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

[talim]

Guess I'll go find her, then. See you later.

[ jude turns his back to 9s, and off he goes—

—just to turn back around, march up to him, and (gently) flick him in the forehead. ]

C'mon. We're together now.

[deem]

Not that I'm not viable, scouting's my thing, but...

[There should be a follow-up to that, but he doesn't exactly want to argue this point with Jude. He likes spending time with him.

Instead he reaches up and catches his hand]

Guess I'll just have to do, huh?

[talim]

[ jude glances at their hands. this again.

he doesn't pull away, though. of course not. ]

You'll pass.

[ jude snickers. it's almost impossible to even pretend to treat 9s with so much disdain when all he has is affection for him, but the banter is fun. ]

[deem]

I'll have to hope so

[He lets go then, taking a short step back so he can bend and pick the fangs out like the useless little thorns they are to him]

...Ugh, through my boot and everything.

[Not shy about his complaints, no sir]

[talim]

Doesn't it hurt?

[ he wonders how different pain is to an android compared to a human, or whether there's a difference at all. more questions to file away. ]

[deem]

A little, like getting stuck with thorns.

[He flicks the offending teeth over the edge, paying no mind to the great distance they fall]

You know, Alphonse asked me about that too. Pain, that is.

[talim]

Well, I think it's a pretty natural thing to be curious about. I am, too.

[deem]

Couldn't be very mindful of damage sustained if we didn't feel anything. That's what I figure, anyway.

[And yet clearly he and 2B are capable of willfully ignoring it]

[talim]

I suppose that makes sense.

[ he doesn't like it, though. couldn't it have been avoided? surely there were other methods... ]

So, have you scouted anything interesting? I've just been looking around.

[deem]

Yeah, there're a couple places around here [and the word "around" is incredibly relative when one is an android] that have some resources we should be able to use.

[And that much is an encouraging discovery]

I've been mapping out points of interest as I go...

[Which is cue for him to poke at the open air to prompt a holographic screen to spring up between them, a map-in-progress illuminated on that projected display]

[talim]

[ jude only looks startled for a second. with 9s one learns to get used to these things. ]

Wow. You did all that...

[ it's not a question, because jude knows the answer is an inevitable yes. ]

That's so cool, Nines! You should bring it to Jay once you're finished with it. As far as I know, he's been mapping out the place, too.

[deem]

[Once more Jude is the true flatterer. He nods at the suggestion, waving the map away. No need to leave it hanging there, since he's shown his current work in progress]

I plan on it. What good's gathering data if I don't share it?

[That'd certainly fall outside of his experience, at any rate]

Buuuut I've still got a ways to go.

[talim]

Well, you've got me to help you now.

[ not that 9s didn't have it under control before... but he wants to be helpful. jude always, always wants to be helpful. ]

What about down there? I didn't see it on the map.

[ he points down a rather steep cliff, littered with jagged rocks. ]

[deem]

[9S follows his indication, frowning at that steep pass]

I hadn't gotten around to that yet. [And now that Jude's with him, he's concerned about that location. Maybe he can steer him away from it...] But it'd take more time to cover than other areas.

[Truly, his friend should care more about his own personal safety]

[talim]

Well, we're in no rush, right?

[ jude smiles and casually strolls over to the edge before kneeling down to gaze at the bottom. it doesn't look like there's much down there besides a few rocky caverns that might be worth the time it'd take to explore them. ]

[deem]

I guess, but... There might be more snakes down there, or something...else.

[And he thinks someone here might be taking that risk a little too lightly, hovering close behind him. While it's an area that might bear a closer look, it'll be a lot more difficult to negotiate that terrain without his pod.

Not to mention, while he can repair himself, what happens if Jude gets hurt?]

[talim]

Something... else?

[ if jude didn't come from a world where monsters were common in abandoned places like these, he'd probably tease him. ]

You're right. I'll let you handle that on your own. I wouldn't want to get in your way... We'll just find another place to search through.

[ so jude stands back up — and immediately slips on a particularly uneven rock, pebble, something, hands wobbling as he tries desperately to keep his balance. ]

Wh-Whoa—

[deem]

[Although he wouldn't want to suggest Jude would be in his way, he lets it rest for now. Better that he not risk getting hurt by venturing into dangerous territory. Of course, that relief is short-lived when Jude slips, because they are pretty far up]

Jude—

[Close at hand as he is, he reaches to catch his arm, hoping to brace him so he can regain his balance. This isn't the place where anybody wants to take a spill]

[talim]

[ jude stops wobbling as soon as 9s grabs him, and somehow, his feet find balance again as he leans back into 9s' hold with a shaky sigh. that shook him up a little, he has to admit. he has some pretty bad memories of seeing people fall down cliffs like these, although they were much higher.

he tips his head back to look at 9s, abnormally close. jude's back is more or less leaning against his chest. ]

... Sorry about that. And thanks.

[ he moves to stand on his own. tries to, anyway. 9s is gripping his arm harder than he probably realizes. it's endearing. ]

[deem]

[The proximity doesn't register to 9S over his concern, and neither does he realize he doesn't have to hold on quite so firmly. For a moment there, the possibility of Jude being hurt was alarmingly real, and it was all that had gone through his mind.

It's with a delay that he collects himself, roots his thoughts in the present and reminds himself to loosen his grip when Jude tries to move away. The last thing he needs to do is hurt him while trying to keep him from coming to harm]

Are you okay?

[His voice comes out awkward and strained despite his efforts. Look, that was scary]

[talim]

[ jude looks at 9s with brows knit with concern, immediately noticing the off pitch in his voice. was he really that scared? he's had worse almost-accidents. and accidents. ]

I'm okay.

[ his voice is light and soothing but steady, and he pats 9s' cheek with his hand once, with a soft smile, before resting that same hand on his shoulder. ]

Thanks for grabbing me, but don't worry too much. I promise I'm usually not that much of a ditz.

[deem]

[They really should keep a count of how many times they tell each other not to worry, 9S muses. But the thought's one he discards quickly enough. Those numbers might hike pretty high.

He puffs out a tense breath he didn't realize he'd been holding onto]

This kind of terrain is difficult for anybody, really.

[And so, he wouldn't judge Jude for having lost his balance. His nerves still feel frayed to him, but he's not bad at putting on a front after having this time to collect himself]

I wouldn't think something like that about you.

[He'd been around Jude enough to know, surely]

[talim]

I know you wouldn't.

[ jude gives his shoulder a squeeze. ]

How about I let you lead the way?

[deem]

In that case, let's try and map out more of the forest. It seems like it covers a pretty vast area, and people might have trouble navigating it.

[But 9S is reasonably sure he can keep them from getting lost.

Operative word being reasonably, but with that, he'll find them a path that isn't too precarious]

[talim]

The forest sounds... safer. We'd better watch out for wild animals, though.

[ jude has no idea about 9s' history with fighting boars, okay.

more mindful of where, exactly, his feet are this time, jude falls into step alongside 9s. ]