theshatterdome | for neverhadgoodtiming

for neverhadgoodtiming

Gipsy Danger had been told that Stacker Pentecost was out in the world, searching hard for her wayward and lost pilot. She'd been told that if possible, he'd be brought back -- but if not, to be prepared for another set to enter the conn-pod. As loathe and against the idea as she was, it would be necessary if Raleigh couldn't be located, or if he refused to come back. Gipsy has never before rejected a pilot and she wouldn't start now, but the bitterness it would bring would be frustrating, to say the very least.

She'd hoped for his return anyway, and as she stood there, tall, proud, stoic and massive in her bay, she wondered, waited, and finally -- finally -- received word that he'd been found.

The prodigal son would return home to her once more.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Insomnia was killer. Raleigh waited until all that he could hear were the bangs and clanks from the engineers repairing the remaining Jaegers before slipping barefoot from his trundle bed, snagging his boots by the door as he tiptoed out into the hall. The lights were dimmed in deference to the later hour as he snuck back to the launch bay.

He breathed out a heavy sigh when he wasn't stopped, wasn't even looked at, when he crossed to the railing overlooking the entire facility and his girl. Damn he'd missed her. Just looking at her, whole and well, eased a long-held ache deep in his chest and he breathed a little easier.

Tomorrow he would find out who would be his new co-pilot, but tonight? It was just him and Gipsy Danger.

She's there, awake and in a low-power recharge state. She doesn't sleep, not really, and when he appears on the ledge she can feel him in the room. Immediately, the lights in her visor flare and her entire head tilts up to look at him, yellow flashing merrily in the dim light of the Shatterdome.

He was here. He was really and truly here, though at the moment -- she's currently clipped heavily into her repair bay.

She whines quietly, engines thrumming a little as she shutters the lights in his direction, a quick flash that begs him to sneak into the conn-pod, and maybe just sit for a while so that she can bask in his presence fully.

She starts like she knows he's standing there looking and she probably does. It's been five long years, which was five too many. His grin could have lit the room on it's own and he rocks back onto his heels. "Hey."

Raleigh shoots a glance down the walkway before ducking over to the stairs and taking them three at a time. He skids to a stop on the concrete floor and slowly straightens, taking his time as he strolls over to the bay where Gipsy is stationed.

He presses his hand to the metal casing, rubbing at the gleaming surface before resting his forehead against her, exhaling.

Home. This was home.

Over her time with the Becket's, she'd slowly started to become more and more accustomed to their presence -- the mental press of their minds against hers worked both ways; a two way street.

The metal plating of Gipsy Danger is cool and she almost sighs -- if gargantuan robots the size of skyscrapers can sigh, anyway -- at the feel of him. Her pilot is home and close. She'd be able to feel him even if he weren't physically touching her.

She's more complete now than she has been in five years - Raleigh is home, where he belongs.

It comes as a groan of metal, a gentle vibration, but Raleigh got the message. He's feeling it too.

He stays like that. Standing with his head pressed against her foot for another minute until he pulls back enough to look up the full length of her body. His hands are warm against her cool hull. He'd be up there tomorrow. He could wait. But this? This couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Gips. I should of stayed." He grinned crookedly. "Miss me?"

Could it wait? Gipsy isn't confident that it can. There's nothing more that she'd like to do right now than being with Raleigh, her wayward, long lost and beloved pilot.

She croons softly, quietly -- a soft hissing and whirring of gears to sound like a gentle yes.

Yes. She'd missed him. So, so much.

"They're trying to find me a new co-pilot." He's still unsure he wants to open himself up like that again. With Yancy it was like breathing, being in the Drift with him was like being in his own head. It was never hard. It always made sense. Stronger together.

He hasn't felt strong in years. He'd been slogging forward, trying hard not to look back. Not caring.

"Not like it's news to you. I hear you got some pretty sweet upgrades."

Gipsy knows -- she's not sure how she feels about it, either. She does know, however, that Raleigh won't accept just anyone, no matter what the others say or do.

It is a big deal. she thinks. These are big shoes they want to fill. It cannot be someone that Raleigh doesn't like.

Metal creaks and groans, and Gipsy settles a little in her bay, a way to tell him yes, yes I've been upgraded and you will like them, Raleigh Becket.

He grins and pushes back with a quick glance over his shoulder. No one was coming by. Most of the hardest labor was done during the early hours and no one had taken Gipsy out for a fight in a while. Her bay was practically empty.

"I think I know what you want."

He slapped his hand against her before jogging over to the wall behind her. There was an escape ladder there fused into the wall.

He climbed, hand by hand, foot by foot. She wasn't any taller than the wall he'd been helping build in Alaska and he didn't have to put up with anyone trying to talk to him as he climbed. They hadn't removed the conn-pod yet, it was just a matter of breaking in to her and stepping inside.

He knows her better than anyone else -- and when he starts to scale that ladder, she wants to laugh. Raleigh Becket, you foolish boy. There's a lift, just there.

But who is she to deny her pilot this sort of thing? If he feels the need to do that, then so be it.

She'll be there waiting, quiet and resolute, until he breaks in.

She might help a little with the locks as well -- but don't tell Tendo she's managed to override his access codes and programming. He'd probably have a bit of a fit.

This would only be better if he could sync up with her, but it's close enough. It isn't often he doesn't have to perform a drop to be fully connected with her. The free fall rush that pumps enough adrenaline through him to make the neural handshake almost feel easy by comparison.

The inside of the Conn-Pod is as familiar as the palm of his hand. The controls gleamed with the shine of the newly outfitted and the motion rigs hung like silent ghosts behind him. He stared out across the empty bay, hands splayed on the manual controls, and took it all in. This was it. This was all that was left between the world and something humanity still couldn't process. It was more humbling than he remembered.

Because failure left them with a series of walls that two strong blows could knock over.

"You think we can do this, old girl?"

Gipsy Danger patiently waits until he's inside, and she's hit by the sensation that he's suddenly come back home, and that everything is going to be just fine. His presence is a comfort, a completeness that she's been lacking ever since he'd left her all that time ago.

She chirps softly at him, a positive, uplifting noise, several lights in the conn-pod flickering on for him as a response.

Yes. Of course we can.

"Yeah."

Raleigh grinned and backed away from the controls to rest against the harness. His harness now, he guessed. Yancy's once but it was gonna be his, he already knew. He'd think of some bullshit excuse to feed whoever they set him up with later, but right then it didn't matter.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

for neverhadgoodtiming

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject