◣ 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

Nina Zenik

[neversmall]

[ Wrote too much, starters in comments - look for base camp, aid station, theater, and the dreaming. If you want to wildcard or a starter for something else, miscellaneous options are:
-- First couple of days, the super observant may notice a routine: Up, breakfast, meander systematically through the camp, aid station, lunch, theater, meander, dinner with Matthias, meander, gymnasium, bath, hammock. A giant white wolf sleeps under/by her hammock, make of that what you will. She’ll be wearing her red kefta for the first few days, but a comfy change of clothes - a blouse, skirt, vest, underskirts - made its way with her and she’ll soon change into that.
-- She’ll be fascinated by the engineering club - she’s never SEEN technology like THIS before - but she won’t spend that much time there beyond asking one of the kids to explain the basics to her. That, and helping her with learning how to use her communicator (seriously, help the girl), besides that she’s going to stay in her lane a bit…
-- Those nightly trips to the gymnasium see the person who possibly looks least like a soldier in the world going through a rigorous and thorough training routine. She’s used to training with others
-- COMMUNITY OUTREACH, being joyful about getting a toothbrush, while also… quietly putting back the clothing. She has what she came in with, a spare, and her kefta. Leave that for someone else.
-- FETCH QUEST; she’ll requisition a spear to go along, and once they’re close to the Adamant, she definitely wants to go exploring inside it.
-- Wildcard: come at me, bro! prose/brackets are both cool, for more plotting PM or hit me up somescribbles ]

Base Camp

[neversmall]

[ For the first few days Nina will make getting her bearings one of her top priorities. She’s got a quick memory for things, in case anyone is paying very close attention they’ll see that she is working on a meandering route of the whole camp at least three times a day for the first few days. If something happens, she doesn’t want to have to think about where she’s running to - she just wants to be able to go.

After retrieving her belongings from the… strangely not gooey egg, she’ll be sporting an oval silver locket. Feel free to ask her about it, but not about the tin of cookies. She is definitely not sharing those any time soon. (Okay. Maybe one. Maybe.)

She’ll be perpetually friendly and easy to approach, talking with NPCs and giving you a friendly nod if she happens to see you on her meanderings. ]

[cryptoherpetology]

[ Like Nina, Alex has been making regular circles around the base camp and memorizing the layout and the faces. It's hard not to notice when he sees someone else doing the same thing. He places her age somewhere around his youngest sister, which only sends a momentary pain of regret through his chest. He takes that regret about Antimony and tamps it down hard until it's flat enough to slip into his mental "stay alive, deal with later" file.

He himself is more noticeable in the days following the trip to the Chrysalis chamber. It's not that he found any particularly garish clothing, and his weapons are hidden well enough not to show through his tweed jacket. What is noticeable is the animal wrapped around his shoulders.

At very first glance, it looks like a black bird sitting on a furred cloak... until one realizes the feathers and fur are from the same animal. A large furry housecat's hindquarters and tail and a big black corvid bird's wings, beak and talons in place of front legs. Crow the church griffin has been clinging to him since he'd found him curled up in the egg Alex had hatched from, laying over his weapons like a bird guarding a nest of tiny, deadly eggs.

Alex is about to do the usual politely-passing-someone-familiar nod-smile when Crow decides that no, it's time to make friends now. Not having to hide himself is as novel to the griffin as it is to Alex- and the griffin has less impulse control. Before Alex can grab him, he swoops down off his shoulders and glides to the ground in front of Nina, chirruping curiously, trying to see if this person is a threat to his person or, more importantly, if she has food. ]

Crow, get back here. [ Alex is quick behind him. ] Enough people are probably wondering how close you taste to chicken, stop wandering off. [ Crow seemingly ignores him. Alex sighs. ] I'm sorry, he's been a bit overstimulated lately.

[neversmall]

[ Nina blinks and takes two short steps very quickly back as Crow lands at her feet. Wow! What? Hello. ]

If that's a crow than I'm a Fjerdan. [ Her gaze darts between the griffin to Alex and back again. She gives them both a smile - ] Hello [ - and then bends down at the knees, not in any way unbalancing herself, to get a closer look at Crow. ]

AID STATION (cw: blood, impalement)

[neversmall]

[ Eventually, Nina finds her way back to the aid station. Her meeting with Sunya is not brief; she winds up having to demonstrate on the doctor herself exactly what it is that she can do, relieving some of her tiredness and stress. After this is successful, Nina is immediately recruited. Sunya has her first offering pain relief and then -- See what you can do about those -- the reactions to the flora. Nina’s not a healer, this doesn’t require the sort of… reversing of damage that she knows she can do, but she can at least figure out a way to stop the itching. Oh, and she can make them laugh. She flirts up a storm, tells horrible jokes, and leaves the place glowing. The observant will note that for all the effort Nina is putting out in relieving pain, she only seems more energized when she leaves the Aid Station. Feel free to catch her and ask her why that is…

...well, until the day her Heartrender ‘healing’ is really put to the test. A girl about twelve comes in, hauling along her younger, bleeding brother. There is a wooden spike protruding from the side of his stomach… and Sunya is on her lunch break. ]

Now that’s a splinter, [ Nina says her hands coming together and then quickly flaring out to the boy. He immediately stops crying. She immediately turns to anyone close by -- ] Get the antiseptic, please [ -- and begins to usher the child toward the bed. There is a rock in her stomach. ]

[ The process of removing the spike of wood is arduous, but once it’s done Nina lets just enough blood escape to clean out the wound before pouring in the antiseptic. What follows is going to look very odd, as she simply stands over the boy with her hands creating a triangle as inch by inch, the skin slowly repairs itself. It’s a deep cut, but not very wide, and when she finishes she sways on her feet. ] There, [ she says, managing a smile. ] Don’t move for a bit, your body’s been through a lot and it needs to rest.

[ ...and so, it would appear, does she.

The arm band is received, but… Nina only puts it on while she’s in the Aid Station, so people inside know she can help, but otherwise the only time she wears it is when she briefly goes to talk to Rémi about weapons availability for missions. ]

[unclesam]

[ Sam's taken to the aid station quite differently. Trained as Air Force pararescue, he's used to acting where people need medical attention, and this is no different. His recruitment ends up being more an inadvertend trial on the job kind of day, and the arm band's more of an after thought. Like Nina, he wears it only while working - or if he knows he's gotta work an angle with one of the people in charge. And like Nina, half his job's the charm he brings to it, easy quips and conversation, warm smiles, keeping people at ease.

When the kids come in, the little brother bleeding, Sam's halfway to Nina's side before she even asks for the antiseptic, prepared to jump into a messy job... and quite frankly astonished when it doesn't turn out half as messy as expected.

So Sam assists with quiet efficiency when Nina needs something, and otherwise stands back and lets her work, nearby enough that he can jump in if she requires a second pair of hands. She doesn't, except when she sways. And as she children fuss about each other when all is said and done, Sam steps closer, reaching out to the woman but not touching - merely offering his arm in case she needs to prop herself up, or in case she cannot stay upright on her own and needs catching. ]

So do you, no offense.

[ His lips curls into an easy smile, though. He wonders if she's like Wanda, like Dr. Strange.

Either way, he's happy to tick one of his 'big three' boxes. Between aliens, androids and wizards, she now solidly occupies the latter category. ]

That was impressive. Wanna sit down for a moment?

[neversmall]

It was impressive, wasn't it. [ She's completely ignoring Sam's quite reasonable assessment and his arm and her tone is perhaps a little too light for her words to be bragging. His words fall with the perfection of whatever translating mechanism means that he is not speaking anything close to Ravkan; he looks like he could be from Novyi Zem? But more likely... he's not. They've not worked the same shift before, or else Nina would have made a point of introducing herself. He'd been helpful and hadn't asked stupid questions like: What are you doing and why aren't you getting a needle, so that's already won him points in her book. ]

Saints, I'd do terrible things for a good sandwich right now. Or to a good sandwich.

[ She flicks her hand subtly in the boy's direction and, satisfied that all is progressing as it should, thinks she will take this opportunity to sit down. She doesn't need help, but her movements are very deliberate as she proceeds to the table where she'd been organizing supplies before the emergency came in. ]

Thank you for your help. I'm Nina Zenik.

The Play's the Thing

[neversmall]

[ Look. Clearly, at one point or another, Nina missed her calling. She doesn’t really have time to memorize lines, but she is sure going to try to - who can disappoint these faces? She’s… actually… very good, but will somewhat surprisingly insist on just being back up and working with the kids to help them memorize their lines while painting.

She’s enjoying painting the sets, and has a bit of orange splatter on her nose and cheeks. Feel free to overhear her coaching the kiddos on their lines (No, you saying it like you’re acting. Try saying it just like you feel it, like you’re annoyed with your -- do you have a best friend? Try saying it like you’re annoyed with your best friend.) or to let her know that her paint has escaped to her face. ]

[trassel]

[ He had the spectacular luck of standing still for a moment in the doorway before being handed a paint bucket, which was promptly traded at once, for the equipment that needs carrying. Nina's voice has been drifting over all afternoon — that's not a factor, in why he's still here. It is, of course, that more hands are needed for the heavy lifting. It's steady work. The strain clears his mind, old wounds are caressed, for this is the feel of a village coming together, memories that once were dutifully buried long ago. ]

[ They don't have their five minutes off at the same time, but once they do, he makes a beeline for Nina, gesturing at her cheek. ]

You have a little —

[neversmall]

[ Nina stands and stretches as she feels his heartbeat come closer. It's not just purposefully to draw attention to certain assets, it's also because she's been bending over, painting, and needs to stretch. ]

Hmm? [ Her hand goes to her cheek. ] Oh. Yes. It makes me less intimidating. [ She beams up at him with mischief. ] You should try it.

[arnaults]

[ dorothea definitely overhears nina at some point when she's doing some of her own coaching. her curiosity builds, and when she gets the chance, she wanders over in her direction. ]

You're good at this. Did you do something like this back in your home?

[neversmall]

Oh, nothing on a stage, [ Nina smiles, shaking her head. ] I'm not sure at all how I'd be with an audience. What about you?

The Dreaming

[neversmall]

[ No no no no, Nina does NOT want to be touched by a giant gilled creature, and YET the sense of welcome is so overwhelming that… huh. Why does she feel like she should bow, after the creature bows and fades back into the lake?

Well, since… she’s stuck there, she might as well go swimming. Anyone else going swimming in their dreams tonight?

After awakening, quite refreshed and taking her time to get dressed after the communal shower, she notices the mark. It’s a strange one. If she shared her dream with anyone, she WILL seek them out to see if they have the same thing. ]

[sunmon]

Nina. Hi.

[ alina is there in the showers, clutching her hand to her chest. the strange mark that she'd woken up with is there, and it's not scrubbing away — not that three minutes was any kind of substantial time to scrub away anything.

a fleeting sense of recognition passes through her eyes. nina had been there, hadn't she? on the lakeshore, last night. and in the water. they'd paddled together, alina floating on her back, looking at the sky.

but it wasn't real. no more than the stag was. baghra's words returned to her, pressing, and she takes a wary stab. alina starkov, orphan from keramzin, cartographer, would have asked permission to question first. but she's been weeks in the little palace, and nina is grisha. so instead it comes right out. ]

I'm glad to run into you, actually. Are Grisha often given to strange dreams?

[neversmall]

Hmm? [ Nina shifts her attention politely in Alina's general direction, looking forward without looking. Communal showers are not ideal, but Nina is practical. Three minutes is not a long time to luxuriate in the shower, but it is enough time to get clean if you apply yourself. Nina is applying herself.

The night's rest seems a long way away, but Alina's words stir up a memory. ]

What kind of dreams?

for kirigan - spoilers inevitable

[neversmall]

[ It's been quite the first day free from the cells! Nina's had a busy hour or so navigating some incredibly troubled waters between a druskelle, who has an unfortunate chunk of her heart and the sun summoner, who has an unfortunate chunk of her hope, and now it's time to report in to the man who was responsible for her growing up in relative safety, who'd trusted her with a mission which she'd failed, and whose mission - one she has believed in all her life - she'd been willing to turn her back on before waking up in an egg.

...yay.

It wasn't only for Matthias' sake that she was seeking him out, although that contributed to the driving urgency. Even though Nina was determined not to fall into a hierarchy from home on an alien planet, General Kirigan still commanded her loyalty and respect. She didn't think she'd need the communicator to locate him. After checking a few points on the perimeter, Nina made her way to the memorial wall.

She recognized the black kefta from a distance one that, until today, she'd only known one person to wear. She'd found her own red one, and was wearing it. He may see it from the corner of his eye as she approaches to his 8 o'clock, stopping several feet away before, standing with her hands clasped behind her back, she says quietly: ]

Sir.

[morozova]

( he's at the memorial wall, again. it's become something of a habit of late, particularly when he's needed a moment or two of quiet just to think. the survivors tend to give him a wide berth, and even the other hatchlings tend to be more preoccupied with their own thoughts than giving him more than a passing glance.

well, usually.

slowly, he turns, his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief until it settles on something approaching relief and genuine (pleasant) surprise: ) Nina Zenik.

[neversmall]

[ Acknowledged, a lifetime of practice has her moving to stand 'at ease,' her hands at her sides. She doesn't bother to fight the ingrained responses; she doesn't see the need. It is very rude to listen in to the General's heartbeat, but there are certain senses she can not turn off and, knowing what she's going to need to do, Nina doesn't try to - in fact, the only reason why she doesn't Focus on him is because she's sure he'd be able to tell. ]

I heard you were here, but I wasn't sure I believed it until now. [ It seems impossible to her that he should be here, and not in Ravka, where he was desperately needed. That has to be incredibly aggravating to him. She decides to make explicit where she'd heard about him, so he knows she's been caught up on certain relevant and equally incredible facts: ] I met Alina.

[ There is a sun summoner now. Amazing. Marvelous. Hopeful... impossible. Why is she here too, when they finally have the means to do something about the Fold? ]

wild... card...

[trassel]

[ As promised, he is dutifully waiting for her outside the Aid station, Trassel sitting patiently at his side. Matthias is usually at parade rest, though sometimes she may find him with his back to the wall. ]

[neversmall]

[ The workers are starting to Notice, whether Nina ends her day at the theater or by swinging back to the Aid Station. She's got the fortunate... unfortunate? ...gift of making people feel comfortable enough with her to tease.

"That tall young man is waiting for you again," said John, an Adament crew member who was currently laid up with a fractured tibia. He had an unfortunate view of the door. "He brought his wolf. Or did the wolf bring him?"

Nina has no shame at all about this, and is irritatingly delighted at the news. "Must be time for me to go," is her quick retort. "Matthias is always on time."

"Oh, always?"

Nina laughs and washes her hands quickly before going outside to beam up at Matthias.

Well, she was going to beam up at Matthias. Instead, she's nearly bowled over by Trassel, who has not seen her for over Eight Hours. Nina laughs and shifts her weight to accommodate the sudden Wolf leaning on her. ]

Hello to you too.

[trassel]

[ Matthias is always on time. And without fail — Nina, at this time, can always expect an escort. She comes out, laughter and lightness trailing in her wake. No doubt another successful day at the Aid Station. She's always rosy and glowing, it's impossible to look away from her. ]

[ Except for the fact of the scene-stealer. Trass nearly bowls her over, tail wagging slowly, pushing his snout into her hand, circling her to make sure she still smells like she should. Marked as Friend. Anything could happen in Eight Hours! ]

He's playing favourites, I see.

[ Matthias comes to her side to join her. ]

for Kaz

[neversmall]

continued from here

[ Nina crosses her arms under her chest and leans back, seeming to almost fully disarm herself now. He'd have plenty of time to see her hands move. ]

Many different things, if we were in Kerch.

[ They are, decidedly, not. The question's a bit of a clue as well -- How do you value yourself, Nina? Are you an killer? A soother? A living lie detector? A bit of skirt? It's a good question.

She wants to be moving. She has no reason to think that they're drawing attention, but if it wasn't for his cane, Nina would be suggesting they take a walk about now. She would welcome the pause to regroup, the slight synchronization that comes when two people do anything together. She doesn't want this to be something adversarial, but the two of them are trying to figure the other out -- will that make this a game, with a winner and a loser, to see who will crack first, or can they both win?

Nina decides, since inviting him on a walk or to sit down would be something layered, to give a little instead. ]

We woke up in eggs covered with goo. That has to be a rarity, even in Ketterdam. [ A quick flicker of a smile that she doubts will make an impact in those unsettlingly dark eyes, watching her and missing nothing, but she can't help herself. ] I can tell you what I might want out of an alliance, but until you tell me what you want and what you're offering, I don't see how we can come to terms.

Theatre!

[baum]

[ After their conversation, John wanders across. He's seen the theater, but it's not somewhere he's really explored. Engineering had taken his attention as soon as he saw it. Now, though, he goes on in, and finds the girl covered in orange and yellow paint pretty easily.

Smiling, he comes up to her. ]

Hey. You're Nina, right? I'm John, from the Network.

[neversmall]

[ Nina is, in fact, quite splattered with paint. Somehow, she never seems to survive without getting some on her cheek and nose, but today something particularly creative had happened and there's yellow flicks all along one side of her dark hair. She doesn't appear fussed, and half dozen preteen to early teens around her painting sets seem at ease, and more or less focused on the forest they're painting... more or less.

She senses an approaching heartbeat, but she doesn't turn around until she hears John speak. ]

Oh, hello! Nice to put a face to... whatever that was? At least I can properly say it's nice to meet you now. Grab a paintbrush! We're doing the trees.

[ She gestures to a spare palate and brush and scoots over toward the middle of the giant backdrop so John can have the edge. ]

[baum]

Sure.

[ John picks a brush, and throws some colours together to get some green. He's never thought of himself as particularly artistic, but painting some leaves on doesn't seem like the worst task. ]

You gotta tell me if I'm doing this wrong.

[ He pauses. ]

Wait, do you want regular trees, or like...pine? I probably should've asked that first.