◣ OPEN ◢ HATCHING LOG 001

[raiamods]

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!.

NAVIGATION ❀

Comments

cal kestis ☆ star wars

[psychometries]

ONE. HATCHING

[ Cal really isn't having a great day so far. When he woke up in the egg(?), everything was gone, from his ship, his crew, his lightsaber, his droid, and worst of all, the Force—well, okay, the Force is still there, as it always is, but he feels distressingly disconnected from it in a way he never has before, even when he was in hiding on Bracca.

And on top of all that, he's currently being ushered into a cell, covered in sticky goo, and still injured from his fight—generous though that description may be—with that Sith Lord on Nur. If only that had gone away too.

With a heavy sigh, he presses his hand against the wound in his side, silently hoping that the slime won't give him a terrible infection, and casts his gaze around the cell, taking stock of the space and its other occupant(s). ]

Hey, you okay?

TWO. BASECAMP

▶A. MESS HALL. [ At the mess hall, he takes whatever food they give him, including the coffee, without a single complaint, and sits down to eat at one of the communal tables. Spending years on a military ship, and then years after that being completely broke, has ensured that he'll eat pretty much anything put in front of him, judging by the way he just shovels food into his mouth as if by rote.

While he eats, a small, curious droid peeks his head over the edge of the table, followed by the rest of his body as he scuttles up onto the surface. If left to his own devices, he'll come over and start to scan the food on your plate, his holoprojector lens lighting up blue. ]

▶B. GYMNASIUM. [ In spite of the fact that there hasn't been a single sign of the Empire—or anyone at all that's even from his own galaxy, for that matter—since he was hatched, it still takes Cal a couple weeks to feel comfortable bringing his lightsaber out. Back home, lightsabers and Jedi were synonymous, and Jedi were... in danger. It's hard to shake that paranoia.

But he eventually relents, finding a large open space in the gym and igniting his lightsaber with a distinctive snap-hiss, making sure to turn the training mode on so that the blade isn't a danger—it'll still sting if it hits anything, but it won't chop any limbs off.

The orange blade hums while he runs through some of his old Shii-Cho forms, the most basic style and the first one he learned as a Padawan. He moves slowly, at first, while he struggles a little to remember the proper positioning—it's been a long time since he's really practiced, and he's obviously rusty. ]

▶C. OUT AND ABOUT. [ There are... a lot of fluctuations in the Force in the camp, as Cal would expect in any settlement, anything touched by people. Echoes, memories, history. He leaves most of them alone for a little while as he adjusts to this new situation, but eventually his curiosity catches up to him and he starts reaching out to some of the echoes he runs into, letting them tell their stories.

This story, attached to a scrap from the Adamant that was salvaged as building material, isn't a pleasant one. The intensity of it catches him off guard, at first, and the memory draws him in a little more deeply than it should into a chaotic furor of fire, smoke, and blood. He sways a little, hand still pressed to the material as he staggers to one knee, focusing all his effort on letting the memory flow over him, around him. Away from him.

When he comes back to himself, he's breathing heavily, his heart pounding hard against his ribcage. BD-1 is on the ground next to him, letting out a string of shrill, distressed-sounding beeps and trills. ​]

I'm okay, buddy. It's okay.

THREE. RECRUITMENT FAIR

▶A. ENGINEERING CORPS. [ Cal is quick to be drawn in by the engineering corps—while he's much more experienced in taking things apart than he is in fixing them, he can at least recognize all of the various technology around the camp, since it isn't so different from what he's used to back in his own galaxy.

When the children drag him away to show him the Ehlers-Chau sublight engine, for instance, his expression lights up in recognition, even if it's a different model(?) than all the ones he's gutted from scrapped starships. Still... the children are so enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge that he kind of just plays along, an indulgent smile on his face. ]

Oh, yeah? What does it do?
​
▶B. THEATER. [ Honestly, he'd only meant to go and check out the theater, just out of curiosity, but he somehow still got roped into service there—probably because he's way too nice to say no to anyone who obviously needs help. Even worse, he got roped into looking after a small group of children by a harried-looking childcare worker who promised that they would be gone for just a little while, just to run a quick errand.

And while Cal likes children—he thinks?—he really doesn't have much experience caring for them. Or being around them at all, really. Which is why he's standing in the middle of this group of children, a baby cradled somewhat awkwardly in his arms, looking bewildered and very much in over his head.

Suddenly, the baby starts to cry, and he startles. ] Shh. Shh, it's okay.

[ Help? ]

FOUR. FETCH QUEST

▶A. SETTING OUT. [ Cal actually doesn't mind being voluntold to go on this little retrieval mission—he enjoys venturing out into the wilderness, for some reason, and he has a lot of experience running halfway across planets and back for little more than the possibility of information, so an eight kilometer hike for a good cause doesn't faze him.

He might not look particularly well-prepared, since all he has is a long, metallic cylinder—his lightsaber—clipped to his belt and very little else. That said, he does have BD-1 with him, an explorer droid who is literally built for excursions just like these, and who perches himself on Cal's back as they set out, his head swiveling curiously in all directions.

Every once in a while, BD-1 beep excitedly and hops down, scurrying over to some interesting plant or rock or other and scanning it with his hololens. ]

Got anything interesting there, little buddy?

▶B. UH OH. [ At some point during the excursion, there's a strange rustling noise of some kind coming from behind a bush not too far away from their group. BD-1 reacts first, his head whirling around towards the noise, antennae raising, about a second before Cal turns his head in the same direction, suddenly tense and alert.

His hand goes to his lightsaber at his belt, but he doesn't draw it just yet. ]

Did you hear that?

WILDCARD.

[ please feel free to throw anything my way! as a note, after the hatching prompt, he has BD-1 and his lightsaber with him everywhere he goes, the former of which stays almost permanently latched to Cal's back. but!! a few more ideas for things he'll be up to:

▶Helping out around basecamp — he will be trying to make himself as helpful as possible, including washing dishes at the mess hall, repairing some of the machines around camp, building sets at the theater, and helping out at the aid station. (No, he doesn't actually have any medical expertise, but he will fetch bandages, painkillers, etc, help move patients, clean up messes, etc etc. Basically he'll do anything you tell him to do, especially if you sound authoritative enough.)
▶Meditation in the temple — since the bunks are shared and he doesn't want to be in anyone's way, he'll be doing his meditating in the temple. Feel free to stumble on him there!
▶The Dreaming — I don't have a prompt up there because my top level is long enough as it is, but what if we met in a dream? 👉👈 He'll be very chill about it, since visions/dreams are just A Thing That Happens With The Force.
▶More fetch quest — exploration and combat is his wheelhouse, so I'm up for literally any other hijinks during the fetch quest. He actually can climb those cliffs to retrieve the plants, since he has his climbing claws with him, but hit me with any creative solutions you want! ]

Mess Hall

[unclesam]

[ Sam's served combat tours. He's no stranger to spartan grub just to get the calories into you to keep going. Still, after time spent back home in Louisiana with some proper grub? This is a travesty. The end of all joy. ​]

Yeah, it ain't much, buddy. Help yourself. [ And a little quieter, though not a whisper: ] Redwing, get me a read.

[ The first comment adresses the curious lil' robot scuttling over the table to scan the food. Sam calmly reaches for his goggles and pulls them back over his eyes.

And following the second comment, a kite sized and shaped red, white and blue drone detaches from the back of Sam's suit. It flies up, hovers over the table with a soft whir and chirping sound. It's scanner is red, though Redwing's not going for anything invasive here - just a surface level scan. ]

[psychometries]

[ 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]

[ Sam looks over to the man speaking up, eyebrows going up in surprise as he takes the gesture in. He glances to Redwing, then the little robot guy on the table, and smiles amicably. ]

What, did you think I was gonna open fire on the little dude in the mess hall? Nah, man, just curious right back. It's a surface level scan.

[ He taps something on his wrist control, and Redwing floats lower with a small chirping noise. ]

Ain't ever seen anything quite like your little friend.

mess hall, i'm sorry beedee 😢

[swordjock]

[ Adora seems equally unbothered by the contents of her "meal", beyond a scrunched nose at the sight of the sad, sad broccoli, and generally seems too preoccupied with eating to notice much of anything going on around her. That all changes when something blue illuminates her food, and she whips her head up, startled into action. ]

Horde robot! [ She shouts, grabbing the staff from her belt, extending it, and swinging it at BD-1 like a baseball bat, before jumping on the table to scan for more threats — possibly kicking over Cal's plate in the progress. ] Are there more of them? Get behind me!

[ If the rest of the room weren't staring at the newcomers already, they are now. ]

rip 😔

[psychometries]

[ Cal was literally just sitting here, eating his food... when suddenly a lot of things happen in very quick succession. He isn't quite fast enough to intervene when Adora suddenly whacks BD-1 with her staff—the droid goes flying with a sad, startled shriek—but he does knock his chair over when he stands and moves to put himself between her and BD-1, both hands up in a gesture of peace.

Of course, this isn't before his plate flips over into his lap, but. You know. He has more important things to worry about right now. ​]

Whoa, whoa! He's not going to hurt you! [ He pauses a little, his hands still up, and turns his head to find BD-1, who is already back on his feet, extending his legs as if testing that they still work fine. One of his antennae is a little bent, but... ] You okay, buddy?

[swordjock]

[ When Cal jumps up, Adora assumes he's about to join her in the fight, and confusion is written all over her face when he instead attempts to placate her. ]

Buddy? [ She half laughs, half scoffs in sheer disbelief; staff still raised in preparation for another strike. ] Trust me, that thing is no one's buddy. There's already a self destruct mechanism armed, just waiting for you to get close—

[ A pregnant pause hangs in the air, broken only by Adora's sudden, sharp intake of breath. ]

Oh. Ohhh. [ She lowers her staff, glancing around the room to make sure nobody else followed her lead in attacking the droid. Fortunately, it looks like she was the only one stupid (and paranoid) enough to do more than just gawk, and she follows Cal's gaze to where BD-1 is picking himself back up. ] I'm sorry, I thought... nevermind. It... uh, he, isn't damaged, is he?

gym

[rhapsodical]

[ After waking up covered in egg goop (gross), being unceremoniously thrown in jail (rude as hell!!), and then learning about the complete and utter lack of hair and bath care products available at base camp Leviathan, Zeta's been having a No-Good, Very-Bad week.

Suffice to say, she's got a lot of steam to burn off, and what better way to work out her aggression than with some training? It's a two-for-one anyway; given the creepy danger zone that surrounds the camp, the sharper her reflexes are the more likely it is she'll make it through the next few weeks/months/(hopefully-not-)years with a minimum number of injuries sustained.

Turns out, she's not the only one with the great idea to train while the acid rain hisses down around them. She recognizes the guy from the other night, a little reserved but largely good-natured, but before she can look around for his little robot buddy she finds herself distracted by the oversized orange glow stick that cuts effortlessly through the air.

Because she's not a complete barbarian, she waits until he comes to some sort of pause before loudly calling out: ]

Hey! What's that?

[ Said with a nod towards his lightsaber. Don't mind the oversized blue spear propped against one shoulder, the lightsaber is way more interesting right now. ]

[psychometries]

[ For the record, BD-1 isn't too far away—the two of them are pretty much inseparable at this point, so wherever one is you can inevitably find the other—probably making a nuisance of himself by exploring the gym and scanning random things.

But anyway, Cal gives Zeta a small, friendly smile when he recognizes her, lowering his lightsaber and coming out of his last stance into one that's a lot more relaxed. He doesn't shut off the blade, though, and so it hums softly at his side. ]

A lightsaber. I guess they don't have them where you come from? [ Please don't make him say Phantagrande skydoms.

That's still a strange idea for him to wrap his head around, though. Back home, probably every single person in the galaxy would be able to recognize the weapon on sight, since lightsabers are so distinctive, and so inextricably tied to the Jedi. He's not used to having to explain these things at all.

His gaze slides to the huge spear(?) slung over her shoulder, and his eyebrows raise. ]

And what's that?

[rhapsodical]

[ Good ol' BD-1, always there for his best buddy Cal.

Soon Zeta will also always be there for her good buddy Cal, though maybe not in the way he wants. He shows off his lightsaber and she wanders closer for a better look, eyes wide with curiosity. It almost looks as though it's alive with the way it hums. ]

Nuh-uh. I've never seen anything like it before, and the Society has some pretty crazy stuff.

[ Speaking of Society stuff...she's interested in his lightsaber, sure, but she's also not about to pass up a chance to boast about the latest and greatest in Society tech. ]

Oh this? [ Said with a heft of her spear and a grin on her face. ] This is Arvess.

[ Yes, the spear has a name. No, she didn't name it (though she totally would have if given the opportunity). ]

We've been through a lot of stuff, Arvess and me. It's basically my partner wherever I go.

[ Is she talking about her spear like it's a sentient being..........yes, don't question it. ]

theater

[neversmall]

[ Nina's not an expert with children, theater, or painting, but she does enjoy being the center of attention and making other people laugh, so she's wound up with a small following of older children who she is helping rehearse their lines. There is a splatter of paint on the tip of her nose and on her right cheek.

It is human nature to turn your head when a baby starts to cry, and by the expression on Cal's face, the baby soon won't be the only one. Children, like any mark, can sense uncertainty, and she's not sure she likes the way the other kids in Cal's circle are eyeing him up.

What do you say, she says conspiratorially to Laura and Eddie, shall we rescue them?

Laura scrunches up her nose, as if not sure if she's too cool to help; Eddie, a true champion, shrugs. Nina grins at them both, nods her head to the side, and then sets down her paint brush to walk over to Cal. She is somewhat dubiously followed by Laura (12) and Eddie (11). ]

Is there anyone over here who can help us? We were having a hard time deciding if a tiger was yellow and orange, with black stripes, or purple and blue with green polka dots.

[ The ridiculous statement has a few kids snickering. Nina does not reach for the baby, instead she nods at Cal and mouths: Turn the baby around.

Sometimes baby's like it better when they can see. ]

[psychometries]

[ Oh, thank the Force, someone who seems to be good with kids. Or—better than he is, at least. The relief on his face is very transparent.

It takes him a second catch on that she's mouthing something to him—he even turns his head to look behind him, as if she would be addressing someone else?—before realizing what that something is. With a soft ah, he follows her instructions with a sort of painstaking gentleness that probably betrays his inexperience—babies need to be handled carefully, but surely not this carefully. It's not made of glass.

But thankfully, the baby's sobs start to wane a little as it gazes out at its surroundings, temporarily distracted. ]

It'll be, uh, fun to paint tigers, right? Why don't you go help?

[ The oldest children seem enthusiastic about the idea, anyway, and are eager to paint. They're probably not old enough to paint well, but that's a problem for whoever's responsible for the sets. ]

[neversmall]

[ That would be, temporarily, Nina - but that's what you get when you wander off and leave total strangers in charge of the set. There's risk that you may need to redo them.

Nina nods toward the sets. ]

Come on, let's go make sure there's enough paint and paintbrushes.

[ Come on, Cal, they can supervise. ]

theater

[oomfies]

[ Jesus, Lottie hates kids. ]

Is it hungry?

[ She asks with equal amounts of exasperation and hope, wracking her brain for any knowledge or expertise she's gathered about children since she became old enough to pay her taxes. Predictably, she comes up with nothing - except that Cal is holding that baby right (good job!) but the baby is still crying (boo!).

Sadly, he isn't the only one who got suckered into taking care of kids - she has her own set, just complete little brats, comprised of a trio coming into collision with his kids. While equally as chaotic as a crying baby, it means Lottie can successfully ignore her responsibilities to focus on this issue once the coast is clear - ]

I think babies cry when they're hungry.

[psychometries]

[ Great! This can only go well. ]

Hungry? I don't know. Wouldn't they have told me to feed— [ He stumbles a little on the baby's gender, because he doesn't actually know it. He finally settles on: ] —it?

[ Do babies have feeding schedules, or do you just feed them whenever they're hungry? He sounds kind of stumped, honestly, at least until the baby starts giving in to full-blown sobs, and then he downgrades more into panic. All around them, toddlers wreck havoc—one very harried beep sounds from over near a pile of toys, a distress call from BD-1 that Cal (unfortunately) has to ignore. It's a mess. ]

Shh, don't cry, okay? It's alright. [ As he rocks the baby in a vain attempt at soothing it, a certain... smell wafts towards them. Well. ]

Uh. I think I know why it's crying.

setting out!

[needfully]

[ If things were completely up to him, he'd want to just get this mission over with as efficiently and as quickly as possible— aside from maybe the investigative peek into the Adamant if its not too far out of the way. For totally selfish reasons. Looking at plants and rocks, though, is... well, not what he really expected out of another Hatchling. He thought the fear of acid rain would others try to go through the motions of retrieving the Starspire as quickly as possible, but maybe he guessed wrong.

Similar to Cal, he doesn't actually look all that prepared for the mission, as he doesn't have any sort of gear on him, aside from strange, metal, yellow dots sticking out of his clothes, which are clearly not a part of the original outfit. ]

Is it actually telling you anything?

[ Illumi pipes up; so far, he hasn't been particularly chatty outside of a basic introduction, but it seems the little droid has caught his interest. Machinery this advanced is foreign to him, and he finds himself wondering the full capacity of it's intelligence— it must be so useful! ]

[psychometries]

[ The lack of conversation doesn't bother Cal at all, since he's not particularly chatty himself, unless prompted, so he's perfectly content to hike in companionable silence. He speaks to BD-1 a lot more, making occasional comments about whatever the droid is scanning or not wandering too far, which usually nets him some cheerful beep-boops in return.

At the question, though, he turns to glance at Illumi, his eyebrows raising slightly. He takes a little offense at the word it, on BD-1's behalf, but it doesn't show on his face. ]

What, from the scans? It's all added to his databank.

[ Unless he means if BD-1's beeps are actually intelligible to him? Honestly, that doesn't even occur to Cal right away, since he takes understanding Binary for granted. ]

[needfully]

Oh. So, it can even catalogue things from foreign environments...

[ Illumi does not pick up at all on the fact that Cal referred to the droid as he, as he is still thinking of BD-1 as a mindless machine. A remarkable one, but still an object. With his curiosity somewhat satisfied, he lets his eyes follow the droid as it beeps and wanders around, never once looking up at Cal himself. ]

Impressive. The programming must be very advanced.

everyone loves mess hall

[figlia_morbida]

[Isn't there supposed to be room in one life for only one "worst week ever"? Trish thought for sure that would be when her mother passed away, only for it to be trumped by her abduction by the mafia, and now it's followed by...whatever all this is.

She pushes the food around on her plate half-heartedly, glancing up to watch Cal eat with an enthusiasm she would think entirely impossible, when suddenly she's slightly blinded by a blue light, shielding her eyes on reflex.

When the light vanishes, her spotty vision reveals...holy shit. Trish drops her fork, blinking at what is undeniably a robot.

She doesn't know what to do with this, so she nervously pushes her plate towards the robot while also leaning back, since it seems more interested in the food than she is.]

Um...you can have it.

[Robots don't eat (probably) but like hell she'll stop a genuine robot from doing what it wants.

She's seen Stands and hatched from an egg and now there's robots, maybe she should lie down.........]

[psychometries]

[ It's not enthusiasm so much as resignation, honestly. Sometimes you're just eating for the sake of not starving, which is a position Cal is pretty familiar with at this point.

In any case, he looks up from his rather spiritless meal when she moves to shield her eyes, and quickly intervenes. ]

Hey, buddy, try not to shine that in people's eyes, okay?

[ If it's not obvious, he's addressing the droid, who responds with a few beep-boops in Binary, the tones of which sound as genuinely contrite as beeps can be. Cal shakes his head a little in return, his expression fond. Next, he looks over at Trish and assures her: ]

Uh, he doesn't actually eat. He just wanted to scan the food, to see what it was.

stand cameo lol

[figlia_morbida]

[Anything more than staring at the food may as well be enthusiasm in Trish's eyes.

If she could see, that is. She's still blinking the spots out of her eyes when she turns to Cal, her mouth agape before she closes it, realizing how silly she probably looks. This is something out of a sci-fi flick, which aren't really her thing but she's seen enough to be familiar with the concept of robots!

She's glad her first thought is that and not Stands, actually. She can live without more of those.]

I think I've lost my appetite anyway...

[She picks up her fork regardless, pulling her plate back to herself, only to drop her fork again.]

Trish.

[Spice Girl is staring at the tiny robot with intense fascination. Of course, Stands would recognize one another, but Spice Girl is curled over and watching the robot placidly.]

This creature moves on its own and speaks, but it's not like me...it's very tiny. What is it?

[Trish glowers at Spice Girl, but doesn't answer her Stand. She knows better than to do that in front of people. Cal likely can't see her anyway. But a conversation is a good way to explain without looking crazy, so.]

Listen, I know we're from different worlds, but it's a lot to digest. I'm sorry if I made it - him, feel bad. He just...surprised me.

[She forgives you, tiny robot...knowing that, though, she wonders:]

Did you make him?

out and about

[cleaningsolutions]

[When Cal comes back out of the vision, his droid is on one side, and a stranger is on the other. Mops has crouched down, squatting on her heels a few feet away. She's realized by now that people respond in various ways to the sight of her and it's better not to be in someone's face. Besides that, her sense of personal space is a bit larger than is standard for the Adamant crew.]

Are you all right? Do you need to go to the aid station?

[psychometries]

[ He looks a little surprised to find someone suddenly crouched down next to him, but not alarmed—he supposes that he did make a little scene. As for her appearance, he's used to all kinds of various beings in his galaxy, from the near-human to the not-very-near-at-all, so the only thing that really sticks out to him is that he doesn't recognize her species(?), whatever it is.

He shifts his weight a little so that he's resting it on his heels, forcing himself to take deep breaths and find the calm that his Master had spent so long trying to instill in him. ]

No, I'm okay. I was just— [ He cuts himself off with a shake of his head. BD-1 beep-boops in worried tones, causing Cal to smile faintly and rest a hand on top of the droid's head. To Mops, he says a little sheepishly: ] I didn't mean to scare you or anything.

wildcard!!

[medik]

You again.

[ Yakov says it with fondness — the young man was quite helpful last time, and it speaks to his strength of character that he can be seen around the aid station when his defined job is with the engineers. He's the kind of person he'd get on well with back home, and he bears a striking resemblance to some of the younger Leninists in his generosity with his time and labor. ]

If you are here to help, there are some patients I could use assistance moving.

[psychometries]

[ Ah, a familiar face, which is always nice. The fondness earns a friendly smile from Cal, and he tips his head in acknowledgement. Yes, him again. ]

I could say the same to you. Sure. Lead the way.

[ The other man seems to know exactly what he's doing here, so Cal is more than happy to follow along. In a way, it feels good to be able to help again, since he'd so often been forced to prioritize his own survival in the past. But the Jedi have always been about service, whether it's to others, the greater good, or the Force, and Cal is no different from the generations of Jedi who came before him.

But first— ]

I didn't catch your name last time. I'm Cal.