When We're Rollin Through the Wild Wild West

[geonomy]

Who: Everyone! EVERYONE!
Broadcast: IF YOU WANNA
Action: Everywhere! EVERYWHERE!
When: Mid-September - Mid-October

[How's your ship doing, pardners? Is it still pretty damaged? Is it glitching out hardcore? Well, there is one place to land to take care of all that, and that's on a dusty old moon in front of a planet that no one wants to go to. On this moon, you'll find a civilization that looks a lot like one's stepped into a wild west movie, hardened cowpolk and mutant horses and all. Will you become a vigilante, hunting bounties and stopping gangs from doing their dirty work? Will you go exploring planetside, with a cowboy hat and a stalk of wheat in your mouth to complete the look? Good luck with that; there is no wheat. This town ain't big enough for all you flooters, but make it so! For the ratings!

In other words, it's a planet mingle! Get 'er done!]

[September Planet info here]

Comments

[catamite]

[finally, someone who can commiserate with him on this. he nods, his eyes getting huge.]

Oh yeah! They even raced them! It was insane.

[dancingmd]

Well, I'm glad I wasn't here for that at least!

[They've reached the kitchen, so Beverly releases Nel's hand.]

Please, take a seat, and I'll make us some tea.

[catamite]

Yeah, it was scary.

[he plops down in a chair, and immediately pulls his feet up onto the edge of the seat, wrapping his arms around his knees. as bubbly as he seems right now, his nerves are too gnawed for things like sitting properly, or sitting still. he's fidgeting right away--picking at his fingers and the cloth covering his knees.]

Hey, do you guys still have your cats? ...Weren't there cats on this ship?

[dancingmd]

Oh, Slay and Alicia?

[Beverly fills a kettle and puts it on the stove to boil before turning around.]

They should be around here somewhere. You could try calling them if you like. Can't promise it'll work though.

[catamite]

That's their names? I've only seen them, like... from down the hall.

[and he looks around like he's considering calling them, maybe hoping that they're already somewhere nearby... but ultimately ends up too shy to go through with it. he chickens out, and shrugs.]

I don't think animals like me very much.

[dancingmd]

Oh, I'm sure that's not true. You just have to give them some time to get to know you.

[A beat.]

Well, maybe not Slay. But Alicia is very cuddly once he gets used to you.

[catamite]

...He?

Isn't Alicia... a girl's name?

[he's hesitant about it, though. it's not like 'Alicia' is a common name where he's from.]

[dancingmd]

Normally, yes, but in this case it's a boy's name.

[She shrugs.]

I didn't name them. Hawke did. Or maybe Ludger.

[catamite]

You're lucky you guys have cats. We just have a fish...

[and he kind of pauses to think about something, glancing off to the side as it dawns on him.]

...I hope somebody's been feeding it.

[dancingmd]

[... Nel.]

When's the last time you saw it?

[Surely Ino's been feeding the poor thing. That is, if she knows about its existence.]

[catamite]

...The fish?

[he looks confused as to why she might be asking.]

[dancingmd]

Yes, the fish. Do you know if it's still, you know...

[She drifts off, not really wanting to finish that sentence.]

[catamite]

I don't know... I haven't really been home a lot, so...

[and he doesn't want to think about it either! so he just... shrugs it off.]

...It's probably fine.

[dancingmd]

Maybe we should let Ino know about it, though, just in case.

[catamite]

I left it on the table, so... I'm pretty sure she knows.

[and he can only sit nicely in a chair and chat for so long. he doesn't know how long it takes for tea to warm up on these ships, but he's getting antsy. he drops his feet back onto the floor, trying to sit properly, but it's only a matter of a few seconds before he's shifting around again, folding his feet underneath himself to sit up on them.]

...So, have you been working in your lab a lot?

[dancingmd]

Not really, I've been spending more time on the moon.

[The kettle starts to squeal and she takes it off the burner, giving him a sidelong glance as she does so.]

Why do you ask?

[catamite]

[and he casually picks at his fingers instead of looking her way.]

Oh, just... I was just wondering if you'd gotten farther on any projects or anything. That's all.

[dancingmd]

[As she's steeping the tea:]

Projects, hmm? Projects like the synthehol perhaps?

[catamite]

...Why, have you been working on it? Have you gotten very far?

[dancingmd]

[Oh, Nel. She'll stop teasing you.]

Yes, I have. In fact, I finished a small batch just yesterday, if you want to do a taste test.

[catamite]

[and oh, she is rewarded with a big, sudden grin of excitement and relief. he's already forgotten that tea was even in the schedule.]

Really?? Right now?

[dancingmd]

If you want, I thought we'd try some in our tea?

[catamite]

[oh, yep, mood totally uplifted now.]

Y'saeah, that's a great idea! ...And you know, that's a really Elven thing to do.

[dancingmd]

[And seeing him happy perks her up too.]

Really?

[She takes two teacups out of the cabinet and sets them on the kitchen table.]

It's fascinating to me, how many cultures across so many different worlds love tea. Do you have any other traditions around it?

[catamite]

[he's been sitting still long enough. pushing himself up from the table, he wanders over just to hang around and watch.]

Oh yeah, elves are big on tea. We're supposed to be, like... connected to nature or whatever, so... [he shrugs.]

A lot of Elven drinks have tea in there somewhere. There's this one that has honey in it that's really popular, and it's usually warm.

[and, by the way he's smirking, there's something about it that he finds funny--like he's failing at keeping a poker face over a joke in his head]