catch-all open log!

[rebells]

Who: Anyone and everyone!
Where: On the beach, and various other places throughout the hub island
When: Day 80, and the next couple days after
Open/Closed: open log for hub shenanigans!

[This evening, someone has placed an old, rusted-over camp stove on the beach near the coven's row of huts--anyone examining it in detail will see that it's not operational at the moment, but that could potentially be changed, couldn't it? If someone was handy with mechanical things . . . .

Next to it is a crate (which, from the weight of it is empty) and pinned to that crate is a sheet of paper with a map on it, something like a much cruder, black-and-white version of this:



with the following key:

1 - crags. Contain snakes which may be poisonous. Watch out.
2 - ocean, going about one mile out from the coast.
3 - lagoon. Contains thick reeds (could be woven or shaped into tools) and frogs (edibility uncertain).
4 - abandoned campsite.
5 - orchard. Currently, trees are diseased and bare. Plant healer needed.
6 - abandoned house. A family used to live here, from the looks of it. Still contains some useful supplies.

And there should be a 7 north of base camp with the notation "graveyard. Graves unused." but the player forgot and is too lazy to go back and fix it right now. Observant individuals will note that the map looks like a more detailed version of one hanging on the door to a certain coven member's cabin, one that has a note on the bottom: "Have information? Ask for Jay."

Other than that, it's a quiet night on the hub island. We've been here for a couple days; maybe you're getting restless? Want to check out that ocean, or lagoon, or even those crags? Maybe just go door-to-door in the beach huts? Maybe you're sick of shrimp and looking for other things to eat . . . hopefully someone's got a fire going tonight, and thought to kill a boar . . . .

What are you doing tonight?]


((here or here for place descriptions))

Comments

[deem]

Technic[A]lly Inclined
[9S takes the appearance of one crate and some ancient bit of machinery as some form of provisions. Anyone observing will see him circle these items once, then twice, and finally a third time. It's a curious sort of orbit that ends with him abruptly plonking down right by the gadget and tugging it a bit closer to himself for proper examination]

Definitely looks like Old world technology...

[He muses to himself, picking the machine up and turning it about to get a better look at it. Whatever it is, it's in pretty serious disrepair. The rust, at the very least, is a problem. With a thoughtful hum, 9S puts the item back down and taps the air, bringing up a holographic screen]

Let's see here...some kind of cooking apparatus?

[B]iting Cliffs
[The rocky terrain is nothing to halt 9S' strides, picking his way along the crags with the inhuman grace YoRHa androids sport. He maps out the area as he goes, negotiating crumbling ledges and steep inclines like he's walking on even ground... With the occasional slip or two, considering how he weighs about twice what a human his size would.

He creeps close to a precipice once he's reached a certain height, measuring his distance from the water with far more caution than he'd demonstrated during his ascent. That's because he'd sink like a stone if he fell, and he doesn't fancy that sort of end, but he watches the water with pointed interest until something makes him jolt.

Glancing down, he finds a snake coiled about his ankle, teeth apparently stuck in his leg. Must have lodged right between parts, since his skin while deceptively soft covers a metal endoskeleton]

...Fifth time today, geez. [Whether it's poisonous or not doesn't concern him; he acts like he's been bitten by a mosquito as he tugs the snake from his leg] Wonder if humans can eat these things...

Breaking [C]amp
[9S' wanderings eventually bring him to what looks like someone's base of operations. It's easy for him to see that the site has been abandoned for some time, having come from a world that is almost entirely devoid of life. Things abandoned due to circumstances or the steady march of time are nothing new to him.

And so he wanders the camp without particular concern, though his weapons hang suspended behind him by rings of amber light. He circles the area before he halts in front of one tent, peering into it]

Sure isn't very defensible...

[But hey, there are supplies to be had. Cherish your resources]

[W]ildcard
[Have another idea? Throw it right here. 9S is a Scanner unit and bound to rove around anywhere he can get to]

b

[talim]

N-No, we don't eat snakes. More importantly...

[ jude seems to appear out of nowhere, rushing up to 9s, careful not to trip along the way. he had been doing some scouting of his own and there he was.

it seems he's just destined to run into 9s wherever he goes. their meetings are usually intentional, but even so... ]

Are you okay? That snake could've been poisonous! A-Are androids immune to... should I take a look?

[ HE WASN'T TRAINED IN DOCTORING ANDROIDS. he's nervous! why is 9s so calm! ]

[deem]

Huh...

[9S spares the snake another thoughtful glance. It should be meat, same as anything else...do humans really never eat these? Ah well, he'll put it down then, surmising it's not a threat when its fangs are currently sticking out of his leg.

Not much risk of it biting anybody else, at least. Although he's sure there are more around here. He casts a wary glance around as he straightens, before settling his attention on Jude]

Looks like my turn to say you worry too much. Something like that can't hurt me.

[He thinks. Probably. After all it's not mackerel]

[talim]

Are you sure? Positive?

[ jude looks just the slightest bit pale. ]

If something like mackerel can hurt androids, then I can't exactly know what to expect.

[ without further prompting, jude kneels down to take a look at 9s' leg. ]

[deem]

That's because of a chemical reaction.

[Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned the mackerel. Making Jude worry like this is far from ideal.

And considering he's sure anything venomous would definitely harm a human, he moves his leg back. Better that he remove those fangs than anyone who'd be hurt by them]

I wouldn't want you to get hurt because of me.

[talim]

And I wouldn't want you to get hurt at all.

[ he shakes his head and sighs. this conversation isn't going to go anywhere, so it's best to drop it. ]

You sure you don't need me to remove them? I can run back and grab a first aid kid. Tweezers.

[deem]

I wouldn't want you to be hurt either... It'd just be even worse if it was on my account.

[And this he can say from experience. He's seen someone harmed for his sake, and he doesn't even want to imagine that with Jude.

On that note...]

There're a lot of those things out here. Isn't it dangerous by yourself?

[Which in itself is his answer. If it's a risk, it's hardly worth trekking back for something he can do himself]

a

[soulcomet]

[hey there, 9S — Madoka is watching the screen he's brought up curiously. there's some fancy technology back in Mitakihara City, to be sure, but certainly nothing as fancy as him.]

What are you doing?

[deem]

[9S looks up from his monitor and smiles]

Hey, Madoka! [It's good to see her well. A relief, rather, after seeing how hard she pushed herself for the sake of others. That reminded him so much of someone...] I just thought I'd try and fix...whatever this is...

[He holds up the dubious box with both hands. Someone here has never seen a camp stove]

[soulcomet]

[Madoka is, consequently, delighted by the sight of the dubious box.]

Ah! If you could, that would be a huge help — it'd be much easier to cook food with it!

[deem]

So it is for cooking.

[Just as he suspected. He spares the box another speculative glance before he turns his attention back to her]

Could you confirm how it's supposed to work for me? I've got a theory, but knowing for sure will save me some time.

[soulcomet]

Well, usually you need some sort of fuel for these, like propane. Then you can use the burners like you would any other stove, or if you have a rack, you can use it to grill food instead.

It might be easier to fix it so that it works with just fire, though.

[she tilts her head thoughtfully, perhaps a touch wistful.]

My Papa has one sort of like this ... he always brings it when we take trips to the beach, and he grills fish on it.

[deem]

There should be fish around, so I bet we could do that here too.

[Not having to use a campfire seems rather novel to him as he looks at the box with renewed interest]

If the issue is fuel...I think you're right, bypassing that need would be more efficient.

[It'd take some reconfiguration, sure, but he thinks it's doable]

wildcards!!

[drizzle]

[In order to explore any of the areas on the island, traversing through the forest area was essential as the natural aspects of the island overwhelm it. Climbing trees, swinging between them, and doing other dangerous activities was something Nike was accustomed to as she was raised in the forest on top of the mountains of her own island nation. She has been itching to climb a one for a long time. Ever since the Palai's world, where she grew to the realization that she was free from her lessons and acting like a monarch.

In this world, she can act like her usual, wild self. And with having weaved together a makeshift rope with grabbing hook that she had barter back in the Palai world, she had decided to test the strength and durability of the item made from the lagoon reeds sew in and twisted together with the kelp she had found in the other world along with other pieces of rope. Needless to say, the rope looked dependable until she began to use it to help her swing between branches.

Was that the sound of something ripping a part?

Yes. It really was.

Unfortunately.

Guess who was now falling from the tree tops? A falling pink screaming princess, that's who.]

[deem]

[The sound is strange to 9S' ears, set against the relative stillness of the forest. Aside from the rustle and flutter of leaves and shrubs as he makes his way through the forest at a quick clip, and the steady thumps of his strides, he would say that his surroundings were just about silent. It's serene in a way that he Forest Kingdom wasn't, devoid of the presence of hostiles on his mental radar.

That is, until he hears a shriek tear through the air from overhead. He thinks he knows that voice, and it's enough to root him to the spot, halting his procession with little more than a half-step to break his momentum as he looks up to see what's come crashing down from the canopy overhead.

Wasn't that...?

Automatically, he reaches out to catch her, in an effort to break her fall. He's not the most yielding of surfaces, but he has to imagine that he'd still be preferable to the ground]

[drizzle]

[To be fair, Nike wasn't expecting to feel anything except the cold, hard forest ground before losing her life or falling unconscious after having a few broken bones. It wouldn't be the first time she has fallen from a tree. She really should have followed her instincts over finding a smaller tree to do her test run on a taller tree than the other way around.

A lesson well learned, if she survives the fall.

But fortunately for her, there was someone in the same area as her, who noticed she was falling, and decided to help her. Whoever she landed on, she'll notice they aren't very soft, but some pain on her back from having something abruptly stop her fall is better than neither of the earlier options. It'll take some time for her mind to accept that simple fact.

A good few minutes or so, maybe.

The sharp pain on her back will take some time for it to change into one that felt like stinging pain that will remain for the remainder of the good portion of the day. Which wasn't too bad all thing considered. It kept her conscious and will help her to finally speak up.]

...thanks...whoever it is I landed on. [A beat.] Now if I'm on the ground and somehow survived it, thanks to you too god! Whoever it was. I appreciate it...

[deem]

[9S stumbles when the weight of her lands squarely in his arms, but he catches himself quickly enough. As an android, he certainly weighs more than any of his (presumably) human compatriots. And it's certainly much easier supporting her than halting an oncoming attack from particularly large machine life-forms.

He'll take catching someone over trying to keep a Goliath Biped from stomping on him any day of the week, concerns over the health of said someones aside]

You don't remember me?

[Naturally, he certainly remembers her from that weird speed-dating thing. Her curious form of kindness isn't something he could easily forget, though she may be more distinctive to him than he was to her. It's nothing he thinks very much of, looking her over in case she sustained injuries during her descent.

At a glance, she seems okay... And yet he's reluctant to actually put her down until she actually shows some sign of movement, herself]

[drizzle]

Huh?

[She...didn't expect someone to give her an actual response. It will catch her slightly off guard. Wasn't she on top of someone? On the ground? having fallen from a decent height? Her gaze will turn to the source of the voice, realizing she recognized it a few moments later. Wasn't this...2B's partner? The youthful boy who is highly intelligent, able to explain things to her properly, and cared a great feal for his partner and her reputation.

It will not be long for concern to etch into her face as she turns to look at him. Blinking a couple of times, she couldn't help realize...]

...Nines....wasn't it?

[That was his nickname. She remembered that much about their speed dating adventures. It was a fun memory, even if she was unable to help him escape from the Palai. Not successfully enough. Which will get tears to form as she realizes -- she almost died a few moments ago. If he hadn't been in the right place at the right time, then he wouldn't found her. Just that thought will get her to feel awful and grateful and...]

I'm sorry!

[Remorseful. It was difficult to not feel overwhelm with emotions right now. With hands covering her face, she'll add.]

You shouldn't have caught me! Aren't I heavy? Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, right?

[Seems like she hasn't fully realize that 1) he was carrying her bridal style, 2) he wasn't an actual human child, and 3) she wasn't heavy compare to other androids.]

[deem]

[The reaction, in turn, catches 9S off guard. Behind his opaque goggles he can do little better than stare at her. He doesn't understand the reason for her apologies, though she certainly supplies the reasons for which she seems to be upset; it's just that they don't make sense to him. Of course he should have caught her, because she could've been serously injured otherwise.

While he could repair another android, the same can't be said for a human. They'd need someone like Jude for that, and if the damage was bad enough, not having anyone who could tend to her wounds in the immediate area could've been catastrophic.

Even if he had somehow been hurt, that would have been an incredibly small price to pay]

Of course I should've caught you, don't be silly. [Seriously, in what world would anyone just let her hit the ground? And who would do that? Not this android, and not any other android] I'm made of stronger stuff than that.

[Although he doesn't boast the kind of strength 2B possesses, much less the durability, he's still more than apt to the task of catching a falling human or two]

c.

[apatheia]

It's almost nostalgic, isn't it?

[The camp reminds her a little of the Resistance Camp in some ways, but it's a lot more like the rest of their world in many more ways in comparison. Empty, abandoned, desolate save for the slow overgrowth of plantlife... At least they don't need to be wary about a machine lurking right around the corner.]

[deem]

Does seem more like what we're used to than Aimintas, that's for sure...

[9S emerges from the tent with a lantern, though he's never seen one in such good repair. What's ancient for them must be modern in this place, just as it was in the Palai homeworld. It's no more strange to think about here than it was while they were there]

I guess...without our pods...we might actually need something like this.

[apatheia]

Hm... You're right.

[She purses her lips just slightly. They've never had to operate in the literal dark for extended periods of time, and even during those brief times, they always had their pods with them. It's still unsettling to her that they're simply gone.]

Night will probably be pretty dark here. [Obviously, but it's something they've never really experienced. Even in Aimintas, the light provided from the city itself meant that they were never truly in the dark. Experiencing night there was a first for sure, but it wouldn't be like this.] We should prepare as best we can.

[deem]

[9S is no more settled with the reality of their pods' absence than 2B is, lips pressed into a thin, pensive line. As she says, they'll be dealing with the dark. In the circumstances that left them in low visibility environments, they had always had their pods.

That absence is something he's sure they never forget, and yet encountering situations whee they're accustomed to certain degrees of help only renews that knowledge. Moments like these renew that uneasiness.

But they'll find them, surely, whatever that takes]

That's true. [He easily agrees] Maybe I can come up with some equipment we could use. Alphonse has been helping me with parts.

[apatheia]

[She never thought she'd actually miss Pod 042, but now that it's gone... Operating is a lot easier and handier with it around, for one, but it's more than that. For all that it could frustrate her at times with redundant and obvious alerts or advice she didn't want to hear, she'd nevertheless depended on it. No matter what else happened, her pod had always been there for her, moreso than anyone else.

They've had quite a while to adjust to life without them now, yet even after all this time, she really does miss its presence. She can only hope that, like Jude once said, their pods are probably doing everything they can to make their way back to them.]

That's a good idea. The equipment here seems... outdated. [To say the least. Having to physically carry a lantern around all the time when it's dark sure seems impractical. What if they encounter something hostile, what then!!]

[deem]

[He nods, giving the lantern an assessing glance before he sets it on a nearby tree stump, alongside some other supplies he's managed to collect. It's not very much, but then, their resources are incredibly few. The limitations only seem to stack up]

Maybe something hands-free. Who knows when we'll encounter enemies in the dark?

[And what are they going to do if they have to juggle a light source along with their weapons? 9S might be able to manage, given the unconventional nature of his melee weapon use, but he does wave his hands around, and that wouldn't do very much for visibility if he were responsible for whatever light they have]

Not to mention, the others probably can't see any better than we do.