raiamods: (Default)
raiamods ([personal profile] raiamods) wrote in [community profile] ethyraia2021-05-21 04:56 pm
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◣ OPEN ◢ HATCHING LOG 001

WHO: All PCs
WHAT: New characters arrive on Ethyraia, get interrogated, and settle in at the basecamp.
WHEN: May 21 onward
WHERE: Basecamp Leviathan
NOTES/WARNINGS: Potential character nudity, violence, trypophobia (images) as well as light mentions of gore, alcohol and drug-use, light aphrodisiac effects (optional), and references to mass death.


HATCHING LOG 001 ❀
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential character nudity, violence, trypophobia (images) as well as light mentions of gore, alcohol and drug-use, light aphrodisiac effects (optional), and references to mass death.

Players who participated in our TDM are welcome to keep their CR and the content of those threads. Please make sure to chat this out on the OOC intro & CR meme before making assumptions. Please take your time reading the hatching and basecamp bullets, as some items have been altered or expanded.

❀ HATCHING


Congrats, you've woken up in an egg. I'm sure this is exactly how you wanted to spend your Saturday, right? There's no time to get curious and check out the other egg sacs. By the time you've fought your way out of the membranous sac, spilled electric blue goop everywhere, wiped it out of your eyes and sundry other orifices to get your bearings, you have a spear (or a gun) leveled at your face, throat, or other vital organs. Even if you might be inclined to fight, you can barely lift your arms to protest being grabbed and dragged off. Before you can even get a word in edgewise, you've been thrown into a holding cell.

Characters will not have a chance to retrieve their items at the time of the first hatching, and may not even know there is anything left in the remaining eggs.

The holding cell stinks of something sour and acidic, like rotted citrus, but you are not alone. Several other detainees sit in similar squalid confusion, dressed strangely and equally gooey. Time to make nice, ask questions... figure out what the hell is going on, and maybe do something about all that slime?

Over the next few days, a few things become clear. Despite the alien greeting, your captors speak a language that you understand, and the unpleasant circumstances are revealed to be a matter of necessity, not choice. Supplies are low, but they ensure that the new arrivals' time imprisoned is as painless as can be — they offer hot communal showers of less than three minutes, some strange starchy meal-replacement, and medical treatment to those in need. You might strike up a conversation with your new best friend in the shower over a low soap dispenser or when you realize you might need to share towels.

The cost of these luxuries comes in the form of touch-and-go interrogation by the security officers keeping tabs on the cells and supervising the shower time.

A few notes:
Your character may get pulled away for interrogation at some point. No torture, no drugs; just questioning. If you would like to thread this out, please reply to CAPT CHILDE'S top level comment! A caveat: threads will not go beyond (TEN) NPC replies, and new tag-ins will not be responded to after MAY 24.

☆ Locals will be stopping by outside the freestanding holding cells to ogle or ask questions. Are you really going to be mean to that little kid staring at you with wide eyes?

☆ Characters will be let out for bio breaks. No one has to pee in a bucket, that's just inhumane!

Attempts to escape will probably get you tasered. If your character composes a genius jailbreak, you are welcome to submit it in the MOD QUESTION comment to work out how that might go with the NPCs!

❀ EXPLORE THE BASECAMP

On the heels of a little benign interrogation, a medical inspection, and a stern talking to by Captain Childe, the survivors at Basecamp Leviathan determine one thing: you don't appear to be an active threat.

Released from the detention center after three days, you are given the run-down by the locals — you're on a planet called Ethyraia, and the people around you are survivors of the catastrophic crash of the UCSS Adamant several years prior. You, in fact, showed up on the third anniversary of the crash. Weird coincidence, huh?

The first order of the day is having a proper meal at the mess hall — some of the Adamant's survivors will be friendlier than others. They've been stranded here for years, remember? Some of them will be so desperate to talk to someone who has news of other places, and some will be giving you the cold shoulder.

You'll be fed the same as the rest of them. A plastic plate of crumbled protein of unidentifiable origin and gravy over rice with a single wilted stalk of broccoli and a cup of the worst coffee you've ever had. Maybe somebody bumps into you and spills said coffee, maybe you make it all the way to one of the long tables set out for communal eating.

Time to strike up a chat with your neighbor — maybe ask them to pass the salt?

(What do you mean, there's no salt!?)

During this time, characters will be able to return to the Central Chrysalis where they hatched. While there are no clues as to how they got there, they might find items — their own, or someone else's. Everyone is strapped for supplies, but try not to snatch up anything that isn't yours. The security officers don't look kindly on people chasing one other down the hall, trying to get back their dirty magazines.

A few notes:
☆ Feel free to help out anywhere. Every little bit of assistance you offer to the locals will raise their estimation of you. You could easily help clean dishes after the meal, help fix leaky piping or repair hammocks. You could stop by the aid station and assist with the wounded. You'll be watched closely and some of the survivors will be warier than others, but most will appreciate the opportunity to have a 'break'.

☆ If your character leaves the basecamp and wanders outside the Leviathan, they may begin to notice that what they perhaps took as a giant cave is actually an enormous dragon. Everything that seems human-made will look varying levels of worn down, patched, repaired and patched again. This is not a place of prosperity and happiness. Many people are recently injured, or have new scars or missing limbs.

☆ PCs will be warned about the acid rain and inhospitable wildlife that they'll face if they venture beyond the shade of the dragon's wings.

❀ RECRUITMENT FAIR



You've been here for a week, had a chance to show your mettle. Maybe you've demonstrated a propensity for fixing gadgets (or plumbing!) or you have the command of a natural leader and the ability to wield a gun (or a tire iron!) to great effect. Either way, the Adamant's survivors are eager to put you to work so they can have their first real 'days off' in three years! Survivors have set up their various areas in the hopes of catching your attention and (possibly!) bolster their numbers! Feel free to wander around, talk to other PCs, and get the lay of the land.

ENGINEERING CORPS

Thorkil has welded a sign to a post out front, cheerfully painted by a gaggle of children to say "WELCOME!" The children are crowded around the area, and Thorkil is telling them stories about one of his many tattoos as you approach — he has a magnificent eagle tattooed on his arm, and in a hush he is explaining how it landed on him and tried to bite him like a mosquito, and how he slapped it and it just splattered right there on his arm and he's never been able to wash it off!

The children seem mesmerized by the story (maybe you are too?) and will scatter at the story's conclusion, tugging you over to the various areas, pointing things out excitedly. What is an Ehlers-Chau sublight engine? You're about to find out whether you like it or not! Or maybe you can teach them a thing or two. Those who seem to know their stuff will be eagerly invited on board by Thorkil.

The Engineering division has salvaged its tools and scrap from the Adamant’s wreckage, so it has all of the essentials from metal mills to CNC routers to circuitry tools. A holo projector throws schematics on the wall — a drill, a few potential shelter ideas for long-term settlement, and a new communications tower.

SECURITY DIVISION

Rémi has barely deigned to participate — and seems to have done so only at the request of some of his companions. He's sitting at an unadorned table and he is cleaning a variety of weapons. He will scowl if approached, and seems openly mistrustful of your intentions should you speak to him. Questions about how a conversation with Rémi might go may be posted to the MOD QUESTIONS thread. (Note: We will not be threading Rémi, so these questions will be handwaved!)

Characters who make a positive impression on him will open up the avenue to work for the Security Division later, but he will not be extending any offers now — please allow for a realistic period of development here!

Feel free to lean into another PC's space and comment on how frosty that dude seems! You can also survey the various weapons stored in racks, help out with building spears, the usual suspects.

THEATRE

The theatre doubles as a childcare center, and many of the NPCs bustling about seem very excited and eager for the chance to talk to anyone who ventures in to visit. The theatre is bright and cheerful, paintings have been done on the walls of scenes from children's stories featuring colorful characters.

The thespians will not only try to recruit you (for acting in a play, for teaching, for script writing, for drawing on the walls or caring for children) but they will actively put you to work if they see you standing idle longer than a moment! Your character may find themselves with a paintbrush in hand, or taking part in a recital for a play (you're free to invent one, or put a new spin on an old classic! Romeo and Julio, anyone?) or building a set piece for one of the many local productions.

The Theatre doubles as the protective hub in times of need, so beyond arts education and babysitting, your character may also be tasked with shoring up those defenses, helping to fortify the walls, or other such tasks. And who knows, they may be paired off with someone else rather unexpectedly!

AID STATION

Sunya Hyacinth is the local medical doctor, fueled by coffee and spite. She doesn't have the time to recruit personally — she's flitting about the aid station seeing to the injured.

If you follow her, she will put you to work. Hold this stent, articulate this dislocation, take this blood pressure reading. If anyone appears to have a proficiency for this sort of work, she may inquire after credentials — and anyone who seems to have medical experience is going to immediately be handed the medic's armband, a white band with a blue cross emblazoned on it. This armband will grant any PC an extra amount of respect and trust from the Adamant's survivors — but you'd better be able to live up to it!

Feel free to treat any injured PCs, converse with other 'recruits', help pin that white and blue arm-band on... you know, anything under the sun. Some of the patients in the medical bay seem to be suffering from the adverse effects of some of the local flora — itching hives or burning pustules. One unfortunate soul seems only able to speak in limericks, which the medical staff will admit is one of the odder things they’ve seen.

SANITATION

CONTENT WARNING: DRUG REFERENCES

It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it! There are always latrines to be dug, pipes to be repaired, general maintenance to be done on the various sanitation systems.

A nervous-looking janitor will approach your character almost shyly, and ask if you wouldn't mind giving her a hand. If you are willing to help her (fix a pipe, dig a hole, etc), she will gradually warm up to you and seem more animated and lively and very, very grateful. Won't you please consider working with the Sanitation crew? Sure, it's not as glamorous as some of the other duties, but they're the backbone of the Basecamp and they could really use the help!

She'll even let you in on a little secret if you really butter her up or show an interest — the Sanitation Crew? Totally has a little underground greenhouse where they're growing marijuana. They're totally willing to share...

Feel free to dig latrines alongside your fellow PCs, or maybe even share a joint. It's a way to pass the time, right? PCs serving in sanitation will also have an easier time overhearing the gossip that spreads around the base, since no one looks twice at them.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

CONTENT WARNING: REFERENCES TO MASS DEATH

During their first two weeks in the basecamp, any character who stops by one of the various houses of worship (in addition to a church, a synagogue, and a mosque, there is a temple with small statues to fifteen different unfamiliar deities, many of whom seem to be from different faiths), the gymnasium, or the mess hall will come across a stand that hosts a dozen or so packages.

Wrapped in the black emergency blankets that many bring with them to and from the bunks, these packages are about one cubic foot and contain folded clothes in roughly the same sizes. The styles are all different and highly individualized. Some are luxe, some are basic, and some are clearly the undershirt (but not the proper outerwear) for uniforms of the Adamant’s crew. Warm-faced folks eagerly give out a single package to each new hatchling. Along with the clothing and blanket, hatchlings will receive basic packages containing basic toiletries — bar soap, a toothbrush, a straight razor, etc.

Come by at the wrong time, and you might see a fight break out. A young person, red-faced, shouts at the volunteers working these stands, “Those were our people! Our families! We should be the one to decide what’s done with what they left behind.”

In hushed tones, clearly trying to keep this from becoming a conflict, the lead volunteer insists, “Take it up with Captain Childe.”


A few notes:
Feel free to have your character sign on to help out with any of the listed divisions, with the exception of security.

☆ Characters may collect one (1) care package from the community outreach program. If your character intends to come back for more, please let us know in the Mod Questions thread.

☆ Feel free to ask for light NPC interactions in the MOD QUESTIONS header; we can give you a general idea of how a conversation might go! Like with the Captain Childe threads, none of these threads will be lengthy, and new tag-ins will not be responded to after MAY 24.

❀ THE DREAMING

You are standing at the edge of an immense, underground lake. Water laps at the shore, echoing in the cavern. There is a sense of peace and warmth and — welcome.

A creature emerges from the lake and approaches you. Its gills flutter, its eyes are a faint bioluminescent glow in the darkness. It reaches out to touch you — one long, elegant finger presses against your chest. It feels as if it might crack your sternum open and ferret beneath your bones as if looking, looking for something. Yet, there is no malice from it, and you feel no fear.

But the creature relents. It backs up. Bows to you once, and then turns and walks back into the water.

You stay for some time at the edge of the lake. Eventually, it seems as if another person is here with you, or perhaps they simply came into focus after being here just as long as you. Should you speak with them?

A few notes:
PCs may interact with one another in the dreams. They will be in a semi-conscious state, not wholly aware they are dreaming and not wholly under the impression of its normalcy.

☆ Your character will wake up naturally from the Dreaming, they will feel peaceful and refreshed.
The lake, if they choose to swim in it while dreaming, would be perceived as the perfect ambient temperature for them — some characters may prefer it to be warmer or colder!

☆ If they duck below the water, they will see far-off glittering city lights, but no matter how they try to swim towards them they will never get any closer!

☆ If your character tries to drink the water, they might notice that for a few minutes after they wake they can hear little snippets of NPC thoughts. Weird!

☆ Every character will have a small, pale lilac mark where they were touched on the chest. It will fade over the next few days.

❀ FETCH QUEST

CONTENT WARNING: REFERENCES TO LIGHT APHRODISIAC EFFECTS

A small, perky woman corrals you somewhere near the latrines. "Hey!" she says insistently, pushing her hat back and sending a spill of inky curls askew from her forehead. "We need a hand. There's this plant we get for Sunya — the Doc? You met her yet? — it's a painkiller. Go through a shitload of that, which I'm sure is quite surprising," she says all this in a single breath, and her expression is sour despite her cheery tone.

"You any good at botany? We need another round of Starspire root. Can't harvest the ones we've got in camp, they've been a little cranky lately. You'll have to go about four kilometers due west, towards the old Adamant wreck. Just watch them — if they start to sweat, you'll need to get under cover, means the acid rain is coming. I'll upload the specs to your Comm."

Seems like you're being partnered with somebody else for the run — another person looking perhaps about as equally haggard as you, and at least as equally voluntold. Hopefully you won't run into any difficulties — how hard can retrieving one plant be?

A few notes:
☆ Feel free to have random monster encounters along the way! Don’t forget to wait for approvals on bestiary submissions before incorporating them into threads.

☆ The plants are at a high elevation, so they will exist on rocky outcroppings along a cliff-face. The landscape here is mostly high desert, which means it is full of thin, calf-high grasses, scrub plants, and non arable land polluted by dense, alkaline soil and rocks. Be creative in how you get there!

☆ Somebody gets hurt? Here, chew this root! They said it was a painkiller, right? What's the worst that could happen? (People can get a little ... flirtatious, shall we say.)

☆ Or you could go one step further and try exploring portions of the Adamant! Remember, the ship itself was built to house seventy thousand people — it's the size of a city, and it cannot be adequately explored in an afternoon! If you'd like anything specific to come of this, or if you’d like to know specifics about the Adamant’s layout, please consider submitting a plot request!.

trassel: (14.)

[personal profile] trassel 2021-05-23 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
— it's unsettling. But he won't be cowed by what is strange, when it's very obviously not supernatural, just something he hasn't ever seen before. What is one more on the very, very long list since waking up here?

'As we did,' he says. To speak of himself and his companion as if Trassel too had thoughts and feelings like another human being is his way — an isenulf is no ordinary wolf, it's bred for war. 'What's your name, and where are you from?'
unfastens: (even when it cuts?)

dream->gym

[personal profile] unfastens 2021-05-23 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ there's only so much to do here, and only so much he can help with - only so much he's allowed to help with, rather - so, naturally, he ends up in the gym fairly often, too. Keeping his body up to speed is as vital here as it ever was back home... although the poor-quality food has him refraining from doing anything too strenuous.

Rather than leaving the gym, he's on the way there. Normally, he'd mind his own business. However, he's on an alien planet that is, evidently, full of things trying to kill them, so when he hears that "what the hell," he slows his footsteps and voices his concern. ]


What's the matter?
sunmon: (pic#14873539)

[personal profile] sunmon 2021-05-23 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
Nothing I recognize. A love story, I think.

[ she stands, giving up on the paint smear. ]

Did you find something else more to your taste? [ at the fair. she can't guess that he'll sit idle. ]
fossils: (pic#14195588)

[personal profile] fossils 2021-05-23 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ He nods in agreement at the suggestions and begins digging through the box himself. ]

We can cover it all in the craft paper so it doesn't look so mismatched. Paint over it...

[ Oddly enough he's got some theater design in his history. Rusty as hell, but there. He frowns to himself. ]

Just leaves attaching it all together, and the head.

[ He reaches for one of the shortest pieces of pvc tube. Can use that as a neck. ]
fortyforged: (order's ready)

[personal profile] fortyforged 2021-05-23 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
Blue light spills from his mouth whenever he opens it to speak, but for all that he's made of metal, there's perhaps a strange warmth to his tone despite the electronic tinge, maybe even something of a worldweariness.

The Exo considers, nodding. It's still a little overwhelming to him, the entire situation, the being in some place completely unfamiliar. At least the questions are easy to answer. "Name's Banshee. I'm from the Last City on Earth." He pauses as though trying to work out proper protocol for conversations. Most people that came to him in the City knew him, and there was no need to answer the where's when you stayed in the Tower. "You?" he eventually asks.
trassel: (51.)

[personal profile] trassel 2021-05-23 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
Unearthly blue light and a talking man of steel. He's getting used to it by the minute, becoming more fascinated than wary. And why is it that the questions he asks spawn even more questions. Where is this Last City, if it is on Earth? The same Earth as many others? He doesn't recognise the word at all.

'Fjerda,' he answers, not expecting recognition. Because he is, at least, very typically Fjerdan in appearance, in nearly every respect almost identical to what one might expect of a Scandinavian, on Earth. 'My name is Matthias Helvar. This,' nodding to the wolf, 'is Trassel. We have been here for two days.'
fossils: (pic#14195591)

[personal profile] fossils 2021-05-23 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ Yeah, yeah. You didn't call him out the other day, so, he'll return the favor. As long as you heard him.

(they're too alike sometimes, makes it so he forgets the difference between them too easily) ]


Don't gotta worry about that—

[ And there's a hint of wryness in his tone again, a playful challenge as he catches the shield one-handed by the edge with a kind of graceful ease. Throws it back at the pillar with an equally fluid motion. And frowns.

I'm fine, it's Bucky I'm worried about.

Which isn't something he's gonna say aloud. ]


Been talking to folks. Childe's real well liked amongst her people.
psychometries: (024)

wildcard!

[personal profile] psychometries 2021-05-23 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
[ It was probably inevitable that Cal would make his way over to the Adamant sooner rather than later—he seems to have a thing for exploring crashed ships. This one is much bigger than the Venator on Zeffo, but it looks like it's in much worse condition, even though the Venator had been down for five years before Cal got to it.

Looking up at the ship, he gives himself a moment to consider all of the lives lost in the crash, and to brace himself for the kinds of memories he's going to find in the wreck—not many of them will be pleasant ones, he's sure.

But first, they have to find a way in. BD-1 runs ahead of Cal as he circles around the massive hull, searching for a rift big enough to squeeze through. It doesn't take very long before the droid stops a little further ahead and trills. ]


Looks like Beedee's found a way in.
sunmon: (Default)

[personal profile] sunmon 2021-05-23 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
Have they told you which of the creatures are edible?

[ or usable in other ways, she supposes. they've mustered paints and rations out of something. it can't possibly still be adamant stores, can it? no matter how many people had been on it.

she's still having a hard time processing the sheer numbers. that ship was like a whole os alta, and most of it was gone.
]
angerberg: (pic#13922720)

[personal profile] angerberg 2021-05-23 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ her own ineptitude puts her on the defensive, so she scowls at vidar's help. ]

Do you have a great deal of experience raising other people's children?

[ the sneering questions suggests either no one would, or if they did, it wouldn't be the sort of thing yennefer thinks is worth bragging about. ]
angerberg: (pic#13922748)

[personal profile] angerberg 2021-05-23 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
Do you have a better name for it?

[ it doesn't feel odd, at a time like this, for him to know her name. the peculiarities of the dream fade into the subconscious, settling in like all the other oddities. like the lights under the ocean. ]
angerberg: (Default)

[personal profile] angerberg 2021-05-23 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
Continue, please.

[ he writes it off, but yennefer looks more interested than she ever has. ]

Magical artifacts are something of a hobby of mine.

[ or at the very least, the study of them relative to how useful they might be to her particular problem. ]
fortyforged: (memory slipped)

[personal profile] fortyforged 2021-05-23 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
"Hm." Banshee nods, not really in recognition, no, but in acknowledgment. The names don't mean anything. He doesn't expect the to. And he knows they probably won't stick, but he tries to commit it to his faulty memory regardless.

"Two days..." he muses. Has it been only so long? Maybe he should be keeping track. Which means he'll need to find something to write on and take notes in general.
psychometries: (076)

[personal profile] psychometries 2021-05-23 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ Cal looks up when the man across from him addresses Beedee, relieved that the reaction seems to be acceptance rather than one of the wide variety of other reactions the droid has gotten so far—everything from wonder to bewilderment to fear.

However, his relief lasts about as long as it takes for the droid(?) to detach from the man's suit and light up red, which is never really a good sign in his eyes. Admittedly, Cal might be a little more defensive than usual, since none of his run-ins with probe droids have been positive thus far, so his first reaction is to quickly extend his hand, palm out and splayed in that universal gesture of peace. ]


Whoa, uh. He's just curious.

[ Please don't hurt his droid. They're like spiritually bonded at this point. ]
unclesam: ((102))

[personal profile] unclesam 2021-05-23 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ It makes Sam wonder, sometimes. How he's supposed to operate around here, when the one brain cell he used to share with Steve and the one brain cell he shares with Bucky these days is now split between the three of them.

Case in point, does Steve not know better than to pose a challenge to Sam?

Sam, whose definition of subtlety is backflipping out of an airplane and who maintains, to this day, that freefalling over the Stuttgart airport just to launch Redwing right into Stark's face like snipping someone with a rubberband is the greatest accomplishment of his life?

Oh he's on. ]


What do you make of her?

[ Sam can't catch the shield like that, and he's foolish enough to rise to a playful challenge, but not idiot enough to risk that kinda pain. He bounces on the balls of his feet instead, once, twice, and then launches himself into a backflip angled along the shield's path, catching it by the edge with both hands and moving into the momentum instead of attempting to step it dead. He lands back on his feet, solid, and the way a smile flashes across his face is less an expression directed at Steve, and more his own delight, shared openly. ]

We're straining their supplies.

[ And he throws it back same as he did before. ]
trassel: (29.)

[personal profile] trassel 2021-05-23 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
Has it only been a few days? It feels longer, or perhaps, that's just because of the upheaval. A whole slew of changes and new information, crammed and crushed until they spread like sand on a beach.

'It has been two days for you as well?' he asks. 'Were these your weapons?'
angerberg: (pic#13922720)

[personal profile] angerberg 2021-05-23 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
[ yennefer does indeed try to touch, and when it fires out the grappling hook, she gives up the hold she has on it. it's a waste of chaos to invest too much in holding the little creature still. when it rockets away, she arches a brow. ]

Awfully dramatic, don't you think? Particularly when you're the one spying. What are you, little bird?
fortyforged: (huh)

[personal profile] fortyforged 2021-05-23 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
On that, Banshee would agree. It seems like everything's blurred together, and there's little enough he's managed to grasp of the situation, or little enough he can retain. His short response hopefully won't be mistaken for carelessness as he says, "Guess so," especially given how he actually takes time to consider what to say.

The weapons are easier to answer for, and he turns his attention to the guns slung on either side of him, an auto rifle and a scout rifle, not that many around here might be able to figure the differences. And with the weight of the blade on his back, he's not inclined to forget that any time soon, at least. "Yeah," he says. Technicalities would just make it harder to explain, more confusing for him too. The last time he'd seen the Lament it had been in pieces. The rifles at least make more sense to him. He's been working on this Suros for a while, at least.

"Didn't expect anything to come with," he adds in afterthought. "But...guess no one expected to be here either."
fossils: (pic#14157040)

[personal profile] fossils 2021-05-23 05:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ Can't expect you to be happy for me when I'm not sure—

He grimaces at Bucky's back. Lowers his eyes as he speaks through the starts and stops. Feels his chest wind up tighter than a bowstring again, his mouth twisting uselessly as a silence passes after Bucky finishes. ]


You know that's not true. [ You were the only goddamn person alive that saw any good left in me. The words are spoken not softly. It's a familiar kind of certainty. Solid and unmovable. Bucky can fill in the names, but they both know them.

A beat, and he takes a step closer into his space again, hand lifts for his right shoulder. Lightly at first, testing the reception, then more securely. ]


And I'm not... disappointed. I'm not disappointed in you. [ That's not exactly what he was trying to get across. Shouldn't matter. Might not be healthy, but it's something he can give him right now. His hand squeezes his shoulder and he pulls in a breath, holding it for a few seconds. ]

I'm not— handling any of this real great.

[ Externally. Internally. The latter is the harder admission by leagues. Grinds the words through his jaw, past his lips. It's not an excuse, doesn't want it to be mistaken for one. ]
freightcars: (ʙᴜᴛ I ᴄᴀɴ ɢᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ)

[personal profile] freightcars 2021-05-23 05:38 am (UTC)(link)
( Steve's a little right. There are a few people on the list — people from Wakanda, mostly, who saw him as redeemable. Still, the number's small and in terms of priority, there's Steve, then the people he hurt, and everyone else a mile below that.

He doesn't shake the hand off. Doesn't seem to react to it much at all, save to let out a slow exhale through his nose.

Eventually, his hand drops away from his face. Seems like he's more or less got a leash on himself again, and his body language just reads exhaustion. Any anger is old and tired, a slow rolling river rather than an erupting volcano.
)

Yeah, join the club.

( He mutters dismissively, trying to work through the discomfort that always follows any vulnerable display of emotion. Gonna take a couple seconds. )
angerberg: (Default)

[personal profile] angerberg 2021-05-23 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
I don't take anyone's word without seeing it myself.

[ if the planet is truly hostile, she won't need to go far to find out. she plans to at least do that much. everyone on the base seems ... content. it's quite the little city. but it is one city. how many others might actually be out there? ]

How far do you intend to go?

[ she casts a look towards the sky. without a rain shield, it might be a death sentence. ]
trassel: (08.)

[personal profile] trassel 2021-05-23 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps Banshee's merely tired. If he is taciturn, then it is no trouble. Matthias senses no misdirection from him, nothing untoward. Strangeness can fade, and to him, this is not a difficult conversation by any means. There may not be the answers that anyone would like, but is this a situation anyone wants?

He can't tell what the rifles are, except generally. The design is unfamiliar, so the specifics of their workings escape him. His own is kept away, firmly locked out of reach of anyone who might try to use it; there's limited ammunition, and he has no need to flex on base. The knives will do. His less than inviting exterior does the rest.

'That is true,' he says. 'Trassel and I had been separated for a time, at home, and here we are together, from the eggs. Have you met someone you recognise?'
angerberg: (Default)

[personal profile] angerberg 2021-05-23 05:50 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe in the next hundred years.

[ she says it with a callous levity that suggests a hundred years isn't as long as it actually is, certainly not a person's entire life. her smile is a little sour. ]

It must be terrible to be separated from them. [ it's a line. something fished out of a bag of them, the sort of thing that will make other people feel better so they will trust her more. ]
angerberg: (Default)

[personal profile] angerberg 2021-05-23 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
Where do you think the little devil learned it from?

[ yennefer does little to mask her unpleasantness, her unkindness. she is being ungenerous and she does not care. if she does not find some fault with the child for rejecting her, then the fault lies in her, and that is intolerable.

the child, however, looks much more pleasant when faced with aleksander.
]
freightcars: (097)

[personal profile] freightcars 2021-05-23 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
( He doesn't seem all that perturbed by the callousness of the next century, or all that hung up on the loss either. Instead, there's a kind of dismissive purse to his lips, a shake of his head. )

It was a different life.

( Another yank, but this time the knot gives. He threads a length of rope through itself, unraveling three or four feet of it at once.

Shoots her another appraising glance.
)

What about you? Missing anybody?