaegal an extra few seconds to put together what exactly the brush against his arm was. His eyes were on the more wild side of things now, a feral animal out in the open, though instead of jumping at the Virgo's touch, he remained sickly still. Blue eyes rested on the lilac make-shift wrap around his triceps, then they fell back on her. Thank you. While his throat seemingly closed and his mouth turned too dry to say anything aloud, the flash of sincerity in his eyes was hopefully enough to get his silent words across. Virgo... She was the Virgo, right? He really didn't know who she was. It seemed everyone was contented being no more than strangers to one another. Even Huck had distanced himself, or maybe it was Rhaegal who was digging himself a hole too deep from the rest of humanity. He wasn't exactly thrilled that the girl decided to throw this all in his hands, since Rhaegal was certainly not a fan of leading a group of people – especially, he added silently, casting a glance at the Aries, people who took pride in throwing smart comments at his back – and he was certainly in no condition to take on the position. He was relieved when the duo fell back. Or maybe he had just lunged far forward. He paid no mind to the Aries' snarky comments. Grumpy, or was the guy being too optimistic? Rhaegal failed to see how one could be so thrilled in a situation like this. An unknown planet – they didn't even know what galaxy they were in! – and a lack of sight for the living. He failed to see how that was thrilling. It bundled up all red flags for him.

He was devoured by impotence vulnerability as he shuffled away from the rest of the group. Invalid memories flashed across his vision, and while he certainly had not been there, Rhaegal couldn't help but pick up the faded screams of terror and distress in the back of his mind. Father. It had taken his mother nearly a decade before revealing to Rhaegal what had truly happened to her beloved. The explosion in the mine, the one that catapulted the men off of Cancer, his father included. He couldn't have landed here. He couldn't possibly have. He was dead. Was Rhaegal dead? Dead in the news, if anyone cared. His father was floating up above, surely. Rhaegal was as dead as the abandoned, dried-up river on the north side of Cancer. What was its name again? That was Rhaegal's case now. He was nothing more than a speck of sand, just like the trillions of other pieces around him. Nothingness. There was nothing to strive for now.

Helpless. His whole body had plunged underwater now, unable to resist the current. Tension fueled his nervous senses, and suddenly everything was a trigger, a hand unwilling holding the gun, ready to fire at him at any second. Or rather, ready to set the caged monster free, eager for a performance of resulted disaster. Chaotic compulsion; the devil's game. As his anxiety shot up, his heart felt as if it was hammering in his throat. The air was tight, tense, and he struggled to breathe, wheezing once, as if oxygen had been removed from him for as long as humanly possible. Fire poured on him like hot lava now; even the tip of his nose had turned into a dull red. His hands continued to squeeze into tight fists, and, distressed, he ran them through his hair, creating a wave of trimmed messy locks. Pressing his palms gently onto his tightly-squeezed eyes, Rhaegal shook his head once, tucking his chin closer towards his collarbone. And for a split second, he half expected his mother to show up. But no, this most certainly was not where the angels went to play. With the deadly heat and ghostly hills of nothingness, this was a town of abandonment. Alone. Rhaegal was alone once again.

There was a difference between contentedness with his own company and feeling completely alone. While Rhaegal did wish to venture out on his own (he wasn't sure he could take the flirtatious remarks of the two behind him in the uneasy state he had placed himself in), he felt more than that. Despite being surrounded by physical bodies, Rhaegal felt ghostly, as if life was moving along and he was stuck watching from above. Homesick, he felt homesick, and that was a very unusual feeling, given his desire for freedom. The knots in his stomach tripled, and they tightened so much that he almost doubled over. Get over it, his inner voice quickly scolded, and as if he had been slapped, Rhaegal immediately snapped back into it. Just find something of importance and come right back. Unfortunately, it seemed the other two had other plans, and while it took an extra second or two to process what had been said to him, Rhaegal eventually registered it very clearly.

His head was pounding now, having created the type of headache that hurt one's eyes. Their loud voices certainly didn't help; usually, Rhaegal didn't have an issue with smart quips like what the Aries was throwing at him, but he was feeling so disturbed by his anxious rage of emotions that it was a struggle to keep his mouth shut. "Me, myself, and I have agreed upon a lot of things," he returned, tone sharp, brisk, as if he was completely out of breath. In a way, it most definitely felt like it. He didn't want anyone to come with him, but ever since the passing of his mother, that wasn't something new. He'd accepted seclusion, despondency. Silence was his seemingoy convinced blanket of comfort, and being in his own presence – and strictly in his own presence – would likely be enough to bring him back to the steady ground. Right? But, despite his stone-cold stubbornness, Rhaegal knew it was plain stupid to go alone.

He pinched the bridge of his nose before shooting the Aries a cool look in return to the inhospitable one he was granted. "I'm looking for something that won't scare away half of humanity," he continued in a lower tone, eyes skimming over the both of them, indicating that too much talking would ruin the whole job. And while selfishly he desired quietness, on the surface level, it wasn't something pulled from the sky, either; loud voices attracted others, and they didn't need any trouble within the first hour of landing somewhere unfamiliar. Turning back around, wishing more than ever he had a comfort buddy to tone down his affliction (something he'd never admit out loud), he added in a somewhat more reasonable tone, "Anything that would either prove there are other living beings around here, or something that would help with wounds. Herbs or something we can use as wraps. Buildings, or people would be even better." Then, shooting them a thumbs up and an overly enthusiastic smile (the type that almost appeared sarcastic, given the pressure headache he was battling with), Rhaegal started up towards the slightly higher level of the desert. He wasn't sure what to expect across the miles of sand and debris, but he hoped for a bit more action than what was provided upon their crash.

[poppyxoxo]

~~Odette Jane Harlow~~
she/her, 24, Virgo, bisexual, location: crash crater, mentions: Rhae, tagging: Leo

Luckily for Odette, she was good at picking up on social ques because when Rhaegal looked at her, she saw the gratefulness in his eyes even if it did only last for a few seconds. It was enough for her and she was smart enough to know that sarcasm wouldn't work in this situation even if the silent thank you wasn't enough but thankfully, it was. She turned back to Leo, her heart skipping a beat. He definitely would try to break down some of the walls of the man beside her but the blonde saw that not happening. The more he tried, the more the other would resist. She suddenly felt the urge to break up the silence and quickly re-join Leo again. The other man seemed to increasingly want a break. She couldn't blame him and even though she couldn't see his struggles, he was doing the best he could. She half smiled, snapped out of her thoughts by Leo's politeness. "Well, I've never had that compliment before but let me tell you, it was well received. I definitely like the approval of my dress, I mean, look at your style! Mine is way beneath yours. Your manners are on point. What's not to like?" Odette returned the energy genuinely.

Leo had called her refreshing which surprised her but in a good way. He certainly had a gift for boosting confidence in a matter of seconds. "See, this is why I already like you so much! You're so different and kind to what I'm use to. I bet you make a lot of people happy". Odette held to his arm as they walked, making sure to keep up to the other, more quite male. She was suddenly very aware that she might be louder than what was preferred. She could have already led a lurking enemy to their whereabouts by now. From the looks of the male a few steps ahead, from the thumbs up to the faked smile, he had similar thoughts. That or he wanted them to shut up. Maybe both. Odette didn't mind; everyone got like that some times. "Leo, keep your eyes out for anything that looks useful. I trust your judgement".

[nikbowie]

✺ 𝑯 𝑼 𝑪 𝑲
░░░░░ taurus • he-him • gay • 22 years • tags: kaz, lili • mentions: rhae • location: the crash site ░░░░░

Huck was totally zoned out. The last thing he had registered was Rhae’s playful mockery of his sexuality.

Of course, Rhaegal was right. It had been clear when the two had known each other, though it was perhaps even clearer now. They had been what—young teenagers? He recalled upon those years with a glint of nostalgia but overwhelmingly with a shudder of sheepishness. His short cropped hair, his nasily little squeak of a voice. Not that he was any baritone as of present—but serious improvements had been made. Either way, his ‘fairyness’ (a common slang for it on Planet Taurus) had never been a great secret. He still recalled picking out a headpiece for Gaia’s Moon Festival (a mirthful holiday that consisted of meaningful day-time ceremonies followed by a night of dancing) with his mother when he was perhaps nine or ten. She had taken him lightly by the hand, her pale, spindly fingers encircling his palm. “Bosh loh omo doh narah?” Her eyes pierced him like spears as she awaited an answer to her query: Which boy will you dance with? Huck just shrugged in response. “Ba loloa bal.” A pretty one. She tugged his ear in response. “Make sure he has good blood, good family.”

That memory had gotten him thinking about his mother. Then about his home planet. At that point, he had begun to spiral away from reality. Huck had realized hazily, as he watched Rhaegal leave with a girl, that no one was floating. Everyone was placing one painstaking foot onto the ground after the other. It was gangly, it was awkward, it was so foreign. It made him want to shudder. All his life, he had been surrounded by elegance. So, naturally, he had minorly rebelled. Sewing patches onto his expensive coat, things like that. Those things made him feel slightly less pretentious than his own mother. But this. This idiotic, infinitely un-elegant mode of transportation made his nose wrinkle with distain. He now understood where his mother had been coming from when she complained of how horrid things were on other planets.

He had to do something, but he certainly did not want to move. He had been thrown to the ground by Rhaegal, and gotten up, but since then he had stayed firmly rooted in place. And he didn’t want that to change. Huck ran a hand through his hair, twinging at the feel of sand on his scalp. He noticed the Scorpio from before, Kaz, now accompanied by a short dirty-blonde haired girl. She was waving her arms around, obviously in some kind of animated conversation with Kaz. That would have to do.

He took his first step silently, determined not to let the two notice him until he arrived, so they wouldn’t see him walk so unpresentably. Huck realized quickly that he wasn’t able to put weight on his injured leg, so he began to hop on one leg, his bad foot dragging along the dirt. It was perhaps the most undignified thing he had ever done. Whatever happens, he clenched his jaw, please don’t let Scorpio-Boy notice me move like this. But he knew his dancing hop was far from subtle.

“Kaz, greetings. Time long, no see.” He stepped beside dark-clad boy, and nodded a simple hello to the girl, not noticing her too much. New people didn’t appeal to him that much, unless they gave themselves a reason to be noticed. And right now his focus was on Kaz.

[borahae.]

xx.█████
xx.█████
𝐋𝐄𝐎 ! ! ───────────


aries ✩ twenty-three ✩ cismale ✩ pansexual ✩ tags: rhae, odette ✩ location: crash site

xxxOblivious to the silent conversation occurring between Odette and the mysterious male he had yet to catch the name of, returning the smile offered to him by the blonde with one twice as large, Leo looked down at his own now-half-hazard attire and, despite his prior distaste at having his relatively new gown and coat torn and speckled in the terracotta colored dirt, felt his Ariesian sense of pride taking over at the oncoming compliments on his wardrobe. While on his home planet, the male was never particularly known for spending too much time and care on planning his outfits, much more inclined to throw on whatever was clean in favor of avoiding doing laundry; however, that's not to say he didn't care how he looked, or that he didn't care about fashion entirely. In fact, when given the occasion and proper reasoning, Leo was often one of the people who shone brightest in a room, his competitive streak refusing to allow him to fall short even in the case of appearance, something which the boy couldn't be bothered to spend even a second in the day worrying over.

For the Ariesian, appearance was more an experiment than something to dwell on, his fashion sense largely targeted on comfort, and his accessories and hair focused entirely on his momentary feelings and desires. Blame the impulsiveness that ran in the blood and bones of everyone inhabiting planet Aries, but Leo had always been this way; at age 11, much to his mother's horror, he'd gotten his first piercing after simply passing by someone with pierced ears. So, unused to hearing praise for his looks (far more accustomed to his parent's scolding, appearing either too relaxed or too immature for their approval), Leo found himself standing a little taller and chuckling just a notch softer, feeling warm all over. "Ahh, thank you, doll. Though, y'know, you shouldn't sell yourself short, either; You're a real catch, too." Slipping out the pet name very casually, his newfound connection with the blonde causing him to relax even further, Leo offered a playful wink and continued on their way with a pep in his step and his arm still very attached to Odette's.

Turning then to the male with the surprisingly sharp jawline as he returned Leo's prior inquiry over their general affairs during this expedition, the dark haired male couldn't help but to offer a roll of his eyes as the other spoke with layered sarcasm once again, not particularly fond of the harsh tone to the male's words. "Not a great team attitude, if I do say so myself." The words uttered under his breath, more intended for the ears of Odette and himself than the stranger's, Leo listened once more as the boy offered up his opinion and, missing the cue to quiet down entirely, nodded in his surprising agreement. While he wouldn't say he was the forgiving type, much more inclined to hold onto his grudges for dear life, the male had to admit that the stranger's plan sounded solid, and certainly helped to clear up his question; and, while it was quite unexpected, the male's sudden smile and enthusiasm certainly helped to cool the Ariesian down "Alrighty then, will do, boss. Thanks for the...help?"

Still feeling a tad uncertain over the sudden change in attitude from the other, not at all bothered by the male taking charge of the situation (unlike the stereotypes of an Ariesian would suggest), Leo turned back to Odette with an immediately less quizzical look and a bright smile at her own commentary for the situation, momentarily clinging tighter to her arm "Mmm, okay, thank you, Odette. I'll take your trust to heart." Oddly sincere for someone with a very carefree attitude, glad to have found himself at the side of someone so outwardly warm and loving, Leo drew an 'x' over his heart as if to signify his promise before looking back to the male ahead of them who had now climbed over the edge of the crater. Knowing they'd need to keep up with the other, Leo unhooked their arms with a chuckle before gesturing to the slight elevation they'd need to climb up and over, a dramatic sigh leaving his lips shortly after "Looks like we'll need both arms to get over that...didn't know we'd make such a deep crater, the group of us. Must be quite a few more people back there that we haven't met yet."

Then, with little more than a huff, the surprisingly athletic male made it over the edge and took in the miles and miles of sandy dunes with perhaps more enthusiasm than was normal. He just couldn't help it; the prospect of exploration and meeting a new species was absolutely thrilling, and something that was sure to keep Leo bouncing on his heels like a child for the unforeseeable future. Turning back to face Odette, making sure she could make it over the slight lip, Leo offered his signature grin and waited very briefly for her to catch up before unconsciously picking up the pace, overexcited to begin "Well then, let's go, shall we? Oh, and, y'know, we never introduced ourselves! I'm Leo. From Aries, not Leo, though. What about you?"

[senna_]

──────── 𝐌𝐄𝐆 𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐘𝐍

she/her;.21;.zodiac hunter;.bisexual;.located: main corporation (equipment room -> exit);.mentions: tags;.tagging: mateo, thomas, bambi

At this point in time, everything had become a flurry of mingled, stressful emotions. Comments were being tossed over her head, and Meg didn’t seem to have the ability to grasp them in time to properly process what had been bundled in with the tone. While she had temporarily removed herself from the cluster of overwhelmed geniuses, she could certainly still feel the pressure that this situation had blown onto them. Her insides tingled, although she wasn’t too sure if it was out of eagerness to explore the new sight, or anxiety for the same reason. Whatever the case may be, it made her itch to get her fingers on whatever remanence they could. Right now, Meg couldn’t even seem to balance out the positives and negatives in the situation, assuming there were a good bit of both sides. The only thing running through her mind that she was able to process at that moment was: “What had just happened?” She was still taken aback by the fact that even their high-tech computers failed to secure an answer, a title, for their newest research inspection. All that pushed through her mind was the urge to get her hands on whatever it was out there. She couldn’t wait another second.

Standing on the tips of her toes, Meg’s fingers determinedly brushed against the helmets on the top rack until eventually, one came tumbling into her chest. She let it hit her with a breathy “oomph” before it headed to the ground, and she couldn’t help but cringe slightly as it smacked against the solid tiles. Unwilling to take that extra second to see if it had any cracks in it or not, Meg swiped it and took off towards the exit of the closet, barely pausing to wait for Mateo. Her giddiness had stepped up a notch, and for the second time in the past thirty or so minutes, she nearly collided with Thomas. “Do you have the stuff?” she asked him, tone unintentionally impatient. Everything inside of her was working at a far faster pace than what was to be considered normal, and she was even bouncing on the heels of her feet now, ready to flee the building before anyone could even dwell on the possibility of a change in mind. “Just us. Here, there’s a suit in the closet. We’ve gotta go.” She slipped past him and took off in a brisk walk, a near-run, towards her desk, fishing out her torn-down notepad. She wasn’t too sure what to expect yet, but anything substantial could turn into one large political disaster if the government found out. They couldn’t let that happen.

She turned back around, casting a very quick look in the direction of the equipment closet before starting up towards the main exit. “Bambi!” she called to the woman, unwilling to stop again to properly find where she was located. “Mateo, Thomas, and I are heading out now. Come when you can.” That was enough talking now, which was almost ironic, given Meg’s love for it. She shoved the door open with her hip, foot tapping as she yearned for the two to hurry up. Although their location was fairly secluded, they couldn’t let anyone else in. This was too good to let go so easily.