event } lime, coconut, explosions

[seeingyou]

WHO: All y’all
WHAT: A nice vacation to ease everyone in
WHERE: Various locations on Alkonost Island, including Navi
WHEN: Sept 12-30
WARNINGS: Use ‘em in your threads if needed!

Welcome to Alkonost, the beautiful tropical island on the planet Tetagari where you have just made an emergency crash landing! You’ll be here for a while, so settle in and get cozy with your new shipmates until Navi is repaired and ready for takeoff.

Alkonost is a small island with an eponymous beachfront village, with the rest of the land covered in tropical rainforest, dry forest, and grasslands. Most of the land is still wild, as the Alkonost population is centered at the beach, though ancient ruins can be found a bit more inland. Alkonostians are a humanoid, amphibious people, with light green skin, gills, and webbed fingers; they are friendly and welcoming to tourists, business contacts, and intergalactic refugees alike.

Speaking of business, the main exports of Alkonost are various types of fish, shell jewelry, and a unique, dark red pearl that is only cultivated in the waters surrounding the island. These red pearls are highly prized on other islands and provide the bulk of income for the Alkonost population. They’ve also recently attracted a band of pesky pirates, which has taken to raiding export ships and even the pearl farms themselves, on occasion. Warning signs are posted near the shoreline and will be explained by locals if asked.

While visiting, you can elect to work as part of a fishing or pearl farming crew, or with one of the island’s fruit collection squads, and you’ll be paid daily in fresh fish and equally fresh fruit. For necessities of the non-consumable sort, the village open-air market is open every day for all of your shopping needs. Otherwise, grab some sun on the beach, dance and sing around bonfires at night, get to know your fellow passengers, or just chill on the ship and get to know Navi.

Comments

get chatty with navi!

[seeingyou]

[want answers? want to get to know your new ship-shaped friend? stop on by navi's room and get your chat on ... as much as a chat can be had via psychic link, at least.]

[albatrossomen]

[You bet he wants answers! The brief talk with Tim had helped to erase some doubts, but Murmur would still like to know the nature of this being they found themselves uh... currently living in? That's not a situation he's found himself in before. How novel! Very exciting, inconveniences aside.

Fortunately Navi does have a soul, which immediately makes them significantly more approachable than the other synthetic lifeforms he's had recent contact with.]

One must admit that was certainly not an ideal method of introduction, are you well?

[He asks as he approaches, Navi did just crash land that probably wasn't pleasant.]

[seeingyou]

[definitely not ideal, but navi’s pretty used to that by now.]

Hello. I am as well as can be expected after making a crash landing. I will heal in time. Are you also well?

[albatrossomen]

[Hopefully Navi doesn't crash often or one might have to question their self-piloting skills.

He did offer a small bow of greeting, one should not completely absolve themselves of manners no matter how unusual the situation.]

Indeed, those are never pleasant. [He's had to learn to fly before he gets it. Kinda.] Not a scratch. [Which, well, he can't say if Navi had anything to do with that since he likely still wouldn't have any had the landing been even more rough.] Is there any assistance we may offer that could bolster your self-mending capabilities?

[He's not actually sure healing magic would work on them.]

[seeingyou]

[navi doesn’t know if healing magic would work on them either! it’s never come up before. but they are partly organic, and they do heal on their own from injuries like the ones sustained in the crash. so it would probably work.]

Thank you, but all I require to assist with my repairs is the emotional bonds of my passengers.

[still, the offer is appreciated. murmur may sense a wave of warmth from navi for his consideration.]

[albatrossomen]

[While Murmur isn't exactly the most potent healer among his brethren, all angels possessed some ability to mend the flesh of mortals. He's considering offering, but first must weigh his options. Extending too much energy too quickly may leave him vulnerable should he find it difficult to replenish. Caution is necessary in the unknown.

At the wave of warmth he tilted his head slightly, both in acknowledgement and curiosity. Meeting empaths among mortal kind, and he did suspect Navi qualified as mortal, was rare indeed. Particularly one powerful enough to use it as communication.]

I have spoken with your friend Tim, he did mention your kind are empaths, though I must admit I had not anticipated quite how strong. Tell me, how is it you draw power from these bonds? Is it linked to the modification we awoke with?

[He did hold up his hand to indicate the glyph. Of course he'd noticed the modification to his vessel, but in the heat of emergency he hadn't had time to wonder on it.]

[seeingyou]

Yes, the glyphlink connects each Navigator with our passengers. It’s something our Creators designed, a way to exert mental control over us, but they hadn’t counted on the link going both ways. As for how exactly they managed to create it and why we are able to take strength from our passengers’ connections, I do not know. The Zerentians did not share much of their overall thoughts except for the work they expected from us. I do not believe it’s part of how they designed us to function, as they are not concerned with emotion or empathy. Perhaps it is only a simple quirk of our evolution.

[it’s a pleasant surprise to have a passenger who is curious about Navi’s people, who they are instead of what they can or can’t do.]

You have a different sort of feeling than the others. Are you not from Earth, like most of them?

[shahrrehth]

She's a little tentative, for obvious reasons, considering the fact that she'd effectively been kidnapped and she can't help but be concerned about what was going on back at home while she was here. Not to mention... well, what's going on here. But that doesn't mean she's going to avoid Navi, both because that would be cruel but also unhelpful and well, she can be stubborn but she does her best not to be prideful.

So...

"Navi? That's your name, right?"

[seeingyou]

Ah, yes, hello. Navi remembers this one - she was level-headed and helpful during the crash. Tim seemed to like her, too, and Navi’s worked with Tim long enough to trust his opinions.

Hello. Yes, my last group of passengers called me Navi. I ... yes, I would like to be called Navi.

They’re still working on that personhood thing, yep.

Do you also have a name?

[shahrrehth]

She nods and settles somewhere where she can sort of lean and sort of sit all at once, something to make it clear she intends to stick around for a bit but she can leave if Navi is busy.

"Nice to meet you, Navi. My name is Clara. Or... would it help to give you the full name?"

[seeingyou]

Nice to meet you as well, Clara.

And she’s certainly welcome to stick around. Navi’s slowly tapping and scrolling through star charts on the screens, but it’s nothing pressing.

Just Clara is fine, unless you wish to tell me your full name. I will know who you are regardless - Navigators recognize our passengers primarily by how they feel, not by name.

[shahrrehth]

"I get that," she says mildly, because when it comes right down to it, she knows the people she loves, the people who matter, by their heartbeats as much as their names. But she doesn't- she has a lot of questions, but she doesn't want to be cruel.

It takes her a moment before she speaks again.

"Can you tell me more about navigators? About... why you brought us here? Why- well, why holding hands was how we could help you?"

Why you brought me here when my world could be in danger and there's nothing I could do about it.

[seeingyou]

Navi halts fiddling with the screens and turns to give Clara their full attention, arms pulled in toward themself. They seem ... a little bit sad, actually.

I can tell you whatever you'd like to know about my people, but I must stress that I did not bring you here. I would never wish to take anyone away from their homes and their own people. The best answer for why you've been brought here that we've been able to discover is that there are rifts in the fabric of space and time, and you somehow got close enough to one to be pulled through to this side. However, I will do everything I can to send you all back home.

As for your other question ... Navigators were designed to be mentally controlled by our Creators, the Zerentians. So the stronger the mental connection, the stronger the Navigator's ability to function. When my passengers work together in a cooperative fashion, it gives me a boost of power, which I needed to throw off the Zerentians in my damaged state.

[secreteary]

[Navi some people are coming to you very nicely but here comes someone who is Big Mad

...or, Martin starts out that way, hesitates when he gets a little intimidated at how to start, then puffs himself up again.]

Navi! I have some issues with you that. That I'd like- I want some answers!

[...]

Please!

[seeingyou]

[navi has been resting but is now awake so thanks for that, martin. navi blinks sleepily but otherwise seems unfazed by the interruption.]

Yes? How can I help you?

[eyediot]

[Jon's with Martin, but. Well. Trying to be a bit more composed. He doesn't think a computer AI will understand the very human need for niceties like 'please'.]

We were just. A little confused about, um. This ship and what it does, does it. Have the capability of time discrepancies?

[seeingyou]

[navi’s head tilts quizzically toward jon, like they don’t quite understand the question.]

The ship is me - I am the ship. What do you mean by “time discrepancies”?

[secreteary]

Jon and I- [pointing back and forth between them] -are from two completely different points in time. There's almost a two year difference! What do you have to say about that?

[seeingyou]

[navi’s solid black eyes follow martin’s gesture back and forth between jon and himself. navi can sense martin’s agitation but doesn’t understand why they’re the specific target of it, except for the part where their passengers have a history of agitation over their situation. navi blinks slowly and calmly.]

Time is a construct.

[yep ... that’s what navi has to say about that.]

Re: get chatty with navi!

[waxenwing]

This is weird, really weird, but Isaac's pretty sure he can't call anything else strange when he can remember ancient Greece, so he can at least sort of embrace this weird.

Or drink his way through it, whichever works.

He's a little hungover when he stumbles into Navi's room, but mostly sober at least.

"Hey, uh, Navi right? Do you do all the repairs yourself or could you use a hand? I've got at least one..."

[seeingyou]

This one is more newly arrived than most of the others; he wasn't present for the crash landing on the island, which is a good thing, as far as Navi's concerned. He's a lot kinder than most of those who were.

Navi stops tapping on one of the screens in front of them and gives Isaac their full, slightly puzzled attention when he enters.

I do not have any of what you call "hands." Thank you for your offer, but repairing myself is an internal process - no hands are necessary. I did not think that humans were able to remove their appendages temporarily. Was I mistaken?

[waxenwing]

So, okay, technically speaking Isaac's response should have been to explain that no, Navi was not mistaken, that is not a thing humans can do.

But that's the way less funny option.

"Well, some of us can," he comments with a grin, unhooking his prosthetic and using the detached arm to wave at Navi "but honestly, it's a figure of speech, 'could you use a hand' means 'do you need any help'" he explains as he replaces his arm with practiced ease.

[seeingyou]

[navi's eyes widen with surprise as they watch isaac remove his arm, because that's definitely not something they've seen before.]

I understand. No, I am not in need of help, but thank you for the offer all the same. Why are you able to remove your arm when others are not?

[waxenwing]

"It's not real," Isaac explains, dropping his good hand and shoving it into his pocket "I... there was an accident. I lost my arm, this is just a prosthetic. It doesn't work like a normal human arm..."

They were making advances all the time, and Isaac knew that one day he'd have something almost like the real thing - if he ever got home that was - but it would never quite be the same, not for him.

[seeingyou]

I see.
And there's a definite wave of sympathy that emanates from Navi. They may not understand the situation entirely, but it's clear this is an unpleasant subject for Isaac.

I wasn't aware this happened to humans. Unless the damage is too great, my people are able to repair and regenerate our injuries.