event } ya gotta be a dolphin

[seeingyou]

WHO: All the little fishies!
WHAT: An underwater adventure
WHERE: Kupra City, or you can stay on Navi if ya want
WHEN: Dec. 20-Jan. 2 16
WARNINGS: Use ‘em in your threads if needed! And if you end up taking an extended dip in the big drink, please report it on the death page.

[Hello, passengers! Hope you're all ready for an announcement, 'cause Navi's voice is getting beamed into your head right about ... now.]

Attention, passengers.
We'll be landing soon on the planet Umora, at Kupra City.
We'll be docked for two weeks, local time.
Please stand by for atmospheric entry.

[Is it just your imagination, or does Navi sound more tired than normal? Either way, it's now time to BUCKLE IN, CHAPS. It's not a particularly rough landing, just your standard amount of turbulence, though it may seem a little jarring to those who aren't used to space travel.

Upon docking underwater and disembarking, passengers will find a bank counter just past the terminal, where your new windfall of Navigems can be exchanged for credits (the universal currency).

Have fun! And do try not to drown … ]

Comments

[11calls]

Open to all.
Alex is rather tickled to be at an underwater planet actually. She loves water and the beach outside of Seattle isn’t exactly good for swimming and her pale skin isn’t the best for sunbathing. But that’s not really an issue here and one of the first things that Alex purchased was a bikini to wear below the frog suits that she had rented. Her hair is mostly dry at this point, but it had done so naturally in the form of loose waves over her shoulders.

With a drink in her hand, Alex looks more relaxed than she has in a long time. Honestly she feels more relaxed than she has since she can’t remember when. It’s definitely an improvement over the last planet where she’d gotten turned into a kid for Slenderman. But thinking of Slenderman makes Alex think of Jon and she frowns a bit because he doesn’t remember that at all. It’s almost like he’s an entirely new person honestly as weird as that might be. Still. This was definitely not the place for such thoughts. Not when all Alex wanted to do was to soak in the ambiance of this place and the things that went along with it.

Still when she sees someone familiar, she greets them warmly and gestures to the table opposite for conversation or whatever else.

Closed to Richard.
Alex is still wearing her bikini later on, even if she’s got a wrap around her waist. She’s had a few drinks at this point, and someone had given Alex a fragrant flower within her hair behind her ear. Over her arm she’s got a basket of things that she’s picked up for the ship, but Alex can’t help but to drop it when she sees a very familiar person indeed. After all who else would wear a suit on an underwater planet?!

Later, Alex would blame the fact that she was a bit drunk on what she does next. Alex Reagan is well aware of the fact that Dr. Richard Strand of the Strand Institute is in fact a touch-me-not. Other than shaking his hand when she’d first met him and putting her hand on his arm the last night that she’d seen him after they were rescued by Coralee and he’d finally opened up with the truth. Alex by nature is a toucher and that’s something that goes doubly so when she’s drunk. Which is why she throws herself into his arms in a giant hug while yelling “Richard! Oh my god you’re here!”

[imarealistnotacynic]

Richard Strand is not having a good day.

The last thing he remembered was driving back from the studio after visiting Keith Dabic. After trying to explain to Alex Reagan just how Dabic's mother might have influenced the poor young man's regrettable decisions he'd driven off to try and find something to drink. Thinking about Travis. Thinking about other people involved in all this.

Thinking about how all of this ties into his own desire to beat back an overbearing parent when he was younger and then-

A ship. That voice. Navi.

He's not entirely sure this isn't a dream but there are simple ways to tell what things are and what is real and he's managed to gather several samples to the dismay of the so-called locals when a voice shouts and there are arms around him-

He visibly starts, letting out what he's ashamed to admit is a cry of surprise before he realizes it's small and a familiar voice. The same voice he'd been thinking about before he'd gone back up to see her with the Dabic case...

"..Alex Reagan?!"

Oh god.

His features are panicked because-

Taking off his glasses he tucks them into the pocket of his suit before staring at her bag and then - no it would be rude to reach out to touch her and she's obviously very solid.

"What are you doing here? Is this -" If this is a dream and she's in my dreams...

Oh god.

He takes a step back and rubs at the back of his neck before looking her up and down when it hits she's in a bikini.

"I'm-I um." Alex Regan was a means to an end. Barely a colleague, but he is bright red looking at her, "You're wearing a bikini."

[11calls]

Okay, maybe Alex really should have known that Richard Strand wouldn't handle being unexpectedly hugged well. After all, if they were home, even after everything that had last happened, Alex hadn't hugged him. There were certain lines that she wouldn't have crossed between the two of them, and Strand's reaction had solidified the reasonings that she'd had behind that. Coloring more than a little bit, Alex is very quick to step back away from him, and without of touching distance. Holding her hands up in the international sign of being unarmed, Alex just smiles sheepishly.

"It's me." The words echo her time when she'd followed him to Empress Hotel, and it's not even something that Alex had intended on doing. "Sorry," she explains, her words gushing forward and damned near tripping over themselves in an effort to get out. "Sorry." Yes, she says it again. "It's just been a really long time since I've seen you. And I kind of thought that I'd never see you again honestly. I mean, you know, outer space and all of that. It can be dangerous." Is she babbling. Yes, she may be babbling a little bit--or a lot really, because Alex tends to do that when she's drunk.

"I've been here god...five months now? I think so anyway. Sometimes it can be really hard to tell time. I mean it was October back home, and it was August when I arrived, and now it's December maybe? January? It's really hard to tell how long things are when you don't have a real day or night to orientate yourself too."

Pausing, Alex just continues after a moment. "It's real. I mean, I know you're you and your inclined to like doubt everything, but it really is. And yeah, I'm wearing a bikini because how often do you get to visit a mostly underwater planet?"

[imarealistnotacynic]

Five months?

"That's impossible. Five months. I just left you at the studio after visiting the Dabic house."

He frowns, studying her, "And I don't doubt everything for the record. I just require facts. This planet really is fascinating but I-"

Perhaps he could look her in the eye (Why is this bothering him? She's just a colleague she has a right to her fashion choices.) Meeting her dark chocolate gaze however made him stop - and breathe. She really does have grounding eyes. A gaze that made him stop and think.

It was something uniquely hers and she was babbling about planets and, "...I'm afraid I'm a little lost."

and he hates it. He hates feeling like an absentminded professor and it shows, fiddling at his hands as people raise their eyebrows at him.

[11calls]

“What?” As soon as Richard had said that he’d just left that Dabic house, Alex had honestly stopped listening. “What?!” The word is just constructed entirely out of a shocked dismay. “No that’s impossible! That was eighteen months ago, Richard! That was in May of 2015! I’m from October of 2016!”

This wasn’t something that was unheard of and Alex remembers all too well how it had happened to Martin and Jon when the two of them had first come aboard. Granted, at least the two of them weren’t dating like Martin and Jon had been—well, at least when Martin was from anyway. “Oh my god no, this definitely can’t be true. This can’t be. I can’t be from so far after you are. This isn’t fair!”

[ancestor]

• “Daycare”

When given the choice between staying aboard the tight quarters of the ship or exploring the planet they remain docked to Azem will always choose to explore the planet. Unfortunately she also happens to have a great deal of plants she needs to tend to in the hydroponic gardens, meaning she reluctantly returns once a day to ensure her plants are growing properly.

By the fourth day a small gaggle of children follows her to Navi, waiting impatiently as she does her daily botanical duties. Every few days another new face joins the group; all myriad of scales, tails, tentacles, webbing, and bioluminescence are represented among the children. Her Carbuncle doesn't look out of place as it monitors the squabbling, roughhousing group.

All misbehaviour stops the moment Azem announces her return—usually by sneaking up on them either from behind or above, courtesy of her skill with teleportation. She gives them a playful fright, earning startled squeals that soon turn to delight.

• Economy 101

While the concept of trade is familiar to her, the concept of money is still baffling. Even more baffling is the concept of poverty; homelessness, starvation, and the lack of basic necessities. This world is not wasteland, incapable of supporting life. There is no reason for this. Creating shelter is simple, as is connecting it to the necessary utilities.

The complicated part is the reaction of the general populous she meant to help. While appreciative, they inform her of the issue of recurring bills and taxation. All things that require currency. Azem doesn't know how to use her universal credits, nor would they be enough for a lifetime of expenses, so she does the next best thing and just creates a great deal of precious metals and gemstones to go with each home... Which draws a great deal of unwanted attention to both her actions and her abilities.

In the end Azem puts her shapechanging skills to good use, altering her form to better blend in among the locals; a warmer skintone, patches of iridescent scales, some fins in the appropriate places.

She lets out quiet, irritated huff once she's suitably camouflaged.

"...Ridiculous!"

• Wildcard

(( I'm open to whatever! I may add more prompts later, which will be identified in the comment subject lines.

notes:
» she generally tends to be around 4'8" in height, except when trying to blend in.

» until she accidentally trashes the economy/discovers how lame greedy people are (~day 10), Hem will be wearing her mask.

» after that point (day 11 onwards) she'll keep iridescent, ivory patches of scales on her cheeks/nose/forehead to obscure her natural appearance instead. kind of like this, albeit more aquatic-y scales and flowing fins rather than draconic-y. ))

Daycare

[albatrossomen]

Despite looking like someone who would be most comfortable tucked away in some stuffy old library never seeing daylight, Murmur was quick to disembark as soon as they were planet side. He may be perfectly comfortable cloistered away somewhere small and quiet, but that's the key isn't it? Quiet. Something some of the passengers are decidedly not.

He'd been out and about, far more elusive than he already was on board, but that didn't mean he didn't take the time to return on occasion. This particular occasion was met with far more noise than he'd been expecting. A whole gaggle of... probably children? Given their wildly varying physiology it was impossible to be completely certain, but they behaved how he expected children to behave. He thinks. It's not like he has much experience.

Unfortunately that meant the way back into the ship was blocked for the time being. So Murmur hung back, waiting for whoever was responsible for all of these to return and gather them up. It didn't take too long for Hemera to appear, setting the pent-up childlike chaos loose. Good, perfect, a distraction. Murmur was just going to take this moment to attempt to skirt around the gaggle, hopefully avoiding the ire of Hemera's highly aggressive pet.

[ancestor]

Had they been human children, Murmur may have successfully been able to slink past unnoticed. Unfortunately for him, one of the children has a particularly keen sense of electroreception. Unfortunately for Azem this particular child is both curious and clingy.

She sigh in fond exasperation, allowing the boy to lead her with two outstretched tentacles (the other six remain firmly wrapped around her arm and torso). He lets out a small sound of triumph when Murmur is within his remarkably long reach and promptly wraps a tentacle around whatever piece of the man is closest.

The child garbles in the unintelligible language of those just learning to speak.

"Karl says that you feel strange and have to play," Azem translates, then quietly chastises 'Karl' in a firm but kind tone. The boy wilts (though maintains his grip on them both) and relents, babbling at Murmur some more.

Azem brightens, audibly delighted by the progress Karl has made with his manners, and Karl brightens along with her.

"He apologizes, and asks if you would like to play."

[albatrossomen]

That is a most excellent point. Murmur was indeed far more accustomed to slipping beneath the notice of humans, and one would have to agree that wasn't always a particularly difficult task. They were, often, not the most aware of their surroundings, and certainly did not possess particularly advanced senses on average. They were more than adequate for their own needs, certainly, but they weren't electroreception. This is what he gets for being lazy.

Granted, it's not necessarily the worst thing in the world. It's just as well that Murmur goes absolutely nowhere without every inch of skin that isn't his face covered, so when the tendrils do grab him there aren't any... unpleasant side effects. He pauses, neither startled nor upset, merely looking on at the alien child with a mixture of puzzlement, and uncertainty.

"Have to." He echoed, tone remaining puzzled, as that was one of the more unusual ways to approach that. But, he soon apologized, and Murmur nodded once in a silent approval. At least his manners were improving.

"I uh... Don't actually know how to play." He admits after a long pause. As it turns out, angels don't do that.

closed to Murmur

[sinkthe8ball]

By all accounts, this should in theory be an easy gig. Which she wouldn’t mind in all honesty. It’s been how long since she’s been able to shoot something? Just the idea of hunting this “ghost” had her in a far more chipper mood. There was something to do other than snark at her shipmates and be forever annoyed with Mammon. Would wonders never cease? It was better than prowling the city restless and aimless at any rate and had the added benefit of adding a few extra credits to her pocket. That was good she had purchases she was already planning in her head once this was over and her client satisfied.

Though after nearly an hour of skulking around the area where most of the sightings have occurred, she’s starting to feel a little like the natives are taking advantage of her lack of familiarity. No one she’s crossed paths with yet has matched the one tell-tale feature the parent of her clients could remember. Not that talking to the man had been much help to start with, whatever this ghost did to him, it did a damned fine job of ensuring that the man could not remember much of anything. She almost feels bad for him in a way. There weren’t a lot of demons back home with that sort of power.

But for all the talk she overhears as she searches, she’s got that weird sensation that maybe there was more to this gig than what it looked like on the surface. But perhaps she may just finally have lady luck on her side as she skulks down an alley, not really expecting anything to come of it, but there are two figures one hunched over the other whispering and while she can’t make out the words exactly, she gets the sense that they have intent behind them.

CW: drugs, overdose

[albatrossomen]

There wasn't anything remarkable about the crouching man. Except, perhaps, how unremarkable he looked. Plain clothing, perhaps a little more western than was necessarily typical but given that this was a tourist trap town that wasn't anything strange, no stand out features, particularly in the dim light of the alley. The man sitting on the ground propped up against a wall looked much more like what you'd expect to find down an alley. Filthy, disheveled, with the patchwork baggy clothing anyone would recognize as a homeless person.

The crouching man was speaking softly, a soothing tone while he gently held the other's arm up in one hand. As she approached she might catch a few of the words.

"You must choose," He said softly. "Do you want to live?" Upon closer inspection the sitting man seemed unwell. Delirious, his speech slurred, his limbs held loose as his head lolled to one side. Shallow struggling breath.

"I... I don't want to die." He choked out with some difficulty, trying to meet the other's gaze but not quite possessing the strength.

"That isn't choosing." The crouching man reminded him gently. The other shook his head weekly, shifting as if to try to stand or move but only managing to lose ground instead. He sobbed softly, but still the other did nothing. Not until he choked out in a weak voice: "I-I-I'm not ready to die, please."

That seemed to be satisfactory enough for the other, who lifted the arm he'd been holding gently to grip the floppy limb above what were clearly track marks in the soggy pale skin. With a gentle squeeze something began to ooze from those holes.

The other man continued to sob softly, but he also seemed to grow more alert, his condition improving while the other worked. Just what had Lady walked in on?

[sinkthe8ball]

At first, she merely watches curious to see what the crouching man thinks he's doing to other one. Keeping as quiet as she is able she creeps closer to better hear what is being said, her mouth turning to frown as she catches more clearly his words. Or more specifically what the homeless man says finally that seems to be what the plain one wants to hear. She squints into the gloom trying to see what is being done.

Creeping further into the alley she stops just short of the pair and waits until whatever is being done ends. "What did you do to him?" She won't know if this is who- what she is looking for until they turn around but after that display it isn't an impossiblity is it?

[albatrossomen]

By now Murmur's aware of her presence, but not about to bring attention to her. Not even when she tries to sneak closer, he makes no move to call her out nor intercept.

Once she finally crept close enough to be seen the shark-like man, for that was what he appeared to be upon closer inspection, startled. Dragging himself quickly to his feet, muttering uncertainties he made for a hasty retreat now that whatever had been afflicting him seemed to be mostly out of his system. For the moment Murmur remained crouched, merely looking up at Lady with an unreadable expression.

"Merely granting a second chance," Now he finally moved to stand, straightening his long sleeves back into covering his arms properly as he turned to regard her. "Have you been following me?"

[sinkthe8ball]

Well, she couldn't stay stealthy forever she supposes. And if she's honest it's probably for the best the shark-like man finally makes a break for it. If you could even call it that at any rate.

"I've been looking for something," she says with a tilt of her head as she studies him. Eyes narrowing when she meets his eyes. Oh! Well, that was something useful at least.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about one of the wealthy locals beginning to give all his wealth away suddenly would you?" What is beating around the bush?

Richard Strand | The Black Tapes

[imarealistnotacynic]

[Richard Strand can be found in his bunk, staring occasionally at Alex's room before sticking his hands in his pockets. He can also be found skulking the ship, studying everything looking for books, locations, information, all of it. Staring at the gardens, and generally walking the area like a wary cat.]

For Kankri

[There is a pull in his mind.

It's strange but he remembers what alex says It pulses gold when you need to find your partner and that...that makes him think of when he accused her of it being sexual.

Woops.

So it's psychic? His mind in turmoil, he stands in front of a door - and knocks.]

[red6l99d]

In no way possible was anything of the like remotely sexually charged. No, he had been staying nicely in the room he had been assigned trying to figure out a lot of things that had happened all at once. Not to mention actually being alive, and then suddenly submerged in a place to which he would never have gone even in the most vast scope of his mind. So far so good, they hadn't been attacked by any giant, custodial, territorial monsters but the likelihood stood out to him. None of this was home, or the dream bubbles, that was the truth of it and something he knew as a certainty. He couldn't contact anyone.

Needless to say that being a little more than paranoid by all these things, a knock at his door would have been ignored normally. That being said, his body was already standing and his hand already betraying him by opening the door and standing almost face to face with a human. "...Yes? May I help you?" he asks, turning his eyes down to the reacting glyph on his hand. Oh. Well. The question still stood.

[imarealistnotacynic]

That...

Richard takes in the horns and the slightly grayed skin and he raises an eyebrow before holding up his glyph, "...My apologies. This - I was told by a friend that this meant I had to seek my "partner" out."

He dropped his hand and stared at him, "I'm...I suppose that is you. I'm Doctor Richard Strand."

And he was going to call him that. Let him maintain some of his dignity.

[red6l99d]

He's used to the humans he knows knowing more about trolls than they have right to, but his eyes follow the train upward and he 'Ah's in his head, horns. Alright. It must be a bit of a shock to see someone that different from themselves open the door and look down those few inches.

"Oh, I see." Kankri's voice was light and at least in that way understanding in its tone. Thinking it may be something along those lines, he wasn't sure what to expect but 'Doctor' wasn't one of them. "A doctor you say? Of which profession? I've never met a human doctor." Moving out of his own doorway, Kankri offered for him to come in. At least the company would take his mind off of their situation.

[albatrossomen]

When planetside Murmur could be somewhat elusive, keeping odd hours and spending much of his time outside of the ship. Of course he had to return now and again to both check in, and refill on tea. Which was precisely what he was on his way to do when he caught sight of a new passenger skulking about the ship.

"Ah, you must be but recently arrived." He commented as he spied Strand not far ahead doing his best wary cat impression.

Murmur, for his part, wasn't particularly striking. In fact he was so unremarkable it was almost unnatural. Average height, dressed in a way that would make him look most at home in some middle school library somewhere. Covered head to toe, including gloves which might have been odd in a warmer environment, but surely it was nothing. The most striking feature being unusually vibrantly green eyes, and perhaps a little too pretty, but even that was subjective.

[imarealistnotacynic]

"...Yes." The man's striking green eyes are met with Richard's bright blue ones, "...It's a pleasure." After a moment he extends his hands, "Just trying to get the lay of the land."

Gardens and being out in space, "You're obviously not."

[albatrossomen]

Initially Murmur would only offer a faint nod in acknowledgement, seeming to regard the extended hand in puzzlement. Oh, yes, that ritual, of course. Eventually he seems to puzzle it out and offers his hand in turn, glove notably remaining on.

"I have been here some few months, nearly five I believe? Do you require any assistance, any questions left unanswered?"

Closed to Mammon

[sinkthe8ball]

Normally Lady wouldn’t give something quite so gimmicky as a treasure hunt a second glance. Her life back home didn’t really have a lot of room for tourist attractions. She was always on the move from one job to another job and tourist traps weren’t high on her priority list as she traveled. Less so compared to room and board and things like ammunition for her weapons as she went. But then she’s far from home these days, isn’t she? Curious Lady makes her way to the counter for the tour. Or whatever the little kiosk was considered.

Maybe under other circumstances, she would have considered what actually caused her to even give such a place anything more than a cursory look. For now, that she approaches the counter open to whatever she’ll learn there, not even getting a sour look on her face when she notices a familiar head of hair already there. Though it doesn’t stop the somewhat unpleasant thought she somewhat intentionally sends his way.

“Wasn’t the point of the planet so we wouldn’t run into each other?”

Rude? You bet it was, but why did this have to appeal to him as well. It’s not like he would share whatever he would find. Assuming it was anything of true value as a tourist attraction. More likely it was something kind of cheap with enough thrills to get the heart pumping and adrenaline flowing to excite the customers. Or at least that’s what it would be if it were business. Hopefully, she’s wrong or she’ll be really annoyed.

[betterhavemammoney]

There is a certain type of mind that sees AMAZING TREASURE HUNT! EXPLORE THE SEA FLOOR! signs and beelines for the attraction without a second thought. That mind is filled with sunken pirate ships and crumbling caskets overflowing with gold coins and precious gems. Mammon's practically bouncing as he steps onto the submarine/tour bus, heart light at the prospect of a payday.

Lady's mind being on the same track was...awkward, to say the least. He'd been happily oblivious to her presence until that thought of hers flashed through his head and he looked around in surprise. Oh she did not follow him here.

"Ya know if you start a fight with all these people around they're gonna think you're crazy."

Then maybe she'd get thrown off the excursion, which would serve her right. As an added bonus she wouldn't try to get her grubby hands on his findings.

[sinkthe8ball]

Hopefully, that same mind is ready for what Lady is banking on to be a complete disappointment. Pirate ships weren't exactly a dime a dozen where she was from and she doubts they would be here if that was what they were going to experience. Not that she has much idea what to expect if she's honest. She didn't have a lot of time for scuba diving before now.

She gives him a little wiggle of her fingers in hello. Yes, Mammon you're on a treasure hunt with Lady and you'll just have to deal with it. Though that doesn't mean she won't rain on his fun just because after that reaction.

"Or they'll appreciate having a demon removed from their midst. But I'll keep to my corner if you keep to yours."

Don't go dreaming of things that are unlikely to happen. Just because she attacked him once in private doesn't mean she's about to repeat the experience publicly on a strange planet. She has more sense than that and she kind of likes the idea of keeping what freedom is still available to her.

[betterhavemammoney]

A planet that's mostly underwater probably doesn't have pirate ships, at least the type Mammon and Lady are thinking of, but this hasn't occurred to him yet. It's visions of gem-studded sugar plums and sunken galleons for him until proven otherwise.

When Lady waves at him he rolls his eyes and looks away in annoyance. "Yeah, go ahead, tell 'em I'm a demon. That'll make ya look way less crazy." If Lady was still watching she'd see him shaking his head, irritated.

"Just 'cause we're on the same boat doesn't mean you're getting any cut of what I find, understand?"