[hr][h3][color=a36209]Abraham Gene[/color][/h3][hr]Abe was one of the lucky few that made it onto the shuttle without being drugged and kidnapped, but was only just on the other side of a thin line that kept him away from that circumstance. He believed that, if he refused, they might have just taken him anyways. If face with a no win scenario, it's better to take the better option so that you're at least left with something – then you can bide your time and win later. But it is hard to call yourself lucky when you were forced into something, especially when that “something” is being strapped onto a rocket and getting shot into space. The trip was so stomach wrenching, and the force was so powerful, he was positive that he'd throw up everything he had eaten if he had actually bothered to eat today. He was fortunate in this regard – word had it that some among them were already puking on themselves or on the floor. This is the sort of thing Abe meant when he was thinking about being left with something and winning later.

Whatever promise that [i]the Promise[/i] had was unclear to him at best. He just hoped it wouldn't be a waste of time.

-

As the pod approached, the port at the bottom of it's central spire opened and the pod flew seamlessly into it. Abraham and many other students lurched forward when a series of braking systems enclosed around the pod as it flew through the port's bowels. As it came to a stop, the seat belts released from around the normal students.

The whole process of transporting the group 350 miles had taken twenty minutes.

The doors opened, and a flood of people in all shapes and sizes rushed in. Abraham unlocked his own restraints, but he was still too disoriented from the blast-off to stand. A variety of strangers came into pod to help the new first years get out of the pod and help them stand, and to Abe's aid came a younger woman. Blonde and thin, dressed with a wool peacoat over her regular clothes as space travel can be quite chilly at times. She had the most ethereal blue eyes that looked to glow in the dark. She offered her hand to him with an uncomfortable smile.

“Hi, welcome aboard the Promise!” She said in a thick Slavic accent. “What's your name?”

Abe looked her up and down and gave her a weak smirk. “The name's Abraham, darlin',” he replied queasily as he took her hand to help himself up - “Oof!” 

The girl might have been somewhat tall, but she was tiny in comparison to the man, and had to use her whole body just to support Abraham's weight.

“...But [i]you[/i] can call me Abe.” He finished. 

The girl laughed a little. “What if I just call you Abraham?”

“Oh man, that's cold.” Abe joked. “Well what do I call you then?”

“My name's Andrea.” She said with a smile. “This will be my second year on Promise.”

“Is that right? So, I hope you don't mind my asking, but what's with the...?” Abe drew circles around his eyes.

“Do you start every conversation about powers?” Andrea joked back. “It has to do with being a cerebral, I guess.  There are so many different kinds meta-humans on board, that you just learn not to question anything. All of it becomes normal after a while. I promise you'll eventually feel at home here.” She guaranteed with a smile as the two finally hauled themselves to the door.

“You people and this place sure like their promises.” Abe commented. He looked at her as she left him leaning against the frame. “Is there a problem?”

“Oh, uh, your first steps!” Andrea said. “There's a sort of custom on board that encourages newcomers to take their first steps on their own.”

“Even the people who were forced here?” Abe asked, picking up on the hypocrisy.

“It's hard to get, I know.” Andrea agreed. “But it's easier to understand the longer you've been here.”

Abe just sighed and shrugged. Holding tightly onto the doorway for him to keep his balance, he stuck a foot through the doorway and felt the dock firmly beneath his boot - but his ankles felt wobbly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't intending on embarrassing himself here. He wasn't weak. He didn't need help. He braced his legs and steeled nerves. Pissed himself off a little, honestly. He opened his eyes, steeled his face, and let go of the doorway and walked out. Posture straight and legs strong. Andrea watched him stroll away from the shuttle, alarmed.

“That's... impressive.” She said. “Most people can barely hold their lunch in, let alone...”

“Most people aren't like me.” Abe interrupted with cocksure bravado. 

“Uh... right...” Andrea said. She was skimming his surface thoughts for any clues, but what she gathered was just too big a flurry of overwhelming and aggressive emotions for her to discern anything– but how Abraham conducted himself betrayed all of it with a convincing portrayal of moxie.

“So, what do you think--” Abe tried asking, but Andrea put a finger up.

“Uh, excuse me, I-I'm sorry, but I've got to be somewhere. Help more of the newcomers! Feel free to look around and mingle and... stuff. Sorry – got to go!”

Andrea hurried off in a rush towards another section of the shuttle, seemingly finding her way through the crowd well, and leaving Abe out to dry and curious. He shrugged his shoulders and promised himself to go find her later as he started walking off and looking at the walls, and listening to conversations to see if he can't find himself a place to be. There were a couple of desks with long lines, but he'd wait those out. A large orange poster on a wall caught his eye though, and a group made up mostly of athletic folks were surrounding it. As Abe approached, they allowed him some space to read.

“Presented by Andrew 'Archie Davis... the Combatica Challenge.” Abe muttered to himself. He doubted he'd find himself a place here, but it looks like there might be something for him after all.

[hr][h3][color=6ecff6]Andrea Pasternack[/color][/h3][sub][@JunkMail][/sub][hr]
Andrea was in eager retreat from Abraham and whatever danger she felt he presented. Her mind was flurrying – for some, [i]some[/i] reason, God, she couldn't think [i]why[/i]. Something about him just felt [i]threatening[/i] to her and... Lord, the walls were closing in on her. Spiked, prickly, suffocating walls - breathe - she had to breath! In and out. In through the nose... out through the mouth... she was beginning to regain her nerves now and was trying to think back on something. There was a reason for this sudden anxiety. There had to be. There's a reason for everything, she just had to think back. Maybe he reminded her of something or someone... 

“Welcome to the Promise, Wednesday.”

That voice. She knew that voice, the one with the distinct British accent. She turned around to see Arianna and found immediate comfort in being around a familiar face. A girl with beautiful blonde hair, thin like she was, and Andrea likely had some British influence on her Slavic accent, so it was no big surprise when people might have confused the two as sisters. That was one suggestion she couldn't complain about – they may as well have been. Arianna's help in getting herself to fit in was invaluable.

“Arianna!” Andrea exclaimed out of relief.

Arianna turned around curiously and then gave her an excited wave. "Hello, love!"

Andrea greeted her with a warm hug and found solace in her touch. “I'm glad I managed to find you out here. Who's our new passenger?”

"This is Wednesday!" Arianna proclaimed proudly. "Wednesday, Andrea Pasternack. [i]Polish beauty queen.[/i]"

"That's enough of that." Andrea jested with a smile.

She looked Wednesday up and down as though she was reading her. Wednesday felt threatening in a similar way to man she helped out, prompting reluctance as she was still somewhat shaken by him, but Wednesday was different in that she carried a greater burden on her; a vulnerability, which made her feel more trustworthy than the man. Maybe it was foolish on her behalf, but experience taught her that the difference between people molded by responsibility and molded by choices was that the former was held in higher favor on moral grounds than the latter. Andrea glanced away for a moment as if to look at someone – no one was there – and then back at Wednesday's eyes wand tilted her head to the side.

“She has weary shoulders,” she commented absentmindedly in her soothing voice. Her face softened to a delicate and gentler expression. 

“What are you worried about, miss?” She asked.