december 2019. welcome to the void.

[modblob]

Who: Everyone in Anchor.
What: Sixth Introductory Mingle
When: The Month of December 2019
Where: Around and outside the city.
Warnings: Please add any warnings in the subject lines.

Redshift: Welcome to the v͖͕̺̲̘̱̜͎o̴̦̣̠̦̘̹͞i̯̖d̛̪̬͈̱̦̝͍̕.

Click here to read what characters will experience when arriving in Anchor.

a. the generic holiday cheer prompt.

It's a dark, quiet, uneventful night. Only those up and about in the wee hours will notice something odd starting in the park.

It's snowing.

The phenomenon seems to be coming from a small bank of unmoving clouds hanging suspended above the trees and lake. A cloud that, upon closer inspection by any scientists in the room, appears to be made of harmless nanites whose sole purpose is to unleash a cheery, blustery kind of weather that remains mostly contained to the park.

Some bots are out serving hot chocolate, cider, flavored snow cones, and other small baked treats. Others are building a solid-looking bit of scaffolding that the snow is rapidly turning into a sledding ramp. In fact, there are sleds ready and waiting at the foot of the slide. The smaller ponds have frozen over in a sharp cold snap that came with the nanites' release, and there are other bots handing out ice skates - careful, though, because one of them is a chef bot and he's made the blades of the skates ridiculously sharp. At least they'll glide well?

Around the middle of the day, the intercoms squeal loudly, crackle, and start pouring generic seasonal music out into the air. Is it for Hanukkah? Christmas? Kwanzaa? Some strange holiday no one has heard of? Who knows, since half of it is in alien languages, but man, it sure is peppy! And kind of annoying after a while! Maybe someone should hack the system and change the music up?

b. the body heat trope prompt.

As the day wears on toward evening, the nanite winter storm starts to gather a little more force, sending cold seeping through the halls of Anchor. There are pockets of warmth here and there - notably, for once, the agricultural areas are largely unaffected thanks to their temperature regulators--but most of Anchor has a wintery chill, and snow is starting to bluster across the levels from bottom to top. Temperatures continue to drop when the suns go down.

The bots are out being helpful, though they can't stop the storm. They're rolling around handing out blankets and thermoses of warm drinks. Unfortunately, it's one blanket and one thermos per two people. Better get cosy - it's going to be a long, cold night!

c. the terrifying monster attack prompt.

The cold has woken up some creatures that have been slumbering away in one of the sealed-off areas of the labs. They couldn't get through the door that kept them caged, but they sure could freeze the windows and escape that way when they got cold enough to break. The little critters make a beeline for the park, prepared to wreak havoc-

If eating snow and ice and rolling snow into tiny balls for meal stockpiles is havoc.

These little creatures look conspicuously like the western dragons of Earth, though most are no bigger than a person's forearm. Their wings - some strange shade of white that sparkles when they move - seem largely decorative. They use them to communicate, to posture, and to keep themselves balanced when they rear up on their hind legs, but none of them appear able to fly. They're a mix of colors, blue and silver and white, some of them with a variety of shades swirling down their bodies, others with one color on their bellies and contrasting colors on their back and head. Some have splotches, or speckles, or tiger stripes of blue. They breathe steam and can freeze things with their clawed forepaws.

Also, if you feed them a flavored snow cone, they will follow you forever. No, really. You'll have yourself an undyingly loyal new pet.

Navigation.

Comments

[circumitus]

For now Elleru's lack of notice is a blessing. Rey keeps her head ducked, eyes focused on the top of Tripod's hairless little head as he continues to slumber, purs rumbling against her.

"Ah. Guess no one would be ready for this. Didn't exactly get a warning sign..." She trails, pausing when the realization dawns on her. "Shit, hope this hasn't affected the area where food is grown."

Hungry people on top of cold weather never leads to anything good.

[birdical]

Oh, now that's something Elleru hadn't thought of before. She turns her head toward Rey, her worry apparent.

"The agricultural level?" She enunciates every syllable of that, as one might when parsing out the parts of an unfamiliar word. "It was warmer when I was there a few days ago, but it is so much colder now than it was. What will happen to the animals that live there?"

[circumitus]

That's right, living things inhabit those areas as well. The thought is enough to give Rey pause as she mulls it over.

"Maybe they'll be all right?" No one can be sure of that, though, so she adds: "Could always build shelters for them or something, if it gets real bad."

People here seem to have a lot of time on their hands, so there's no excuse not to pitch in whenever possible, right?

[birdical]

"Could we?" Oh no, that sounds like it might be a genuine question. "I would not want them to be cold, but there is not enough room in here for all of us."

And she looks around, her ears dipping as she clearly considers how many of Kieran's animals they could fit into the room. Not nearly enough, clearly; her natural form would take up a good chunk of the floor space if she were to shift into it, and most of the animals up there are almost her size.

[circumitus]

Rey stares, squinting at the other woman. Is Elleru thinking what she thinks she's thinking?

"We can absolutely not fit that many animals in one double bedroom," she says flatly. "Aren't there barns and pastures and such up there? Pretty sure someone mentioned setting up a ranch a while ago."

Much as she'd been tempted, it's not like Rey had gone up there to investigate closely. She'd mostly been avoiding people for a good while after coming here.

[birdical]

Though Elleru lets out a quiet, disappointed warble, she knows Rey is right. Clearly, they should have grabbed one of the rooms with four beds if thy wanted to adopt half the animals in the barn. Is it too late to do that? It's too late now that she's made a little nest in this room from the blankets, isn't it?

"You are speaking of Kieran," she replies, settling back against Rey. "I am sure he is worried about his animals, but I must remember that they will keep each other warm, just as we are."

That thought brings her a little comfort. Still, she might swing by his room tomorrow just to see if he needs anything. How terrible it must be, not being able to see and knowing his animals may be freezing.

[circumitus]

It's too late for any if that, but Rey oddly appreciates the nest.

They might not be thinking the same person, and Rey doesn't even know who this Kieran is, but she doesn't cared. She just shrugs.

"We'll figure it out. But one thing at a time." It's something she tries to remind herself sometimes as well.

[birdical]

"Yes, one thing at a time. We must first get Tripod warm, and then we will consider how we will decorate our room."

Because apparently, that is the second-most important thing on Elleru's mind.

[circumitus]

If reality hadn't sunk in enough already, those words Elleru just spoke really drove the point home. Staring into space, the words repeat from Rey's mouth like water falling out.

"Our... room? Decorate?" It almost sounds like a different language to her.

[birdical]

"Yes," Elleru replies calmly, despite Rey's obvious befuddlement. "Our room."

She leans forward just a bit so she can turn to give her new roommate a teasing smile. "Do you not know how? You have told me you do not have a home, but is easy to do. You simply find what you like, and bring it to your room." Yes, that is how decorating is generally done. She keeps going, hoping Rey is processing this as she continues. "This will be our bed, of course. And we will make Tripod a bed in one of those boxes?"

She points to the cubes on the wall that are likely meant to be shelves, but as far as Elleru is concerned, they are perfect potential cat beds.

[circumitus]

While Rey isn't so obtuse that she doesn't know how home decor works, it's never been something that she's dabbled in. That's something that you go into when you have a sense of making roots somewhere, or establishing a homestead. She's never had that stability before, not even in Chicago. Everything has always been a temporary roost for her, and she has no illusions that this would be any different.

So the thought of adorning a space that won't even last seems like a waste of time to Rey. However, just about everything here could be considered a waste of time, when there's nothing else to do and your only prospect of 'home' is a rod of metal inches from your mechanical heart and a manic synthetic woman.

All things considered, her situation could be worse. It's all just a matter of keeping up now.

"Um. Those 'boxes' are usually for putting stuff in, for one thing..."

Though that probably won't stop a cat. Tripod is likely to find ways to curl inside all kinds of nooks and crannies when he's on his own.

Then Rey stops and gives Elleru a look right now, squinting at her. "We've got two beds. Will just sleep in the other one when the cold goes away -- doubt it's going to be like this forever."

Which means cuddling for warmth won't be a necessity for too long, or so she would think.

[birdical]

Rey gives Elleru a look and Elleru gives her a look right back. There's a second of silence before she closes her eyes and smiles knowingly. "Of course. It will not be cold forever. Perhaps Tripod will sleep with me in my bed to keep me company."

Or something will inexplicably happen to Rey's mattress, leaving only one usable one. What a tragedy that would be.

"What else will be put into our room? Something you like, perhaps?"

[circumitus]

Such a tragedy that would be. A travesty. Completely.

Rey doesn't suspect a thing.

She arches a brow at the mere suggestion that she would have even an inkling on how to plan any interior design for this room.

"Haven't thought about it? Don't really have much shit." Rey inclines her head towards the room. "Isn't there enough stuff in here, anyway?"

It's fully furnished, and that's all Rey thinks she needs.

[birdical]

There's something about Rey's reaction that causes Elleru to laugh -- it's a bright laugh, warm and lively and with an undercurrent of a bird-like thrum beneath her deep timbre.

"Enough stuff! What a wonderful joke!" She pats Rey's arm, leaning into her shoulder again. "We will make this room our own, and then you will see what 'enough stuff' is. I will show you."

She gestures to the boxes on the wall. "That one is Tripod's bed, for when he is not asleep with me. And there" — she moves her finger to the box next to it — "is where our books will go. We will have many in here. We can start with mine. And on that box will go flowers. I have learned to fold them from paper, and they are quite lovely. We will hang a chain of them over the door, and a rrug in front of it? Oh, and in the drawers beneath the beds will go our clothing."

[circumitus]

Something about 'We will make this room our own' all but confirms Rey's suspicions on Elleru's motivations. She's pretty sure this was where the other woman was hinting at from the start, so maybe it was all on her for refusing to see the signs that were right in front of her.

Still, it's weird. This whole thing is weird. Rey was just tentatively prepared to settle on finding a room to settle in for a while, but having someone else to share it with seems to alter the situation in a way she hadn't anticipated.

She casts a sidelong look upward as Elleru goes on to reveal her plans on renovating this space in her image.

All things considered, it could be worse.

"Sounds like you've got a pretty good idea on what you want. So, you should probably handle... all of it, then. Since, ah. Am no good with any of that." A nervous sound escapes her throat before she can stop herself. Keep your shit together, Rey!

[birdical]

"But I will not learn more about you if you do not help me," Elleru replies simply, giving Rey a soft, encouraging look.

Her smiles fades just a little as she bites at her lip and casts her eyes away. "Although... if I am pushing you too far, you will tell me, will you not? I do not want to chase you away."

[circumitus]

It's when Rey's reminded of their conversation at the library that she again stops to consider what Elleru is doing. Or, rather, is trying to do. She exhales a sharp breath, glancing away in thought.

"Mn, no, it's not you. Am not an easy person to get on with -- or live with. Can keep this place warm if it stays cold for long, and can fight. Never been good for much else."

They're not things she likes to admit, but Rey feels like she owes it to Elleru for spending so much time on her that might as well be a waste.

[birdical]

Rey opens up just a little, and Elleru can't help herself as she puts her hand on Rey's forearm to give it a gentle, supportive squeeze.

"Oh Rrey," she starts, her ears tipping upward as she feels Rey's warmth through her skin; it ebbs into her like a warm, comforting bath. "There are others who are just as hard to 'get on with,' as you say, but they are worth getting to know, as are you. You just do not see it like we do."

She nods toward the purring ball that is Tripod. He knows.

"But that does not mean your worth is not there, or that it does not exist."

[circumitus]

Against her better judgement, she does open up. Just a little. It's enough for Rey to temporarily question her sanity, but at the same time she knows she can't keep doing what she's been doing. Not if she doesn't really want to end up alone in a ditch somewhere, forgotten because she forsake the prospect of any allies or companionship.

Already a damned cat has made it painfully clear that that isn't happening. What next?

Over time, she's calmed. Reasoned with herself that this is only fleeting, so what does it matter. What does anything matter, let alone her worth. Something which only a select few have deemed worth their effort at all.

Rey can't help but shrink into herself. Not to close off, but to rub her forehead as she listens to Elleru's words, mulling over the logistics of it. Her brother would have chastised her for bringing logic into the situation, but it's the one thing keeping her from going into self-destruct mode all over again -- and Rey remembers full well how Elleru responds to that, even if the other woman doesn't.

"If you say so," Rey mutters. The words themselves sound harsh but her tone betrays that. "Well. Can't deny that you're the first to say stuff like that, at least."

[birdical]

"And I will not be the last," Elleru insists, dragging her fingers along Rey's forearm before settling her hand atop Rey's own. "We will make sure of that, Tripod and I."

Though just how the cat is going to help, she doesn't clarify -- or know, really. She's just confident in her ability to help others, even if it's with something as complicated as making them realize their own potential. She knows there's a softer side to Rey in there, one she doesn't let show normally; Elleru herself saw it in the baths, and she refuses to believe it was a one-time-only, momentary lapse in judgment. Rey is hiding her true self, and if there's anything Elleru knows about, it's hiding who you are.