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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.
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.
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:
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:
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!
☆ 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:
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.
☆ 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.
☆ 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:
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.
☆ 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:
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!.
☆ 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!.
everyone just wants to watch her suffer i see how it is
Trish would rather perish on the spot than entertain any variety of salvaging such a scenario. Hell, she'd walk off first and leave him there - make him deal with the awkwardness!
But fortunately for everyone, he shows up late, enough she only glances at him, unsurprised to see him leave after. Likely, he's checking up on where she had gone, and nothing more.
But when she's left alone on the stage, he's back, and she wrinkles her nose, rasping:]
They're too young to feel shame yet.
[She eyes the canteen, thinking, often, about how everything here is shared, but she's so thirsty and she finds it's even more embarrassing to sound like a frog trying to talk, so she takes it without complaint, downing half the thing. Once she's cleared her throat, she offers it back to him, admittedly curious that he returned. It wasn't like she was doing anything interesting...]
You and I both know that was terrible. I haven't been in a play since I was thirteen.
[WHICH WASN'T THAT LONG AGO? TRISH?]
it's out of love
It's part of the reason he approached her. Not about himself or having fun, specifically; just the realization that they truly do barely know each other. He risked everything (lost about all of it, too, by his reckoning) for this girl, and he didn't even know that she liked to sing until this moment. Once again, as strange and vexing as this situation may be, he's reminded that it is very much a second chance for him; that, despite its strangeness, it's actually less perilous than the situation in which they met. ]
You're only fifteen now, aren't you?
[ also, yeah, that wasn't that long ago and he knows the basics about her. Taking the canteen back, he shifts, coming to sit next to her on the stage (leaving a respectful amount of space between them, of course), and there's a dryness in his tone that indicates he's maybe teasing, whatever that sounds like from Bucciarati. ]
In any case, you're wrong. You have a lovely voice, Trish. [ then he goes ahead and says that with his usual straight face, anyway. ] You should let Mista know. He's been looking for a karaoke partner that isn't Narancia.
bullies
Trish doesn't have nearly the same perception of the situation as Bruno...all she knows is that she wants to live, and they've been offered no recourse here but to integrate or just sit aside to be ordered around when the locals decide so. It's scary, it's stressful, and she's not sure what possessed her to sing until her throat hurt other than an outlet presenting itself and Trish leaping on it. It made some people smile, despite everything...so it was worth it, wasn't it?
Maybe she simply can't comprehend sitting and being paralyzed with fear anymore. Why bow your head when you can lift it and be heard?]
I'm two weeks from turning sixteen, thank you.
[Watch out, we got a badass over here. At the mention of Mista and Narancia, Trish sort of deflates. She notably ignores the compliment, because acknowledging Bruno was paying attention is too much for her right now.]
I know Narancia liked music...but I can't picture Mista singing at all.
[She's trying to picture it, though, and she can't hide her smile. He's an idiot and yet she misses him, somehow.]
I haven't seen him or Giorno in two months, otherwise I'd be more than happy to take him on stage and crush him in front of an audience.
[She's now imagining all of them together, before Diavolo ruined it all...Bruno and Abbacchio sitting at a dim table watching Narancia and Mista belt their hearts out off-key. Giorno she can't imagine being anywhere near karaoke on purpose, so he's probably sitting awkwardly against the wall like the wallflower he is. Hah, flower. Fugo...is being angry or something, she supposes. He seems the type to know when a song is being butchered.]
It would be fun because he wouldn't care at all, would he? He'd laugh about it.
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Don't underestimate his enthusiasm. Or his volume, for that matter.
[ she's right, though - he'd laugh about it. It's a nice memory for Bruno, those times with the old gang, even if it's bittersweet now. He doesn't miss the way she seems to sober at the mention of their names. The wounds are still fresh, to be sure, but he doesn't want to dance around the subject of them. He wants to remember them.
(Either that, or it all happened so fast and so recently that he still hasn't properly processed his grief. His existence continues to feel liminal, and he's so used to being the one who has to hold it together for everyone else. He's still doing it now.) ]
All of us would laugh about it, hard as it may be to imagine. [ since she's only known them as a bunch of thugs. which is also true, but still!! ] It's been a while. Seeing you up there reminded me of that.
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She gives Bruno a flat but fond look, recalling how obnoxious Mista could be. How unabashedly and loudly he lived...she can admire that, actually. Not that she'll ever tell him that.
Bruno sounds just as fond, and Trish watches him. She wonders what Bruno thinks about when there's nothing going on...when he has time to sit and remember. What he's lost, what he's gained by being here. Being able to think back on his gang at his leisure must be nice but she can't comprehend it not being painful either. It hurts her and she barely knew them!
She leans back to rest her weight on her palms, humming.]
Mm, I guess I'm glad playing the fool brought back some good memories. I never got to see any of you really relax.
[Which sucks...
They seemed fun, if crazy.]
But that doesn't mean I can't picture it. I've heard Mista and Narancia laugh enough to hear it in my sleep even now.
[She wanted to throw something at the time. Now it just makes her sad...]
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I see. [ he can't quite tell if that's a fond recollection or an irritated one... maybe neither. It had been a whirlwind. Regardless, at the mention, he can hear their voices, too, clear and alive in his mind, and all he can do is hope he won't forget any time soon. He won't see them again. The knowledge is always sitting in the corner of his mind like a demon at the edge of his bed; he does his best to pretend it isn't there.
He did what he could. He did what he had to. He redirects, keeps his focus on the moment at hand. ] They've always been like that. Looking at them, you could almost forget they were gangsters. But they could laugh like that because they had the confidence to do their job.
[ Resolve, one might say. He says it all somewhat like a reminder; offhand comments about Mista's singing aside, he hears what Trish is saying and has been saying about what happened in his absence: she's cutting herself from the mob. That's the best course of action, and though he may like to reminisce about his boys, perhaps it's best if he doesn't humanize them too much. He doesn't want her to end up like Narancia. ]
I can see you have that confidence, as well. [ a beat. ] Are you going to work here?
[ the refugees certainly seem like they're expecting it. Bruno is also slightly expecting it - as always, his expectations are high - but Trish is outside of his sphere of influence somewhat. ]
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It helps that they're focusing on the positive aspects of their adventure together as well. Nothing would ruin the mood faster than talking about Diavolo directly...
That being said, she never forgot they were gangsters, but it just didn't seem to suit them, at the end? Even if Giorno is pulling the strings of every criminal in the underworld right now, all Trish can see when she closes her eyes is his gentle expression. It's like a puzzle piece that doesn't fit.
That was true of all of them though, wasn't it?
But she does have something they didn't. When Bucciarati offered his boys a chance, it was the only one he knew of. Giorno refused that for her, immediately, and she can see why...she has paths that lie elsewhere. Her normal life before meant she had other connections and skills to fall back on. She had a better chance than they did to be anything else. So she will.
She takes a long time to answer him, then, thinking about all of these things. Does she have the resolve of a gangstar without being one? He seems to think so.]
...Why not?
[She gestures to the colorful environment around them.]
No one's complaining. I guess you could call that hired.
[There's also the fact nothing else would likely take her, and she's aware of this. Security? As if. Aid station? She isn't medically trained. Engineering? She's good at math, but she's never gone that far. Sanitation? Well, that one's obvious.
Bruno, however, seems like he'd have better luck than her.]
What about you? Did you find somewhere to work for the time being?
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Well. Whatever. Something like this suits her better, he's sure. The answer seems to please him, even if he never voiced his thoughts on the matter. ]
I have a particular set of skills. Not using them to protect people is a waste. They might not trust me, but they don't have the resources to keep me on the bench for long.
[ It sounds prideful, and he is proud, to be sure, but he's really just thinking practically. These people are struggling to get by with scrap weapons and prayers. A Stand user like himself is unquestionably an asset. Trish, too, but he's hardly about to push her into more fighting. ]
Until then, it'll be odd jobs.
[ which is fine. That's how he started out in Passione, too. The value of hard work has been impressed into him since he was quite small. Despite his elegant appearance, he's not above digging latrines... ]
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She doesn't miss the fact he seems happy with her answer, for a given value of how "happy" Bruno can look with a face that serious. She's sure he wouldn't want her loafing about at any rate, and she would admittedly go insane doing nothing at all. Even if it will take time to get used to singing in front of people this embattled. Singing for your schoolmates is an entirely different beat...
Trish can't judge him for being prideful, at any rate, considering what she can be like herself. And Bruno is extremely skilled at what he does, both as a gangster and as a Stand user...he's had years to master his synergy with Sticky Fingers and it shows.
She hums.]
Have you shown them your ability? I wondered about doing that...but our Stands are bound to us, so if they were scared of our powers, they couldn't take them away.
[Which could be a huge trust deterrent.
As far as Trish knows, no one else has any powers! But they do have small robots.]
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I haven't, [ he answers, shaking his head gently. ] We should be careful who we share that information with. As Stand users, others knowing what our Stands can do is our greatest weakness.
[ she hasn't spent as much time with her Stand as he has, and he has no idea if she's even used hers again after everything happened - unlike his Stand, Spice Girl probably doesn't have too many practical uses in everyday life - so he doesn't think it's patronizing to tell her this much, even if he also believes she's clever enough to figure that out on her own. ]
In the first place, there don't seem to be any other Stand users here, although there are some people with similar abilities... I should be able to fly under the radar for a while.
me: i shant tag this night. also me:
[As a new Stand user, Trish has to be honest...she didn't think about that. It's fortunate that Notorious B.I.G. wasn't a Stand capable of strategy, because she has to admit, the idea of going against someone as experienced as Bruno is terrifying. Spice Girl had the room to essentially tutor her user against a mindless Stand, but a regular user wouldn't afford her that time...
Luckily she hasn't shared her ability either, mostly because it seems weird to shoehorn into conversation and with people she doesn't know besides. Even if, in her opinion, Spice Girl is awesome.
The knowledge people have similar abilities is surprising, also. She actually leans toward him, braced on one hand, clearly not privy to this!]
Wait, what did you say? There are people with powers but no Stands...?
[Fuck!!!! What do you mean Stands aren't the only weird thing people can do!!!]
pinch off the string
Bruno nods. ]
I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. Something called "nen." He didn't share the details, but it was like a Stand. [ he had no reason to pry deeper into Illumi's business, so he didn't, even if he was curious about how it worked. He didn't seem particularly eager to have a friendly chat about it. ] It may be that humans from all different worlds have the same potential, even if we use different words for it.
[ it's the only way it makes sense to him. ]
and ill do it again too
Trish didn't get to feel cool for very long...
Thinking about Stands has Trish wondering as well if maybe, Bruno can show her how to better use her own Stand...although Spice Girl is perfectly capable of coordinating with her, and mumbles as much from the periphery of her senses. Still, Spice Girl could benefit too! Besides, Bruno saw the utility of Stands like Moody Blues, so he must have advice that isn't all about combat...
But first, Bruno is explaining other people's powers, which is terrible news, really.]
That's true, isn't it? We're from different places and times, but we have a lot in common. I guess Stands are a constant too.
[Trish is just gonna lay back on the stage so she can stare at the ceiling. Which she immediately regrets, because the stage is cold on her back.]
And the people without powers have incredible technology.
[Including the natives, even if it's not doing so hot in its current state. That being said, Trish frowns at the ceiling.]
Did the person you're talking about seem dangerous?
[As in, could they be trusted? So far the hatchlings all seemed like amenable people, but Trish wonders how fast that could change.]
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[ He can't say he entirely trusts all these refugees. Desperate people can behave unpredictably. The same applies to the hatchlings, to an extent, but the divide between them and the original refugees remains very strong, as evidenced by his inability to get into the security team at the moment. If there was a break, it would be between the two factions.
Then again, of course Trish would be concerned about a sudden betrayal. He's sure that week changed her in ways she's not even aware of. The man is dead and gone, but Bruno feels some anger towards her father simmer in him anew. ]
As long as you're careful, you'll be fine. Just try not to make enemies.
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As someone who was a normal person just a few months ago, she's more wary of people that can turn rain to knives or any other crazy thing Stands can do!!! Maybe she's weird now though, since she knows Spice Girl can at least counter, say, guns. That does a lot for confidence...
Though, they are severely outnumbered by the refugees. Damn it, trust no bitch seems to be the flavor of this place. Trish huffs, trying to quell some rising anxiety.
As long as she has someone she can trust...she supposes she can handle it.
She supposes Bruno makes a good point, too, but she can't help stating:]
I'm doing what I can. I just wonder if it won't matter.
[She gestures with a loose motion of her arm. Almost like it was too heavy to lift.]
No one has to be an enemy to be dangerous.
[They just have to care about literally anything else more than you. A goal or otherwise. Trish knows this well.]
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he sees her getting nervous again, even if he's not sure why. As always, he's not very good at assuring her or even having a regular conversation with her. (In his defense, he thinks, he doesn't even remember the last time he had extended interactions with a teenage girl. There aren't a lot of those connected to the mob.) At least he notices this time. ]
It matters. Even if you don't feel like it does right now. One day, you'll look back at the choices you've made - and if you can do that without regrets, then it mattered.
[ That's how he always lives his life. He leans over, resting his elbows on his thighs and tenting his fingers. ]
Nothing's certain here. Your own judgement is all you've got, so trust it. It's my judgement that Illumi isn't dangerous to us now. [ a beat. He looks over at Trish, smiling faintly. ] ... And that you're a good singer.
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But Trish listens to his assessment without complaint, even if she's sure her judgment isn't nearly as precise or nuanced as his. She simply doesn't have the experience and she's keenly aware of that fact. If anything, she's sure there's some regret to be had because of it, but she and Bruno have different goals as well. He always wants to do the right thing, and she wants...
Similar, she finds. But her dedication isn't nearly as ironclad as his. And what they think is right is absolutely different.
Illumi is a name she hasn't heard either, but she commits it to memory. So that's someone with a power like a Stand...
Her expression is a tad pinched from how hard she's thinking about all this, enough that it catches her off guard when he suddenly drops that on her, and she turns her head to see him smiling of all things.
Trish breaks eye contact immediately to frown up at the ceiling, cheeks pink.]
I already agreed to work here. You don't need to butter me up.
[Please, you'll kill her.]
I'll keep what you said in mind too...it's all about guts, right?
[The G in Guts...!]