They say there's nothing new under the sun

[10_20_15_5_50]

Who: Hiro, Sam, and anybody else who wants to watch Tremors
What: Watching Tremors and possibly discussing swear words prior to the show
Where: The new outdoor theatre in the Northwest
When: Backdated to Thursday night, dusk.
Warnings: Language? Probably language.

The ‘official story’ was simple, if outlandish: Sam had happened across a VHS tape of Tremors (true) while lost (false) in the dense mire of mess which was Hiro’s room. Though the tape had actually been uncovered in the Warehouse, she had no intention of saying so; she didn’t want to wonder if the truth would reach Dirge, or want to deal with the seeker if he heard and, hearing, took it into his head to reclaim the cassette. What she did want was to make good on what she’d said to Jadewing.

’Sometime, we’ll find for you a few decent horror flicks.’

Tremors had turned out to be the first of that few. With luck, and a little---or a lot---of looking, there would be others, and so the whole theatre project had been buttressed by the hope of having more movies. The screen was situated at one side of the clearing Irja had kindly created, suspended between the trunks of two massive trees and braced by branches across its back. (The controls were there, as well, and at two elevations; the human-scale console sheltered in what looked, to Sam, like an ice shack.) A viewing deck had been built opposite the screen, encircling one wide walnut tree at a height which would have any occupants up enough to talk to standing Cybertronians comfortably, without craning. The deck had been outfitted with a ladder, a small collection of mismatched chairs, and (importantly!) a small free-standing fire pit. Two ridges crossed the clearing so that people could park angled up to better see the screen, but the clearing itself was otherwise almost ordinary---and only ‘almost’ on account of its creation.

All things considered, the set-up was pretty sweet.

Comments

arrivals

[10_20_15_5_50]

The path from the Gateway is wide enough to accommodate anyone driving in, and is clearly marked by pale rags tied to its trees. Since it isn’t quite dark enough to start the show, there’s time enough to find the perfect spot to watch from, discuss degrees of Bacon, and start in on snacks.

showtime

[10_20_15_5_50]

Settle down, shush up, and dial in your drones---the show's starting!

Re: arrivals

[the_other_green_seeker]

Jadewing landed lightly in the middle of the clearing and surveyed their handiwork, now that all the extras had been added in. He'd only been around to help with the heavy lifting, leaving the details to the much smaller and more dexterous humans. "Well," he said, "don't know if it's up to Constructicon standards, but not bad. Looks like I'm a little early for the show, though."

[akito]

Akito is excited to see a movie in a proper theatre setting, and one that hasn't been provided courtesy of the doctor's ironic sense of humour. Apart from her first day, nobody has bothered her about wearing pants, and so she doesn't think to acquire a pair to put on before heading over to where she heard the theatre to be located.

It's easier to wander around as a girl - more comfortable, too. Less anatomy to get in the way of moving around. She wears her t-shirt, of course (she has some sense of decency), and it almost reaches down far enough to cover everything up. Everyone just overlook the half-nude young girl, alright? Nothing to see here! Just very nice legs with a sparse bit of hair between them because puberty is a thing, even for bioengineered part-humans. Please save her from the horrible, horrible fate of teenager hormones.

She has her rucksack with her, filled with various bunches of fresh fruits and crisp vegetables to munch on. Akito's only problem is that she doesn't know where to sit.

It's not that big of a problem though - she wants to continue staring at the entire set-up with keen interest for a while anyway. Maybe if she's lucky, someone she knows will want to sit with her.

[diagnosispuberty]

Hiro is helping! Except no, he absolutely isn't, except to wander around with an absolutely enormous bag of his own snacks -- much less healthy ones, all popcorn and candy and whatnot -- and generally being his nosy, inquisitive little self. He actually overlooks Akito at first (lol shortie), and then assumes that those are some very tight flesh-colored leggings.

...aaaand then it hit him, and he immediately covers his eyes, squinching them shut. "You're, uh....you're not wearing any pants."

[akito]

She clearly doesn't understand why this is an issue in need of covering eyes, because she moves in close and pokes at Hiro's hands curiously. C'mon, let her see your eyes. She likes the colour!

"I don't have any pants."

[10_20_15_5_50]

Sam waved from the viewing deck, where she’d been loitering to watch others arrive. “For a jury-rig job, I think it’s pretty good. Then again…” She set her hands against the railing and shrugged.

“I don’t really know anything about Constructicon standards, or Constructicons themselves, save what seems safe to assume from the term… and I know it’s a bad idea to go on assumptions alone. Wanna fill me in while we’re waiting?” She offered the Seeker a winning grin. “Not like we’ve got to worry about missing the previews.”

[diagnosispuberty]

Hiro squeaks a little when he's touched, scrunching his eyes closed even tighter and keeping his hands firmly where they are. Hopefully Akito likes red too, because that's what color Hiro is right now.

"I-I can lend you some?"

[akito]

Akito tugs a little more insistently. "What's wrong?"

Slowly, she begins to worry that she's doing something very wrong - or maybe she somehow hasn't shifted sex properly? Is she so disgusting that people won't want to look at her? It doesn't occur to her that people are easily embarrassed by nudity. So obviously she must be doing something awful in some way.

"I'll borrow pants! But don't hide your face? Please? If it's so bad I won't not wear pants again, even if I don't like them!"

[diagnosispuberty]

Hiro tries to casually clear his throat, but it comes out as a startled little squeak. He's really trying to react calmly, but...female-bodied nudity! He has no experience with this! He is but a simple noodle!

"I-It's, uh...just...p-people usually, um...don't...go n-naked. A-At all."

[akito]

"Do I look too gross?" Clearly that is the only conclusion she can come to, as there's no reason for someone to be so red and stammery over something as natural as a human body. "If I knew it was bad I would have tried to find pants!"

[diagnosispuberty]

"N-No, it's not gross, i-it's just..."

How to explain human customs re: modest, SAM HELP D:

[10_20_15_5_50]

Fortunately for all involved, the witch was approaching---and purposefully, though slowed slightly by the hitch in her stride. She closed to a conversational distance with an air of polite concern, holding up her hands to signal settle down and offering Akito a reassuring smile. "It's just that in a lot of places, like everywhere I've lived and the place he's from, it's kind of taboo to go out and about public without something covering this area up." At 'this area,' Sam indicated her own crotch with a wave of one hand.

"Theatres aren't really an exemption, so there's this general expectation attendees will have something on under the equator, which would be why he's surprised. I'm surprised. I'm also thinking I should say: butts are usually covered too." Covering your ass was, after all, important. "And it's also considered kind of taboo to see somebody in such a state of undress, especially when that somebody is of the opposite gender."

[akito]

"That's... But they're just bodies." Akito knows people wear clothes in public, but always assumed it was mostly for practical and fashion reasons. She only wore pants or shorts during combat training, and that was for protection. The clothes people wore in the doctor's magazines and manga and games were more obscene than nudity, in her opinion.

Then again, for all the textbook knowledge she has... Admittedly not much of it covered societal expectations.

"Would it be better if I was a boy?"

[diagnosispuberty]

Hiro can't even contribute anymore at this point, just burying his face in his hands and squeaking helplessly. Carry on, Sam.

[10_20_15_5_50]

"Yeah. In some settings that's more openly acknowledged, but 'cover up!' is still one of those sticking societal conventions. I know it's a little weird." Sam shrugged. She'd spoken with Akito while the girl was (probably?) entirely naked, so carrying on a conversation while Akito was half naked wasn't especially awkward. "I'll admit I've wondered 'how the hell am I going to answer if any of the robots ask about the whole clothing thing?' more than once."

'Differently each time' seemed like an appealing option, but this was neither the time nor the place to air that opinion; instead, Sam considered the question carefully.

"....nnnot really? There seems---at least, in my own experience---to be a bit more tolerance for female nudity. But as you can see," she swept a hand towards Hiro, conscience clear as hey, he had his eyes covered, "it still prompts some strong reactions, so I should ask: would you be strongly opposed to a skirt or something?"

[akito]

Akito continues to look baffled, only now it's mixed with what is clearly guilt and shame. There's no embarrassment because she doesn't see what there is to be embarrassed about, but she should have realized sooner that clothes were mandatory, not optional.

At Sam's gesture, Akito returns her attention to Hiro and - for the first time since this encounter started - blushes before quickly looking back down at her dirty feet. To the woman's question she nods, whispering a tiny, ashamed little "A skirt is okay."

[diagnosispuberty]

Hiro does not have a skirt on hand, alas. He does have a blanket, which he holds out in one hand, while keeping the other firmly over his eyes, because he's a gentleman til the end.

"P-Plus you might get uh...splinters in...places..."

[10_20_15_5_50]

Well, shit. The theatre's opening night was supposed to be a feel-good occasion, even if its first feature film had a number of people and animals eaten alive, and Sam had tried to avoid any upset in addressing what was technically not even the first pantless attendee. "Akito, kiddo, hey." She set a hand on Akito's shoulder, bending a bit so that they'd be about eye-to-eye when the girl looked up again.

"You don't have to feel bad; it's not that big a deal. Just a mismatch of expectations, which is kind of inevitable when you have people from different places---different times, and places---all dumped in one place without warning or any idea of what they oughtta expect." As she spoke, Sam used her free hand to loose the sleeves of the sweater she'd tied around her waist in anticipation of Haven's cooler nighttime. "So here we are, just... trying to find something that works well enough for everyone. Speaking of which, this might work a bit better than the blanket, if you won't mind standing still for a minute...? I'm going to show you a little something I learned for laundry day."

[akito]

She nods once again, shifting her posture so that it's easier for Sam to do whatever it is she's planning to. "I was never outside before I was here, so lots of things are weird here... Or rather, I am weird, and everything else is normal."

[diagnosispuberty]

Hiro will start to peek out from behind his hand, though he keeps his gaze firmly fixed above everyone's waist, just to be safe. "Y-You really aren't that weird?" he offers, still blushing, still holding the blanket up as a sort of shield. "I mean, I've met weirder here."

[10_20_15_5_50]

"Really? ...man..." Sam shoved her surprise aside in favour of attending to the matter at hand, but talked on and she pulled the sweater from around her waist and shook it out. "You gotta let me know if there's any area you want to go exploring in. And just give me a moment, here... and hold this?"

Sam held the shoulders of the sweater up to Akito's midsection, waiting for the younger girl to take hold of the top before zipping the sweater up and as close to 'closed' as it could comfortably come. She then brushed Akito's hands away so that she could tie the sleeves, securing the sweater and ensuring the sleeves would stay out of the way.

"That alright? Not too tight, I hope? And oh, no, no, no, god. No. Everything is weird here." Shaking her head, the adept took a step back to better assess her handiwork, though she looked very seriously to Akito as she spoke. "I've ridden a dragon, I've fought a blender, and giant alien robots make up half my social circle. Everything is weird, here; you're pretty near normal."

[akito]

"I would like to visit the hot springs someday... There is no ocean, but I would like to find one."

Akito obeys the silent instructions, watching curiously and intently. This is useful knowledge to have, she thinks. "It's fine, thank you. I'm glad that I seem comparatively normal."

And it's true - she really, really is.

[diagnosispuberty]

Hiro's peeking out now, scrunching his nose thoughtfully at the shirt-dress. "Hot springs? We have a hot springs?"

Re: arrivals

[knight_light]

Wing steps into the clearing as looks around. Hey, this is a pretty nice set up. He’s also curious about this movie. He’s seen all kinds of movies from his own world, but the Circle hadn’t really allowed interactions with other species, so he’d never seen anything produced by another race before. He was rather looking forward to this.