driftfleet | let us bow our heads

let us bow our heads

[it may be too optimistic to hope that it has something to do with respect, but Atroma has been very quiet. in the wake of the growing stillness on the Iskaulit, neither of the fleet's hosts have broken the peace with their chipper voices.

if the passengers are being watched as closely as they always claim, it is being done in silence.

whether or not the remainder of the living bugs are being kept somewhere for observation, and regardless of the fact that the discussion of what to ultimately do with the ship is still ongoing, it has been generally agreed that something respectful should be done with the dead, and that the remaining spores should be washed away.

so, this will all be done through a combined effort of vacuum and fire, and the time for this purge has been set.

feet on the ground are needed to prepare the foreign ship for purging--securing anything that could be damaged, and safely packing away delicate data-storing instruments and anything belonging to the fleet itself. anyone willing to help could surely find something to do.

and for anyone wishing to bless, reflect, honor, or pray... now is the time to do so. whether aboard the Iskaulit itself before the purge, offering a voice over the network, or simply watching from nearby shuttles and ships, this is the fleet's moment to help send off the crew of the Iskaulit with dignity.]

ooc: this is the final IC mod post for June! the purge itself will be implied for the most part, but anyone with skills in mechanics or fire-controlling may assume they were involved.

this post specifically is for any interactive threads involved in the final days before the Iskaulit is cleaned, and anything funerary, including broadcasts. even if you just want to put up a closed comment describing what private way your character is taking part in this makeshift 'ceremony,' go for it.

an OOC post summarizing and officially wrapping up the rest of June will go up as soon as we're able.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's the whole thinking time when Toph tracks him down. She leans against one of the door frames in the Iskaulit, arms crossed, silently 'watching' him for a little bit. When she feels a good lull in the reflecting, she pipes up.]

It's a pretty big ship when you put it against ours, isn't it?

[His head raises a little when he hears Toph, looking over at her]

Mm...it's massive.

People who can see never really get the entire scope of it, but I do, when I feel it. [She taps her foot lightly on the metal floor for emphasis.]

There's a lot here, probably more than we've really dug into yet, don't you think?

You can feel the entire ship with your feet?

[Whoooa whacky powers there]

Most likely...if a population this large lived here, there must be a lot here to support them.

Yup. My earthbending lets me feel vibrations with my feet, so I get an idea of what's around me-- and below me. Or above, if everything's connected. Since metal's an offshoot of earth, it works about the same. [Toph shrugs a little.] It's how I found you, too.

[She straightens and makes her way over to Allen, sitting on the floor next to him.] You okay?

Really? [He looks impressed! It was sort of like Marie with his sound vibrations] Incredible...that explains the bare feet.

[Yes. He had been too polite to point it out]

[And at that question, he considers it] I...think so. This sort of thing isn't much different from my work back home.

Mhm. If I wear shoes, it'd be like someone putting a thin piece of fabric over your face. You could still see, but it'd be a lot harder to make things out. So if there's a smell, you're gonna have to deal with it. [She grins widely before letting it fall into a more sober expression.]

Still, it's gotta stink. You don't strike me as the type to enjoy this sorta thing.

[ew...] We have a working bath, you know. [Seriously he worked on getting those upgrades and everything!]

Does anyone enjoy funerals? [Rhetorical question really]

[Toph ignores the bath comment, focusing on his avoidance (?) of the topic at hand.]

That's not what I'm talking about.

[Yeah, okay he knows that's not what she's talking about.]

It's...[how do you even phrase it] There's parts I enjoy, and there's parts I don't- like this. But it's more than just enjoyment. It's a part of who I am, a purpose. But-

[He frowns a little.]

Back home, one of the things I was called was a destroyer. By Exorcist standards, we've done the right thing - put these lamentable souls to rest before they harm anyone else. But out here, I'm a medic. I'm supposed to be saving lives- not taking them out. The right thing would have been not resting until a cure was found to save them.

...I'll admit, I didn't expect my occupations to ever have such a conflict of interests. I'm a little...more torn, than I thought I'd be.

You know, this is the part where I'd normally send you to Katara, since she's the healer and all. [Toph exhales, blowing a bit of hair away from her face.]

So you find a cure? After how long, a few months? What do they do during that time? What do we? Time and energy and resources are used on that, but what about the rest of us? [She looks in his direction.] It might be the right thing to do-- heck, it probably is-- but it's...

Be honest Allen. With all the research and data and whatever, would it be doable in a practical way?

Edited 2015-07-02 03:18 (UTC)

[There's a pause before he exhales himself]

...No. It wouldn't be doable.

Then there's your answer, as much as it stinks. Besides, by doing what we did, who knows how many lives were saved in the long run. [Toph elbows him in the side, hard enough to get him to notice, but it shouldn't hurt.]

Look, thinking things over is helpful sometimes I guess. But now doesn't seem like the best time for that, especially when there's a lot of stuff to sort through.

[She pauses briefly.] If you come across anything you don't think the fleet should take or use, let me know. I can probably stash it somewhere.

[The jab in his side does get his attention, making him look at her again.]

Mm, I suppose you're right... I might be just overthinking it at this point.

[Too many times having to explain to people why they have to take out the bugs. There were so many kindhearted people in this fleet, people who don't believe in killing. It was different than back home. No one raised that much fuss about taking out Akuma once they knew what killing machines they were. If anything, it was harder to convince people to not only see them as evil monsters- but for the tragic creations they were. But here? Well, at this point he feels he's had to argue for mercy killing so many times he can't help but question it a little himself. If it was truly the right course. If he was simply letting his destroyer side dictate what it wants.]

[He lets out a exhale]

Thanks Toph. [For both that offer, and her consoling] You're a very kind person.

Mhm. Just don't let that get out, okay? [She looks away, possibly turning a little red.]

Is there anywhere we haven't been able to access? Because I can totally fix that.

And anger a metalbender when we're surrounded by metal? I'm smarter than that.

[Well. Most of the time. He exhales a bit of air, making his bangs bounce in the air]

You'll have to doublecheck with the engineers, they're the ones getting all the locks open. [He considers] But can you feel any feet that don't feel human in the ship?

Or just don't anger me in general. That's an even better lesson.

[Toph snorts.] Are locks on metal doors supposed to mean something to me? [Without waiting for a response, she reaches over and places her palm on the floor. A pause, then:] No bugs, if that's what you wanna know.

Ha- [Yeah that's not a promise he's making.]

[ He watches, even if he can't really see the full extent of what's going on. It's very weird in a way, knowing she's seeing so much when he's not picking up anything. He wonders if this is how people feel when he uses his eye- not that it does much good on this ship right now.]

Amazing... [He gives a nod at the news] Thanks Toph. That's what I wanted to hear.

[Better not make one you can't keep.

Toph nods, moving her hand back to her lap. She's quiet for a moment, sort of taking in the atmosphere.] I hope we're doing the right thing. I mean, I think we are, but...

[ Allen's quiet for a moment, thinking. The memory of a black card with a white symbol floats into the forefront of his mind, held on to a woman with long blond hair and silver eyes- silver eyes lacking their usual faint smile as she speaks of the card's meaning.]

[The black card was to give when the warrior was at their end. A sign of mercy, to allow them to die as a human instead of living on as a monster.]

...I think we are. I don't know anything about this species. But..if this sort of thing happened to me, if I became a husk bent on destruction...

["If I get taken over by the 14th, please kill me."]

I'd want an end put to me.

[Toph's even quieter now, likely ruminating on what he'd just said.] I think it's sort of easier to talk about doing than actually doing it once you're in the situation. We can say, okay we'll do that, but if we actually had to?

[She's not finishing that thought out loud.]

[ He's a bit quiet at that. She's right...he's seen that enough times to know that. Still over getting people hurt... ]

Maybe... [He sighs, his shoulders slumping a little from the exhale] Ah. Let's just be careful so it doesn't come to that. That seems better.

[Even if he knows sometimes it can't be helped]

Edited 2015-07-20 13:42 (UTC)

[Toph reaches back and punches Allen's arm. Hard.] Good plan, Spud.

- Oy!

[Yep. That caught him by surprise. He winces from the punch, sure. But of course, he's still more annoyed by the name.]

It's Allen!

Hey, Spud's a great name! [Also a potato, which is a vegetable.] Back home, it's a very noble Earth Kingdom name. I'm complimenting you!

[It's close enough in her mind.]

B

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