theatlas | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: everyone!
When: Day 6
Where: everywhere!
What: regrouping after the event

Well, the swarm is over and the queen has died. What are you doing now, friends?

Heading back to the boneyard to regroup? Staying at the queen's carcass to harvest meat and pearl things? Staying maybe to heal if you're banged up? Or maybe you're arguing with others over what to do.

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[ Clark listens intently, his brow creased. ]

The second word in that message. It sounds like "status" to me.

[Nodding, she tries copying the way the word is spoken by the voice in her transmission. It's difficult to do, her tongue not trained to make sounds that way. Still, she wants to try to commit it to memory so she can start trying to decipher and learn the language for herself. Eventually she gets tongue tied and her cheeks puff up before moving on and staying focused.]

Should I play the second for you?

[ Clark nods his assent. ]

Go ahead.

[It takes her a few moments but she manages to play the second. ]

Any of that make sense to you?

[ He cocks his head. ]

Atlas signature detected. That's the first part. The rest is . . . [ He shakes his head, indicating that he doesn't know. ]

[Her eyes widen a little at that, and she nearly squirms with excitement.]

But that first part is enough! Atlas signature detected? That means that whatever we're supposed to be looking for is likely here. Don't you think?

It's possible.

[ He doesn't want to get her hopes up. ] The messages are confusing. I heard things about transmissions and failures . . . I don't know what to make of any of it.

[ And he's the only one getting them. Which makes him wonder. Is it because he's Kryptonian? Or some other insidious reason? ]

You don't have to make anything out of it by yourself.

[Reaching up, she gives a little pat to his arm. He's not alone in trying to figure this out, she's willing to work on things as long as it takes.]

I'm still hoping we're able to send a message back. We just have to figure out what to say so they'll understand that we need help getting off this awful planet.

And if they put us here?

[ Clark pauses because he realizes how grim that sounds. He grimaces. ]

But maybe there's someone else out there we can send a message to.

If they put us here, we demand they come back and get us, or else.

[She's bossy enough to actually say this to whoever was trying to communicate with them.]

[ He smiles. ]

I'm sure we appear very threatening to them.

[She makes a sound that's close to mock offense.]

If they're smart, they'll realize I'm incredibly threatening!

[ His smile may not be visible, but it's no less transparent in his voice. ]

I'll put down a vote for that.

[She hears that smile in his voice, and it inspires her to flash him a dimpled grin.]

You know, i'm incredibly glad I met you, Clark. You make me miss the Doctor less and less with each passing day.

[ He's surprised by her statement and it shows. ]

I did that?

[Nodding a little, she brings her hand up to briefly touch fingertips against his cheek.]

Yes, you. You've helped me here more than you realize, I think.

[ He can't help staring a little in wonder. It's been some time since he's heard someone else say that to him. ]

It's all I ever wanted to do.

Then I suppose you can retire happily now.

[Retracting her hand, she clears her throat a little, feeling awkward for having been sentimental at all.]

[ His expression is wintry. ]

I already have.

[She sees the shift in expression and bites at her lip. There's a hope that she hasn't offended him, because her number of friends out here is currently limited and doesn't want to do anything to make him cross with her.]

Then I suppose you can just let yourself be happy now.

[There's the gentlest of nudges as she glances up at him.]

You are capable of that, aren't you?

[ It is meant in jest but Clark finds himself thinking about it seriously. ]

I don't know. So much happened recently. I haven't had time to think about it.

[ About dying. Lois. The ring he wanted to give her. Did she even know? He had informed his mother of it, sent the ring to her to ask for her blessing and approval. About the life he thought he could have. ]

I'm not saying I can't be happy. But I'll need time to find it again.

[Her eyes widen a little at that blunt honesty, and she finds herself nodding in understanding. Even if she isn't entirely feeling that way right now, she knows how it feels.]

I felt that way, after my mum died. Give yourself time to move on past your losses, and I think happiness will find its way to you.

[She moves to slip her arm up around his, linking them together. The painful familiarity he offers her has her leaning in to briefly touch the side of her head against his arm, and then she's attempting to move on past the moment to try and keep him from feeling down.]

Come on. Let's see if we can figure out how any of the original sounds in the message translate to what you're able to understand them as being. This would be made easier with the TARDIS' translation filters, but I've picked up some alien languages here and there so I'm not entirely useless.

[Yes she is. She just won't admit it.]

[ His fingers close over hers, fragile. Everything Clark does when it comes to people he cares about is gentle and soft, like he's handling something precious in his powerful hands. ]

I'll be counting on you then to help me out.

Always.

[She promises him as much help as she can possibly offer, before pulling away so she can fiddle with her device and replay the first of her messages. If they're going to crack this language, it's going to take some time and work. No more time to waste with sentimental things like feelings.]

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