OPEN MINGLE.

[ex_broach530]

Who: Anyone!
When: Day 22 - Day 26 (Dec 7)
Where: Around the city.
What: Digging Boney out, checking on the injured, observing caused by the Overseer Drone including the time shenanigans and the new wildlife, and any other daily life threads you'd like to have before new arrivals.

Here, have some prompts!


DIG AND DIG AND DIGGITY DIG
The Dust seems to be settling on the city, quite literally. The result of massive cave-ins is that the city now looks like a poorly-managed construction zone, and the seekers of the Atlas who have been brought to this place might have to get their hands dirty in order to dig out the tunnels.

In case you need an incentive, access to some of the Monoliths has probably been prevented, not to mention the fact that nobody knows what happened to the strange boney creature calling itself The Last. The group consensus seems to be that they're going to dig him out. And was he the only one buried? A headcount goes round, but nobody is sure who exactly was in the caves. Probably time for a buddy system in case the next person buried is you.

Of course, hard work leaves little time for the other necessities of life. Why not bring by some food or water and strike up a conversation?


IT MEANS NO WORRIES
Manual labor isn't your thing? No problem! Several lush oasises seem to have popped up, complete with grass and water and wildlife.

There's one near the entrance to the city that is currently home to a couple of naughty tree-climbing mammals. Despite monkeying around, they look more like a gecko had a baby with a sloth than any kind of primate, but don't accuse these guys of being slow! They're fast, mischievous, and will steal anything they can get their hands on, carrying it somewhere high and leaving it there. But maybe if you can find out what they like to eat they can be tamed? Or at least convinced to brings your stuff back...

There's another denser patch of vegetation that definitely has something large and loud tromping around in it, but nobody's seen it yet... just be careful while foraging, okay? Or maybe it's a chance to finally have some meat for once.

Finally, there's definitely a decent sized pond with a shimmering reflection just begging for someone to cannonball in. And it turns out taking off the suit has no adverse effect writhing the oasis. Skinny dipping anyone?


TALE AS OLD AS TIME
Be careful around the sudden appearance of plants; they're time distortions that will zap in and out, the bubbles bursting before you can work out how to break that coconut-like plant open. And you don't want to end up stranded in the desert without your suit on, either. Not to mention some pretty weird time distortions seem to be happening. Careful you aren't stuck in a Groundhog Day loop, forced to relive the last few minutes of your gruesome death over and over...

On the plus side, you can give yourself a high five?

And only a high five, nobody wants to see you taking self love to an entirely new level.*



* Iron Bull wants to see.

Comments

clara | ota

[ex_bossily211]

fast forward; closed to Clark Kent
[She's in the middle of wandering in Clark's company when she receives the message over her communicator. It catches her attention right away, and she stops walking as she shields her eyes well enough that she can read it with the sun overhead.

FIRMWARE UPGRADE AVAILABLE.
UPDATE: Y/N?

She reads it over, head tipping off to the side as she wonders if she should go through with it or not. Thinking it's an upgrade to her suit, she hesitates.]

Clark, look at this. Should I go through with it?

[Not even two seconds later:] I think I'm going to accept, so we can see what happens. A suit upgrade sounds perfect, don't you think?


digging;
[Clara's not particularly strong, but that doesn't stop her from pulling her own weight in trying to help with the digging efforts. They've got an important task to finish, and she's feeling a surge of energy after her recent massive upload of information. So she finds herself working close to dark, loading up and dragging away as much dirt and rubble as possible. It's right before dusk and she's just loaded up a trilobite shell full of dirt to be cleared away. The problem is she's piled it a little too full and high so she approaches one of the other people nearby.]

Can you help me clear away a bit more? It's too heavy for me to lift and move away on my own.


bathing;
[After watching entirely too many men skinny dipping, Clara takes it upon herself to finally bathe. She's waited weeks to do this, and doesn't hesitate when she sheds her suit. Heading right into the water, she works on scrubbing at her body, paying particular attention to her hair. It's only when she catches sight of someone on dry land that she pauses in what she's doing and glances over.]

Mind lending a hand? I'll wash your back if you wash mine.


twice the fun;
[Really, running into a version of herself from even a few minutes prior isn't good for her egomania. She first spots herself from the back, and after tipping her head and admiring herself she realizes that the suit is doing her all kinds of favors. It's only after calling out to her double and heading on over that she becomes completely fascinated by the concept of being stuck in a time distortion with herself.

When someone else comes along, she won't hesitate to grab their hand and turn them so they can admire the her from five minutes ago the same as she's doing.]

Do you think a single planet can handle more than one of me? Because I'm thinking about keeping her. There's just something about her that I like.

[anewhope]

[ Clark frowns openly. He hadn't heard of any suit upgrade. In fact, his suit hadn't even given him the option before it started parsing the alien language for him. The fact that it's asking now seems suspicious. ]

I'm not sure how I feel about you being a guinea pig for a suit upgrade.

[ex_bossily211]

And I'm not sure how I feel about passing up an opportunity, even if it seems to good to be true.

[Still, she hesitates. Because she takes his advice seriously, and values his input. Her eyes glances down to her communicator, before looking back up to him.]

You would do it if you had the chance, wouldn't you?

[anewhope]

[ Clark looks at her, pensive, before he sighs. ]

I'd do it to minimize any kind of risk.

[ex_bossily211]

Exactly why I'm going to do it first. So you can observe and help minimize any future risks.

[There's the thrill of the unknown as she fiddles with the device and selects the yes option. Her eyes are on his as she does so, a little smirk set on her face. The second she selects the affirmative option, she freezes where she stands as her eyes begin to twitch fast enough that it doesn't look natural or human in any way. A blue layer begins to pass over her eyes as well, showing that this upgrade likely isn't the suit at all. It goes on for nearly a minute before it shows signs of stopping.]

[anewhope]

Clara!

[ Alarmed, he grabs Clara by the shoulders. None of the options on the suit show how to stop it and panic bleeds through. He shakes her as he grapples with the controls, trying to see if there's a way to rescind the update or pause it. ]

[ex_bossily211]

[She doesn't respond when he calls her name or shakes her. Her eyes remain glazed over with the blue film, and when it finally stops she seems to be still for a second or two before something seems to snap in her head and she comes to. She doesn't answer him, though.

Instead, she starts to repeat everything she's said and done over the past handful of minutes as if she's playing something back to him. When it's all said and done, she stops and stands there dazedly, fingertips pressed against her temple.]

That's one hell of an upgrade.

[anewhope]

[ His frown deepens and he almost seems angry before he drops his hands, frustrated by his own impotence. ]

What happened?

[ex_bossily211]

[She rubs at her temple a bit longer, giving her mind time to process everything that's just been uploaded to it. Memories have flooded on in, a couple of years worth of things that she thankfully doesn't have to process because her mind already feels as if she's lived through them. Everything settles quickly enough, and her hand drops away from her head so she can reach out to curl her fingers around his wrist.]

I was given memories somehow, Clark. Years worth. I'm fine, I promise.

[anewhope]

Nothing about that sounds fine.

[ He's being testy and he knows it, but he couldn't help the snappish reply. What kind of memories? What kind of connection did the suit have to their mental selves? ]

[ex_bossily211]

[Now used to dealing with a much older Doctor that's constantly testy, she just gives him a look at first. One that tells him he's going to exhaust himself if he doesn't calm down.]

I don't remember it hurting.

[She pauses, realizing something.]

Do you think it's all been fabricated? Because it feels very real.

[anewhope]

[ That's some consolation, Clark imagines. Though he doesn't feel particularly at ease with any of this. ]

They're your memories. You would know.

[ex_bossily211]

[Now knowing her fate and how she actually does meet her end, she feels at peace with things in a way she hadn't when she only thought she had died before. A small smile tugs up at the corners of her mouth and she presses a hand up against her chest to see if her heart's still beating here. It is. She's breathing, too. Her body's just the same as it was years ago. That hasn't changed at least.]

They're memories of the best years of my life. And they remind me that tomorrow's promised to no one, but I'm entitled to my past. The memories are mine.

[anewhope]

[ Clark watches her for a long time before nodding. That's enough for him and it should be enough for anyone. ]

I thought — you died. How did you get more memories?

[ex_bossily211]

I still do.

[She laughs a little at how upset she remembers being.]

Just not when I thought I did. The Doctor saved me then, but wasn't able to do it a second time around. It's alright though. Everyone thinks I must be so afraid, and maybe I used to be. But I'm not anymore.

[She decides that now's a good time to start walking, and she motions for him to follow her.]

[anewhope]

[ He follows her easily, no hesitation there. ]

I think it's not the . . . dying part that people fear. It's what we leave behind.

[ex_bossily211]

[Nodding in understanding, she thinks on his words instead of just blurting out something silly to pass off his concern.]

The people I left behind will be just fine. I think it's the people here that need me now.

[They've got so much to explore, and Atlas to find. She hasn't forgotten that.]

I couldn't up and leave you here all alone, could I? You'd wind up being too heroic and getting in over your head.

[anewhope]

[ Clark belatedly realized he let his own death slip by. We, he had said. Thankfully, it wasn't a noticeable one. His lips twitch slightly at her last remark. ]

I think you're giving me too much credit for my "heroics".

[ex_bossily211]

Maybe. But I think you've earned the credit after what you've had to sacrifice.

[She had caught that we, and gives him a meaningful look to say so.]

bathing.

[naberrie]

[ padmé had a similar idea. her way, however, involved a small shell for want of a cup — or a true shower — in order to enjoy the water.

she glances over when called, unperturbed by the other's nakedness. her braid, recently cleaned, sits over her left shoulder in a simple, for her, fishtail. ]

Of course. But you'll have to come closer.

[ex_bossily211]

Think I can do that.

[As much as she's enjoying relaxing where she is, she wades over toward Padmé. She hadn't really gotten to spend as much time one on one with the other woman, and Clara figured that this was a good time to get to know her a little better. Once she was in close enough, she gathered her hair and moved it out of the way, to rest over her shoulder.]

It's lovely, isn't it? Finding something like this here.

[naberrie]

If only it would last. [ spoken a touch wistfully. ] I'd love to stay in the water.

[ so long in a desert, she misses naboo keenly. she misses the sweet waters. she misses the lush greens and blues of her home.

tipping her chin down, padmé pours water over clara's back before she scrubs at the skin gently. ]

twice the fun

[adamance]

[Well, Lexa isn't really the type of person to openly admire anyone unless their name is Clarke, but she's definitely seen some multiple Clarkes around, so that's been nice.

Still, she does pause to both watch Clara and Clara's double before looking up at her with a quirk of her lips.]

I see that you're very confident, [she says.] Would you like to keep them? They don't seem to last very long.

twice the fun

[justice_of_toren]

[It's probably a good thing Breq can usually control her facial expressions because the surge of resentment she feels at Clara's blithe comment about keeping a double surprises even her. She manages to keep her face pleasantly neutral. If there's a tell, it's that her voice is a little too flat.]

I have no idea why the planet couldn't handle both of you, but if you discover how to keep her from disappearing, do let me know.

[On the other hand, maybe Breq doesn't want to know. Doesn't want to run into a double of her own. Would it really be any better to exist in more than one body again and not be able to feel it?]

bathing.

[highflights]

I'm good, thanks.

[ She'd let herself have a quick dip earlier, keeping a sharp ear out for anyone, even though she could've asked Clark and he wouldn't have minded much. She squats on the edge of the water, and reaches out for Clara's back. ]

I really wish we had conditioner here.